Tourney Underway
Tucker, Pocahontas girls ready to hit the court
Photo courtesy of Kelly Pennington The Tucker County Lady Mountain Lions include. front row, from left, Brailey Pennington, Autumn Russell, Corrinia Lipscomb, Jacey Davis and Vivianna Teter. Back row, head coach Dave Helmick, Kadie Colebank, Gracie Rapp, Terra Kuhn, London Hood, Jessi Daniels, Nevaeh Nichols and assistant coach Brittany Taylor
Submitted photo Members of the Pocahontas County girls basketball team include front row, from left, Laila Calhoun, Alexa Taylor, Kira Bircher and Jerica Reed. Back row, assistant coach Allen Taylor, Allyson Alderman, Kierstin Taylor, Charity Warder, Sienna Bircher, Tessa Kiner, Macaden Taylor, assistant coach Chloe Bland and head coach Mike Kane.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Pennington The Tucker County Lady Mountain Lions include. front row, from left, Brailey Pennington, Autumn Russell, Corrinia Lipscomb, Jacey Davis and Vivianna Teter. Back row, head coach Dave Helmick, Kadie Colebank, Gracie Rapp, Terra Kuhn, London Hood, Jessi Daniels, Nevaeh Nichols and assistant coach Brittany Taylor
Submitted photo Members of the Pocahontas County girls basketball team include front row, from left, Laila Calhoun, Alexa Taylor, Kira Bircher and Jerica Reed. Back row, assistant coach Allen Taylor, Allyson Alderman, Kierstin Taylor, Charity Warder, Sienna Bircher, Tessa Kiner, Macaden Taylor, assistant coach Chloe Bland and head coach Mike Kane.
Trending
CHARLESTON -- Seventh-seed Tucker County is set to clash with No. 2 Parkersburg Catholic for the second time this season today at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.
But the stakes are higher this time as the squads battle at 1 p.m. in Class A quarterfinal action.
The Lady Mountain Lions (18-7) of coach Dave Helmick are making their 16th straight appearance in the state tournament. They kept their annual trek to Charleston secure with a 64-58 win over Doddridge County in co-regional action last Wednesday.
The Crusaderettes, meanwhile, have been dominant in compiling a 25-0 record on the season, including handing Tucker County a 57-34 home setback on Dec. 21.
Parkersburg Catholic is led by the sister duo of Madeline Huffman and Leslie Huffman at the guard spots, along with forward Aaliyah Brunny.
Leslie Huffman tops the Crusadarettes in scoring with 18.7 points per contest, while Madeline Huffman is hitting for 14 ppg.
Tucker County counters with senior Terra Kuhn, who is averaging 19 points per game, along with sophomore guard London Hood (14.0 ppg), junior forward Gracie Rapp (4.1 ppg) and 6-foot freshman Kadie Colebank and her 10.1 points per game average.
Today's winner faces either third-seed Gilmer County or sixth-seed Wheeling Central in the semifinals at 11:15 a.m. on Friday.
Pocahontas County, meanwhile, is back in Charleston for the first time since 2015 and also is set for a rematch against its quarterfinal opponent Summers County at 9 p.m. today.
The senior-laden and fourth-seeded Lady Warriors (21-4) are coached by Mike Kane and feature all-around talent Laila Calhoun, point guard Alexa Taylor, guard Kira Bircher and forward Charity Warder.
The fifth-seeded Lady Bobcats (19-6) counter with the junior duo of Gavin Pivont and Taylor Isaac, who leads the squad with 21.5 ppg.
Pivont is averaging 17. 6 points.
The teams split during the regular season, each winning at home.
The victor meets either top-seed Huntington St. Joseph or No. 8 St, Marys in the semifinals.