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South holds on, defeats Ripley

Parkersburg South’s Allie Taylor prepares to put up a shot during her team’s Class AAA, Region IV, Section 1 semifinal victory over Ripley Wednesday night inside the Rod Oldham Athletic Center. Photo by Joe Albright.

PARKERSBURG — Parkersburg South’s Allie Taylor and Makenna Winans stepped up when head coach Ed Davis needed them the most and helped keep the Patriots’ season alive in a 48-45 win over Ripley in the Region IV, Section 1 semifinal Wednesday night at the Rod Oldham Athletic Center.

Taylor’s dozen markers paced South and her five rebounds were the second-highest team total.

Winans tallied seven markers but made her biggest impact on the boards. The freshman finished with a game-high 10 rebounds to help Davis’ squad outboard Ripley, 30-21.

PSHS now advances to face Parkersburg High at 7 p.m. Friday night inside PHS Memorial Fieldhouse for a sectional title.

Presley Fisher led the way for RHS (9-14) with 13 points. Jaelyn Hunt chipped in 10 markers for the visitors.

The Vikings, winners of four of their last five contests, started the game with no fear of a team they lost to by an average of 18 points in two meetings this season.

John Kennedy’s team played its way to a 16-13 lead after one period of play courtesy of six points from Maggy Criser. South’s Taylor kept things close and connected on two shots and four free throws for eight markers in the opening eight minutes.

“We knew they were going to come out and play hard,” said South’s Taylor. “It was a win-or-go-home game, and everyone wants to win.

“We were nervous and I don’t think we expected them to come out the way they did.”

PSHS responded after both teams began the second quarter on prolonged scoring droughts. Kenzie Johnson’s coast-to-coast deuce with 4:17 left until the half brought the score even at 17. Baskets from Winans, Lexi Moore and Jordan Huffman then fueled a 12-7 run by the Patriots for a 29-24 halftime advantage.

“Our press bothered them here and there,” said Davis. “But they did a much better job in that area tonight and coach Kennedy has done a great job with them and they were on a roll.”

Any offensive momentum for either team was hard to come by after halftime. Together, the two teams combined for just 13 points in a sloppy third quarter of action. South went 3 of 17 from the field while Ripley connected on just 2 of 10 shots.

Overall, the Jackson County team hit 13 of 33 shots good for 39 percent while the Wood County squad hit on just 16 of 56 attempts for an abysmal 29 percent.

Davis’ team connected on just one of 16 tries from behind the arc.

Despite the poor shooting, the lead changed hands twice in the period.

Hunt’s triple at the 3:44 mark put Ripley ahead 35-32 before a Jordan Johnson bucket with 1:49 left but South back in front, 36-35. Winans connected on a shot down low with 20 seconds remaining in the quarter and propelled the Patriots to a three-point lead headed to the fourth quarter.

Ripley pulled within one point, 46-45, on Fisher’s bucket-and-one with 2:05 left in the game but failed in its comeback bid.

Parkersburg South’s big three of Jordan Johnson, Devin Hefner, and Lexi Moore finished with six points apiece. Hefner dealt with foul trouble, Johnson struggled from the field all night, while Moore battled through an illness the entire contest.

“We have seen it all season,” said Taylor, when asked about getting contributions from everyone on the floor. “Everyone has been able to step up and help us out in some way. If I’m not hitting Makenna’s hitting. Makenna doesn’t hit Jordan’s hitting. We can rely on everyone else.”

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