CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The wait is over.
For the first time since 2014, Keyser’s girls basketball recorded a victory at the state tournament.
The Golden Tornado got a combined 35 points and 16 rebounds from Jillian Ault and Riley “Bibs” Felton, and played from in front for the entirety of the final three quarters in a 47-40 win against John Marshall at the Charleston Coliseum.
“It’s so great to finally win here,” Felton said. ‘We’ve struggled to get respect here and lost our first game the last two years, and it’s good to get a win.”
No. 5 KHS (18-3) got back-to-back buckets from Felton in the first quarter to turn a 7-5 deficit into a two-point lead, and the Golden Tornado wouldn’t trail again. Ault accounted for the final bucket of the opening frame to up the lead to four and give her seven points in the opening period.
“Leading into the game, we talked about how Jillian had the biggest advantage on the court,” Keyser coach Josh Blowe said. “We talked about it before the game and we’re talking about it after the game.”
Felton carried the load offensively during her eight-point second quarter, and after holding the Monarchs (17-7) to three field goals in the first quarter, the Golden Tornado did one better and forced JMHS into 2-for-10 shooting in the second period.
Keyser led 24-14 at halftime after clamping down on the Monarchs, which went to the break having made 5-of-23 shots.
Rilee Storm had accounted for all but six John Marshall points at the break.
“Our offense was really bad and we were missing shots we normally make,” Monarchs’ coach Brock Melko said. “But we’ve talked all year that our offense is going to come and go and we can win because we play defense.”
The Golden Tornado did a better job defensively on Storm throughout the second half, and though teammate Kaylee White scored half of John Marshall’s 14 points in the third quarter, Blowe’s team added to its lead by making 7-of-16 field-goal attempts and having five players make at least one bucket that period.
Entering the fourth on top 40-28, Ault scored 10 seconds into the final frame to make it a 14-point margin — the largest of the night.
“She was huge from start to finish,” Melko said. “She was fourth on our scouting report.”
The Monarchs countered with an 8-2 run to and were to within eight with 4:23 to play when White converted a layup off a turnover.
Ault accounted for the next field goal with 2:24 left, and the Monarchs got no closer than six down the stretch.
“We were working so hard to get back into it with the defense and physicality that we just ran out of gas before they did,” Melko said.
Ault shot 8 for 13 and finished with 18 points and eight rebounds.
“Sometimes, it can be a little pressure to know you’re the one that has the mismatch,” Ault said. “It’s important to realize it yourself and not just be told that. Not only knowing, but executing it as well is a major part of getting it done.”
Felton was 7 for 15 with 17 points and eight boards, while helping contain Storm’s production. Although she led the Monarchs with 14 points and 15 boards, John Marshall’s top scorer shot 4 for 22.
“I knew going into this game that I had a really big defensive assignment and maybe even worried more about defense than offense,” Felton said. “She’s a really good player and I’m glad I was able to hold her down. My teammates did great with helping me. That defense turns into offense and it all goes together.”
White contributed 11 points in defeat.
JMHS had a 49-34 rebounding advantage on the strength of 27 offensive boards, but shot 15 for 64, including 1 for 18 from long distance.
“I know it looked like it was spiraling at times, but we kept it together,” Blowe said. “It was an A-plus effort to hold that team to 40 points and hold Storm to 4 for 22 shooting. We always say when the shots aren’t falling, play defense and they bought into that. We didn’t play the best offense, but our defense carried the day.”
Keyser advances to face top seed and unbeaten Greenbrier East in a semifinal.