By Rick Elmore
The Herald-Dispatch
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A late fourth-quarter scoring drought for Cabell Midland High opened the door for University to take a 56-43 victory in the girls Class AAA state quarterfinal basketball matchup at the Charleston Coliseum on Thursday.
The No. 5 seed Hawks (19-7) outscored the No. 4 Knights 14-0 in the final 4:04 of the contest to advance to the semifinals.
Senior Ashten Boggs sparked University’s offense scoring eight points in the first half and finishing with a game-high 24 points and 15 rebounds despite efforts by Cabell Midland to contain her.
“The first half (Cabell Midland was) on me completely all the time,” Boggs said. “They knew where I was the entire time. After halftime we all got together and said ‘This is the last half of the day. We have to go out and play 100%.’ ”
It was Cabell Midland, though, that seemed to answer the bell to start the third period. After the Knights took a 12-7 lead to end the first period behind freshman Jayda Allie’s eight first quarter points, Cabell Midland managed just three more points through the first two minutes of the second period.
University battled back to take a 16-15 lead with 1:40 left in the first half and the two squads traded baskets down the stretch. Two free-throws by Bailey Watts put Cabell Midland up at halftime 19-18.
A 9-2 run by the Knights through the 5:40 mark of the third frame to gave the team its largest lead at 28-21. By the end of the third quarter, University had cut the lead to 36-33.
Eden Gibson tied the game 36-36 for the Hawks with a 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter. Rylee Allie’s lay-up and the following foul shot recaptured the lead at 39-38 at 6:41 to play for Cabell Midland.
That, however, proved to be the Knights’ final field goal of the game.
