MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The University High girls’ basketball team has had a strange year. Ending the 2018-19 season as the Class AAA state runner-up and only losing a handful of seniors, the fifth-ranked Hawks were expected to have a dominant year.
But after starting the season with a loss to Class AA Frankfort, there was some air of concern about the new group of Hawks. That was quickly dispelled as it went on to win 11 of the following 17 games. The Hawks’ final loss of the season was to then-No. 1 Wheeling Park in the OVAC semifinals, and now they enter the state tournament on a hot seven-game win streak. Now 18-7, they look to continue the streak and defeat No. 4 Cabell Midland (18-6).
“I think they’ve progressed like they should. The start was a little bumpier than some might have thought, but it takes time for kids to find ways to replace kids we’ve lost,” UHS coach David Price said. “We’re optimistic. Obviously, a 4-5 (seed) game is tough, but the girls are optimistic that they can get the job done, and hopefully, they’ll carry that confidence over and it will make the difference.”
The Hawks’ three seniors — Abbie Coen, Mallory Napolillo and Ashten Boggs — have been standouts throughout the year, and this match-up is no exception. However, a lot of the defensive responsibility will fall on Napolillo. Cabell Midland is a group of snipers from midrange, and Price knows that should his perimeter defense hold, Napolillo will need to be a tall oak in the post.
“We call her the anchor and that’s for a reason,” Price said. “She’s an extremely smart basketball player. She anchors us on both ends of the floor, communicates well with the rest of the team and gets people in position to be successful. We count on her for a lot.
“We have to push [Cabell Midland] off their spots and make them put it on the bounce. Play tough and do what we do. At the end of the day, you got here for a reason — obviously, we’re doing something right. We need to make sure we’re doing the things that got us here.”
Should the Hawks defeat Cabell Midland, they’ll be in a rematch with No. 1 Parkersburg, which UHS lost to in last year’s title game. The Big Reds looked as if they’d be the No. 2 seed heading into this year’s state tournament following an early slump in out-of-state games, but after Morgantown knocked out then-No. 1 Wheeling Park, PHS was crowned as the top team in AAA once again.
Should the teams face each other in the semifinals, it will be a game of survival for the Big Reds and Hawks, who are both vying to make the championship game once more. And though a game most folks want to already be fantasizing, Price and his team know they need to get past the Knights first.
“We absolutely have to [focus on] the team in front of us,” Price said. “You can’t go past it and need to focus in on the game as you’re given, otherwise you probably will be going home. From a coaching perspective, I think it would be awesome if we got a rematch with [Parkersburg]. It was a good game the first time, and I’d like to play them again. But like I said, first things first.”
The Knights enter the state tournament on a three-game win streak after winning out sectionals and regionals, last defeating Parkersburg South 51-38. They started the season on a hot streak, going on a 13-0 win streak before Woodrow Wilson defeated them 58-51 in Ona. That sent them into a skid, as the Knights lost their next two games before finishing the season winning five of eight.
The Hawks and Knights game kicks off today’s installment of the AAA series at 11:15 a.m.
“Time will tell. I’m excited for the kids,” Price said.
