CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Parkersburg didn’t want to squander an opportunity to have the last laugh.
Having lost both regular season meetings to Parkersburg South, the Big Reds got another crack at their crosstown rival in Saturday’s Class AAAA title game at the Charleston Coliseum.
Through flawless fourth-quarter offensive execution and an uncanny ability to deliver down the stretch, Parkersburg persevered past Parkersburg South, 59-53.
The No. 2 Big Reds (19-6) outscored the fifth-seeded Patriots 21-12 in the fourth quarter.
PHS made 4-of-5 field-goal attempts and 11-of-12 free throws in the final frame, which began with the Patriots in front, 41-38.
“That’s the definition of closing games out and when you’re at the state tournament, that’s what you have to do,” PHS coach Chris Murray said. “When the moments are at their highest pressure points, you have an experienced group that executes at a high level. That’s a testament to them.”
But Murray’s team ran off 12 unanswered points to start the fourth period, and it made all the difference in the outcome. That stretch began with a three-pointer from Lauren Flanagan and was followed by another from teammate Faithlyn Butcher, putting PHS on top to stay with 6:20 remaining.
Lucie Cline’s two free throws moved the margin to five and she added a midrange jumper shortly after, before Frances Guice scored on a drive to the basket for a 50-41 lead with 3:50 left.
No. 5 Parkersburg South (20-6) didn’t give in.
One night after erasing a six-point deficit in the final 90 seconds of regulation in an overtime victory over George Washington, the Patriots pulled to within six at the 1:04 mark when freshman Lindsey Logston connected from long range.
But the Big Reds kept their composure and continued to make free throws, including three from Guice over the next 17 seconds that helped Parkersburg finish off its eighth state championship.
“We just wanted to guard better and be a little bit tougher on the boards,” Murray said. “That’s a tough group. They don’t waver and the moment is not too big for them.”
Guice and Flangan opened the contest with nine straight points on threes to give PHS the early advantage, though the Patriots battled back to trail 15-12 after one quarter.
“If I was sitting in the stands, it would’ve been a real entertaining game to watch,” Patriots’ coach Ed Davis said. “Two really good basketball teams and traditional rivals playing for everything. I can’t fault our effort. Give them credit. They hit some critical shots. They drained shots to start the game and shots in the fourth quarter.”
Flanagan had the hot hand in the second quarter and hit three threes to match the Patriots’ offensive output in that frame, allowing Parkersburg to lead 28-21 at halftime.
“I just wanted to win really bad,” Flanagan said. “Logsdon is a really good defender. With playing them two times, I kind of had an idea of how she would guard me. My coaching staff and my amazing teammates saw what I needed to do with the high pick-and-roll, and I was able to get some shots off.”
But the contest swung in the Patriots’ favor throughout the third quarter, which saw PSHS score 20 points on seven field goals and a 5 for 5 effort on free throws.
The key stretch came when Davis’ squad scored nine straight points to build a 35-32 lead. Logston scored the first five points, before Quinn Bolyard made two free throws and Emille Owens’ layup.
Logston and Bolyard accounted for the last two baskets of the third to leave Parkersburg South in front by three with 8 minutes left, but the Patriots were unable to pull it out for what would’ve marked their first state championship since 2013.
“We couldn’t get the defense set as much as we did in the third quarter with the trap or getting back in man,” Davis said. “You gamble, do this or that and get out of position, and they hit shots.”
Flanagan shot 5 for 10 and scored a team-high 19 points.
Guice added 13, Cline scored 12 to go with 14 rebounds and Kennedy Porter contributed eight points and six boards in the win.
“In the second half, I felt I needed to rise up, get in there and be aggressive,” Cline said.
The Big Reds were 17 for 20 on free throws and won the rebounding battle, 41-31.
Parkersburg won three state tournament games by a total of 12 points, including a one-point overtime win against University in a quarterfinal.
“We’re one of the best teams to ever cover. Every game is close all the time,” Murray said. “When we win by 25, I’m like, ‘this is kind of fun.’ We are an insane basketball team. A lot of it is because of pace and the way we take quicks shots and keep trying to push tempo.
“You just play the game, man. You trust your players are going to make plays.”
Logston led all players with 21 points and Bolyard scored 13.
“Every time we play PHS, it’s a game of runs,” Davis said. “They just made one more run than we did.”
Class AAAA all-tournament team
Carper Messerly, Morgantown
Rayana Breckenridge, George Washington
Jeriyah Pryor, George Washington
Lindsey Logston, Parkersburg South
Lauren Flanagan, Parkersburg
Frances Guice, Parkersburg
Quinn Bolyard, Parkersburg South
MVP: Kennedy Porter, Parkersburg
School spirit: Parkersburg South