Class A #6

PCHS(1-0) 79
Class AA #12
James Monroe (0-1) 41

The PCHS Girls Basketball Team coached, by Tim McClung and Kenny Lehman, traveled to Lindside November 30 to face James Monroe, a new opponent for all the current Lady Warriors.
Expectations are extremely high for this group of athletes after finishing the 2010 season with a 21-3 record and a winning performance at two Charleston-area tournaments this summer, that included a win over #2 St.Marys.
PCHS started slow at James Monroe, and maybe the girls had to get used to their new uniforms with the sharp Indian pattern on the sides. Freshman Tristan Day announced her arrival to high school ball by leading PCHS in scoring the first quarter with five points.
The quarter ended with PCHS on top 12-8.
Day led the Lady Warriors also in the second quarter by hitting her second and third threes of the game for six points. Senior first team all-stater Chloe Bland and freshman Bobbie Jo McNabb came off the bench in the second and both scored five points. Snead was the only Lady Warrior to score in every quarter, and she put in four points in the second.
PCHS would outscore the Lady Mavericks 22-14 in the period and take the 34-22 lead at the half.
With senior starters Bland, third-team all-stater Miranda McNabb, and White in foul trouble in the game, Snead turned up her production in her sister's former role with eight points in the third, and Bobbie Jo McNabb had a 10-point effort.
Miranda McNabb was the only other Warrior to score with six points. James Monroe matched the 14-point Warrior effort in the canto. The third ended with PCHS up 48-36.
The Warriors climbed out of their shell and exploded in the fourth with a 31-5 effort, taking their opening game of the season 79-41.
Bobbie Jo McNabb ended her game strong with a 10-point final quarter, and 15 points and a game-high (tie) seven rebounds for the game. Snead scored eight in the fourth and was game high-scorer with 22 points and five rebounds. Bland added five points to her total in the fourth and finished with eleven points and a game-high (tie) seven rebounds. Bland already broke the career rebounding record last season with 593 rebounds, and her new total of 600 also puts her over the boys record of 596 held by Luke Bennett (1994-1997) who played some college ball at Marietta College in Ohio.
Day, like Bobbie Jo McNabb, in her first high school and varsity game, scored in double-figures with 14 points that included four treys.
Miranda McNabb scored eleven points and had six rebounds. Tri-captain Erin White had seven assists and four steals, both team highs.
Kelsie Mann was leading scorer for James Monroe with 18 points.
The three losses last season were to then-Class AA #1 and #2 ranked Summers County 45-82 and Berkeley Springs 61-74, both at the Reynolds Oil Classic in Hinton and then to Class A #6 seed Wheeling Central 41-48 in the first round of states in Charleston. Between the second and third losses, the Lady Warriors ticked off a school-record 19 straight wins. The Lady Warriors knocked off Tucker County, who was seeded #6 at states twice in the season, and the second win was a 61-56 win at Elkins in the Potomac Valley Conference Championship. The three losses tie the school-record fewest losses set by the then Class AA 1993 PCHS team, who also beat Tucker twice 43-40 and 62-57 in that season. Hinton (now Summers County) beat PCHS that season in sectionals in front of a full house at PCHS, and then Summers was upset, and Tucker advanced from a different region and lost in the state championship to Buffalo 49-50. PCHS made their third straight trip to states in 2010 (#4 seed) matching the record of three straight from the 2002-2004 teams.
Three-point record-holder Shelby Snead graduated last year, and senior point guard White returns this year after a torn ACL in soccer last school year ended her junior basketball season. Senior starter Lyndsey Barlow suffered her second knee injury in her career this soccer season, and her tenacious defense and strong offense will be greatly missed. Juniors Olivia Workman and Heather Snead take new starting roles this season. Snead was used at point guard last season when White was injured.

Class A #6 PCHS (2-0).........................................66
Class A Bath County (Virginia) (1-1).....................29

The tall and successful Bath County Chargers of Hot Springs, Virginia, traveled to PCHS December 2 for the first of two match-ups this season. Bath won their first game of the season at Pendleton County 37-30, and their one matchup last season with PCHS in the opening round of the Pocahontas Tournament resulted in a Charger 53-62 loss to the Lady Warriors when Bath's fourth quarter rally fell short.

Snead started strong with two quick threes and contributed eight points, and Miranda McNabb scored five points leading the PCHS offense in the first period. All the Lady Warriors showed why "defense wins" as they held the Chargers to only two points in the quarter and took the 15-2 lead over the taller team.

The rewards of Miranda McNabb working hard this summer and spring playing on an AAU team in Beckley showed up quickly in the second quarter. McNabb added 10more points to her game-high 19 point double-double effort that included 10 blocks and four assists, both game highs, with 15 points in the first half. The Chargers improved each quarter, and PCHS took the second 18-5 for the 33-7 half-time lead.

The Chargers got more comfortable in the third, but PCHS showed a balanced attack and took the quarter 16-8 for a 49-15 lead.

By the fourth quarter, Bath played pretty evenly with PCHS.

Bland saved her best for last after hitting her head in a hard fall under the basket. The game was stopped for a period of time while Bland was checked and ice for the knot on her head was secured by Coach Kenny Lehman. Chloe scored nine of her 11 points in the final period and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. White matched Miranda's game-high four assists. PCHS had the same number of turnovers, only 10, in both of their first two games.

Alexa Faranoe had 10 points to lead Bath County.

Class AAA Beckley Woodrow Wilson is back on the PCHS schedule, and PCHS traveled to the Woodrow gym on Tuesday, December 6. The results of that matchup will be reported next week.

The Pocahontas Holiday Tournament that has a history of attracting top teams from West Virginia and surrounding states takes place this Friday and Saturday at PCHS. Class AA #5 Tolsia, a former champion, returns, and the Lady Runnin' Rebels will face first-time participant Eastern Mennonite High School of Harrisonburg, Virginia, in the 6 p.m. game on Friday. EMHS was previously coached by PCHS graduates and basketball record-holders Jennifer Young (one of two Lady Warriors making 1000+ career points) and Kristi Kane. Harman returns to the tournament and to the schedule to face PCHS after Riverside opted out of their commitment to play.

The consolation game will be played on Saturday at 6 p.m., and the championship will follow that game. NRAO is housing all three teams for the tournament. This is a good opportunity to treat yourself to some of the best girls basketball in West Virginia.

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