CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Spring Valley’s pressure was problematic for Spring Mills in Wednesday’s Class AAAA quarterfinal.
Additionally, the Timberwolves had four players score at least 14 points to ensure a long evening for the Cardinals.
The top seed Timberwolves made 11-of-16 first-quarter field-goal attempts and hardly looked back in a commanding 88-36 victory at the Charleston Coliseum.
“We started off really well shooting the ball. Our defense was turning them over and the girls shared the ball,” Timberwolves’ head coach Bo Miller said. “We played extremely hard to get us going.”
The Timberwolves’ point total established a new Class AAAA state tournament record, eclipsing Morgantown’s mark of 86 from a few hours earlier. Their 22 assists are also a new record within the classification on this stage.
All five SVHS starters scored in the first 5 minutes, and a three-pointer from Ella Giles left No. 8 Spring Mills facing an 18-7 deficit.
The Timberwolves had it going inside and from the perimeter early on as they scored 12 paint points and made 4-of-5 triples in the opening frame.
Sophi Hutchison, who opened the scoring with a three, accounted for the final field goal of the opening quarter to make it 17 straight Spring Valley points and a 27-7 lead through one.
“You get a lot looser when you score off the bat. They played with a lot less stress on them,” Miller said. “If we have 22 assists, that’s a great night for us.”
The Timberwolves weren’t quite as explosive offensively in the second quarter, but still managed a plenty respectable 16-point frame by making 6-of-13 shots.
In turn, Spring Valley held a 43-18 lead at halftime, with Hutchison scoring 14 points and Brooklyn Ellis 10 on 4-for-4 shooting through two quarters.
“We know if we do well on defense, it’s going to lead to more offense,” Ellis said. “As long as we keep doing what we’re doing on the defensive end, we can score and we’ll be fine.”
Spring Mills outscored Spring Valley 8-5 over the first 5 minutes of the second half, with Cardinals’ standout Kilah Dandridge scoring the first four of those points.
Then came 16 consecutive points from the Timberwolves over the final 2:50 of the third, a stretch that featured point production from all five Spring Valley starters and led to a 64-26 advantage ahead of the fourth and final frame.
“That’s 100 percent the best team we’ve faced all season. They have a great squad,” Cardinals’ head coach Kara Hesen said. “A great set of girls. That first quarter, it seemed like they were shooting lights out. Almost eighty percent is hard to beat.”
The Timberwolves shot 15 for 25 in the second half and 32 of 54 for the game. That percentage of 59.3 also established a new Class AAAA state tournament record.
Hutchison led all players with 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting and added eight steals.
Giles scored 15 and Ellis and Allie Daniels added 14 apiece. Daniels made all but one of her eight shots.
“We wanted to come out and set the tone from the beginning,” Daniels said.
SV’s fifth starter, Dria Parker, contributed six points and five assists.
Dandridge and Bri King paced the Cardinals with 12 points apiece.
Spring Mills finished with 13 field goals and 28 turnovers.
Daniels and Dandridge are set to be teammates in the near future at West Virginia Wesleyan.
“Definitely didn’t run offense like I wanted to,” Hesen said, “and it’s hard to simulate what they have.”