CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Tug Valley players and coaches often speak of how much the Panthers feed off the frenzied crowds they often play in front of.
Never was that more evident than over the first 5 minutes of the second half in Saturday’s Class A title game against No. 2 Tucker County.
The No. 1 Panthers took a four-point lead into halftime and began the third quarter with 17 unanswered points, allowing them to pull away for a 65-45 victory over the Mountain Lions inside the Charleston Coliseum.
“What we really wanted to single out was the very first possession. We felt like if we could get a stop and a score, then Tug Valley nation gets excited,” Panthers’ head coach Garland “Rabbit” Thompson said. “That third quarter was a blitz. They put it away.”
The result gives Tug Valley (25-2) its second straight state championship and fifth in program history.
One night after scoring 16 of his 21 points in the second half of a tightly-contested semifinal victory over Greater Beckley Christian, Ashton Davis opened the second-half scoring with a jumper. Davis went on to score seven points during the decisive 17-0 run, which also featured five from Braydun Ferris, a Bryson Elia three-pointer and Kaden Hale’s layup that left the Mountain Lions (21-3) facing a 43-22 deficit.
“The crowd really carried us. When the crowd is like that, our momentum is so strong and it’s hard to stop,” said Ferris, who led all players with 27 points and finished the state tournament with 73.
TCHS outscored the Panthers 9-7 over the remainder of the third, but the damage had been done.
“We battled our butts off in the first half,” Mountain Lions’ head coach Daniel Helmick said. “It’s hard to sustain guarding how we guarded in the opening half. We had to make open shots and maximize every offensive possession. They have five kids that can all dribble, shoot left and right and basketball.“
The Mountain Lions continued to battle throughout the fourth, pulling to within 14 at the 3:51 mark when Xander Lambert capped an 8-0 spurt with a bucket.
Tucker would get no closer, as Ferris scored six points in the final period to help his team maintain a comfortable lead.
“This kid right here is the best guard in the state,” Thompson said of Ferris.
The Mountain Lions led for only 2:10, but never trailed by double figures until the second half.
Tug Valley led 15-11 through one quarter and upped it to nine when Ferris accounted for the first five points of the second period.
But starting with a Trevan Bonner basket 4:13 before halftime, Tucker outscored the Panthers 11-6 over the remainder of the opening half, utilizing three-pointers from Garrett Wilfong and Sam Marks to draw closer.
Wilfong played through an ankle injury suffered in the quarterfinal round each of the last two games. He was quite effective in the final, finishing with team highs of 17 points and 14 rebounds.
“You wouldn’t believe what he did — I promise,” Helmick said. “What a tough kid.”
Bonner scored 12 in defeat for a team that won the board battle 34-22, including 18-6 on the offensive end. However, the Mountain Lions’ advantage on second-chance points was only 15-8.
“We didn’t make them pay when we did rebound. You have to put them back in,” Helmick said. “You just have to make shots. When you don’t, they run and now you’re scrambling and if you mess up a rotation, they’re going to make open shots.”
The Mountain Lions have finished Class A runner-up three straight seasons.
Ferris made 12-of-19 field-goal attempts and all but one of his four threes to help the Panthers shoot 27 for 49 (55 percent). He also had three steals and six assists for a team that recorded 14 with a mere six turnovers.
“It’s the decision-making. Braydun very seldom turns the ball over,” Thompson said. “If you don’t turn the ball over and get shots, then you’re going to be successful.”
Hale shot 6 for 9 and scored 15 in the win, while Davis added 10 points and six boards.
It marks the second time Tug Valley has won consecutive state championships. The other instance came in 2012 (Class AA) and 2013 (Class A).
“I’ve got No. 1 and 1A now,” Thompson said. “These guys are top notch and top of the line. I’m blessed to coach them. It’s a very special group that comes along once in a lifetime.”