MORGANTOWN – One of the best games in all classes happened inside the Rowdie Center at Morgantown High School Friday night, as the second-ranked team in Class AAAA, Morgantown, hosted the top-ranked, and defending state champions from Class A, Cameron.
The Mohigans (14-4) were able to overcome a slow start offensively that bled into the second and third quarters, keeping the game close enough to make a late surge at the right time to earn an impressive win by the score of 52-47 over a very-talented Dargon team that includes all-state selection and Gatorade Player of the Year nominee Ashlynn Van Tassel.
Cameron head coach Holly Pettit was proud of her team’s effort in accepting the challenge that is playing a road game against MHS.
“I think we played about as well as we could,” Pettit said of her team’s effort. “I tell my girls on a daily basis that we know what we are capable of and for it to be so close so late, they did a great job. In the end, we wore down a bit and made a few mental mistakes which was the difference in the game.”
Not only did the Dragons keep the game close, they led for about half of it. Including by as much as seven in the fourth quarter, 38-31.
But the offense of MHS came alive down the stretch, and the Mohigans scored nearly half of the baskets they made for the entire game in the final five minutes.
Entering the fourth, the Mohigans had made just 10 field goals, including none from three-point range. They ended the game shooting 19 for 44 from the field, but made 14 free throws to just eight for Cameron. MHS junior Lily Jordan scored 21 points to lead all scorers and took over in the final frame.
“I think she just decided she was going to start making shots no matter what,” MHS head coach Doug Goodwin said. “She was huge for us down the stretch. She started getting to her spot and if she didn’t get fouled, the ball was going in the basket. We were getting the looks we wanted we just had to start finishing more around the rim.”
With three minutes to play in the game, MHS trailed 42-39 with the ball on offense. Jordan scored a tough layup followed immediately by Sofia Wassick who was fouled on a made basket to give her team a 43-42 lead with two minutes to go.
After another MHS basket extended the lead to 3, Van Tassel came up with a huge offensive rebound after a missed shot and put the ball up and in to make the lead 45-44 in favor of MHS with 60 seconds to play.
Wassick would once again cut through the defense on the next possession to earn herself a wide-open layup that extended the MHS lead to 47-44. She then stole the inbound pass directly after scoring the basket to keep possession for the Mohigans.
After a pair of free throws by Kate Hawkins for MHS, Maci Neely gave life to the Dragons with a three-pointer that banked in with 14 seconds to go, cutting into the lead to make it a one-possession game at 49-47.
After a deflected ball went out of bounds off of CHS under the MHS basket, Hawkins freed herself on the ensuing inbound play for an easy layup that sealed the deal for the Mohigans, who defeated the Dragons 52-47.
“We knew this game would prepare us for the rest of the season and there isn’t a better game to do so,” Pettit said about playing one of the top-ranked teams in the state. “It shows us what we have to be prepared for later on.”
“We were able to hold Van Tassel to eight points tonight, our defense was key tonight late,” Goodwin said. “We were more patient in the second half also and got more into our half-court sets also. We were able to attack better out of that.”
MHS will wrap up the regular season on Wednesday at home as it hosts Buckhannon-Upshur at 7:30 p.m.
Morgantown 52, Cameron 47
Cam 11 12 10 14 – 47
MHS 13 6 11 22 – 52
Morgantown – Wassick 4 1-3 9; Jordan 9 3-7 21; Bechtel 4 6-8 14; Hawkins 2 4-5 8
Cameron – Clutter 3 1-2 7; E Dobbs 1 6-6 9; A Dobbs 3 1-2 9; Neely 5 0-0 11; Van Tassel 4 0-1 8; Carter 1 0-0 3
3pt goals – Cameron 5 (A Dobbs 2, E Dobbs 1, Neely 1, Carter 1).
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