MORGANTOWN – Four teams will hit the hardwood on Tuesday evening as the Class AAAA Region I co-finals are set for 7:00 p.m. in Mon County.
Morgantown, University, and Preston will all battle for the opportunity to punch a ticket into the bracket for next week’s state tournament in Charleston, set for March 18-22.
The top-seeded Mohigans of Morgantown High finished the regular season 18-2 and will welcome four-seed Preston to Wilson Avenue on Tuesday.
The Mohigans defeated Preston 81-37 three weeks ago (February 18).
“We’ve had some great practices recently, and we’re peaking at the right time,” MHS head coach Dave Tallman said. “Our guys are locked in and ready. You don’t have to give much of a motivational speech when you’re getting ready to go to Charleston. We will be ready to go. Our guys are excited and fired up.”
The Knights defeated fifth-seeded Wheeling Park 52-49 last Friday night in Kingwood to advance to the finals.
University High aims for its first state tournament appearance since 2021. The Hawks also captured the 2020 Class AAA state championship.
Buckhannon-Upshur will visit UHS on Tuesday evening on Baker’s Ridge. The Hawks defeated the Buccaneers 44-31 on February 28 but trailed entering the fourth quarter.
B-U is led by 6-foot-6 junior Jerin Westfall, who averages 17.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.
“We need to control the pace of the game and disrupt their offensive flow,” UHS head coach Joe Schmidle said. “Forcing turnovers with our pressure defense and keeping Jerin Westfall in check. Offensively, we need to attack the rim in transition, make perimeter shots in the halfcourt, and finish at the rim. We also have to make our free throws. That could be the difference in the game.”
Both contests will tip off at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday. The winners will advance to Charleston for the 2025 WVSSAC boys’ state basketball tournament next week.
The top-seeded Class A Region I Clay-Battelle Cee-Bees are looking to return to the state tournament after finishing in the semifinals in 2023.
They will welcome the fifth-seed Parkersburg Catholic to Blacksville on Wednesday evening for a spot in the Class A state tournament field.
The Crusaders hold a 7-15 record this season and defeated four-seed Notre Dame 60-40 to qualify for the regional co-final.
Parkersburg Catholic is led by junior forward Preston Randolph, who averages 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and three assists per contest.
The Cee-Bees will look to lean on senior big Preston Luzader, who averages 23.1 points and nearly 14 rebounds per game. Junior guard Braden Ponceroff will be asked to help on the boards, as the guard is averaging seven per game this season.
The Cee-Bees and the Crusaders tip off at 7:00 p.m. inside the Stateler-Wilson Gymnasium at Clay-Battelle Middle/High School.
