Turning up the defense
Lady Mountain Lions force 36 turnovers to coast past Tyler Consolidated
Photos courtesy of Tracy Marsh Knotts Tucker County’s Raven Matthews puts in two of her game-high 13 points in a 64-41 win over Tyler Consolidated Wednesday morning in Class A quarterfinal action at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.
Brylee Wetzel takes a jumper in the Lady Mountain Lions’ 64-31 victory over Tyler Consolidated. Tucker County meets Gilmer County in Friday night’s Class A semis.
Photos courtesy of Tracy Marsh Knotts Tucker County’s Raven Matthews puts in two of her game-high 13 points in a 64-41 win over Tyler Consolidated Wednesday morning in Class A quarterfinal action at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.
Brylee Wetzel takes a jumper in the Lady Mountain Lions’ 64-31 victory over Tyler Consolidated. Tucker County meets Gilmer County in Friday night’s Class A semis.
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CHARLESTON -- Third-seed Tucker County's defense and inside game was too much for No. 6 Tyler Consolidated Wednesday morning in Class A quarterfinal action inside the Coliseum & Convention Center.
Raven Matthews and Ericka Zirk combined for 24 points as the Lady Mountain Lions advanced to the semifinals with a 64-31 win over the Lady Silver Knights.
Tucker County (20-5) will face Gilmer County for the third time this season at 7:15 p.m. Friday. The second-seeded Lady Titans defeated River View, 78-33, in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
"It was a workmanlike effort today," Lady Mountain Lions coach Dave Helmick said. "I was really proud of our defensive effort and we are moving on, which is the goal down here."
Holding a slim 14-10 lead with 2:15 left in the first quarter, Tucker County's defense didn't allow a point by Tyler Consolidated until 1:37 remained in the first half as the Lady Mountain Lions turned a four-point advantage into a 25-10 cushion after a layup by Zirk with 3:52 to go in the second quarter.
The lead swelled to 23 points, at 41-18, on Maya Gross' jumper at the 2:13 mark of the third.
The Lady Silver Knights got within 44-27 with 6 minutes left in the contest on two free throws from Juls Lattea before Tucker County closed the game on a 20-4 surge.
The Lady Mountain Lions forced 36 turnovers on the morning and outscored Tyler Consolidated 38-11 in the paint.
Matthews led the way with 13 points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots, followed by Zirk with 11 and Macy Helmick and Katie Hicks 10 each.
Helmick, who has signed to play at West Virginia Wesleyan, also dished out 10 assists, collected seven boards and nabbed six steals, MaKenna Evans had four steals and three helpers and Hicks three assists.
Braeden Wall had 10 points for the Lady Silver Knights, who ended the season 13-13, while Lattea collected 14 rebounds and blocked two shots.
The Lady Mountain Lions lost both regular-season meetings against Gilmer County in tightly played affairs, falling by six points at home and by five in Glenville.
Tyler Consolidated (13-13)
Riley Stover 1 1-2 4, Juls Lattea 1 3-4 5, Katie Grimm 1 2-4 4, Braeden Wall 4 0-0 10, Maleah Weber 2 2-2 6, Faith Lemasters 1 0-0 2. Totals 10 8-12 31
Tucker County (20-5)
Raven Matthews 6 1-3 13, Brylee Wetzel 4 0-1 9, Macy Helmick 4 1-2 10, Ericka Zirk 3 5-5 11, MaKenna Evans 2 0-0 4, Addi Moats 1 0-0 2, Mayah Gross 1 0-0 2, Katie Hicks 4 1-2 10, Cortney Shaffer 1 0-0 2, Maddy Helmick 0 1-2 1. Totals 26 9-15 64
Tyler Consolidated 10 2 10 9 -- 31
Tucker County 20 7 15 22 -- 64
3-point goals: Tyler Consolidated 3 (Wall 2 and Stover), Tucker County 3 (Wetzel, Macy Helmick and Hicks)