PARKERSBURG - Winfield came along at just the right time for the Parkersburg South girls basketball team.
The Patriots, struggling to break a six-game losing streak, came up against a General squad Wednesday night they had defeated 47-45 on the road back on Jan. 5 for their last win, and again were able to post a triumph over Winfield, this time at home by a 57-44 score at the Rod Oldham Athletic Center.
South, which plays host to Parkersburg High Friday night, never trailed Wednesday in improving to 7-9. The Patriots were paced by Jenna McAtee with 17 points and freshman Keya Bartlett with 13, while Carmen Cutlip added nine,
Meanwhile, Winfield, which had won five of its last six games before Wednesday, slipped to 6-10. Bethany Jordan led the Generals with 17 points and Carley Cooper netted 10.
''Our defense was the difference tonight,'' said South head coach Scott Stephens. ''I mean we looked like a grade-school team at times in the first half trying to make a layup or a foul shot. But defensively, we were able to get a lot of pressure on the basketball. And I thought our intensity was a lot better tonight than it has been - that was good to see.''
The Patriots jumped out to a 5-0 lead that was 9-2 midway through the first quarter and were up 17-5 after one period. But South, missing its first six free throws, saw Winfield pull within 22-16 at 1:42 of the second stanza before Alexa Anderson's trey pushed the lead to 25-16 at the half.
However, a 17-11 point advantage in the third quarter opened the lead to 15, 42-27, by the end of the period, and it reached as much as 19, 55-36, with just 3:02 to play.
''We needed a win,'' said Stephens. ''It's been getting a little discouraging, so it was good to get a win.''
