Photo by Joe Albright Parkersburg High’s Maddi Leggett and Spring Mills’ Kiran Cole battle for the basketball Wednesday in Charleston.

CHARLESTON — One down, two to go.

PHS moved a step closer to its third straight state title Wednesday night inside the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.

Aleea Crites tallied a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, along with four assists and three blocks, Maddi Leggett added 12 points, and the Big Reds forced 34 turnovers, scoring 46 points off of them, as they sent Spring Mills back to the Eastern Panhandle after a 72-38 win.

Jada Brooks paced the eighth-seeded Cardinals with a double-double effort of 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Brooks and her group fought well for a half. Though as they have done all year, the Big Reds made their move in the third period. Their 12-0 run in the first 1:33 after halftime widening a close game into a 40-20 advantage.

Brooks kept her teammates minds focused on the task in the huddle.

“I really just tried to make sure everyone knew that even though they had a lead we still had to execute our game plan because nothing really changes,” she said. “A team can go up by at least 20 points but you might be able to pull within 10 or 8 or anything else. I felt like we never gave up at any moment and left everything out there.”

The start of the game was a prime example.

PHS jumped out to an early 9-2 lead courtesy of baskets by Crites and Leggett. Spring Mills having trouble with the press presented the opportunity. The Cardinals eventually adjusted and pulled back in the game. Brooks lay-up with 3:18 left in the period leaving her group three points away from the lead, 9-6.

Crites’ 3-pointer just 57 seconds into the second quarter then punched the lead up to 16-7. This was the last scoring for either team over the next two minutes. Ensuing possessions were filled with defensive and missed shots. Kiran Cole’s drought-ending 3-point jumper crept Spring Mills within six.

Bre Wilson’s lay-up in the paint brought the margin back up to eight before the halftime horn.

“We were fortunate Parkersburg came out pretty cold, it helped us stay in the ball game. It was an eight-point game going into the second half and I thought we had a legitimate shot until Parkersburg turned up the heat and we turned the ball over,” said Spring Mills’ head coach George Gosk.

A pair of free throws from Maggie Richards started the run that ended the game. By the time it was over, the Big Reds scored 13 straight points before Brooks’ basket stopped the bleeding.

“We just turned the pressure up a bit,” said Cozzens.

Intensity aiding in a large lead heading into the final quarter. One allowing the Big Reds the opportunity to turn to his bench for the last eight minutes.

Parkersburg’s victory though left a lot to be desired in the shooting department. Connecting on just 32 percent of their shots from the field, the Big Reds were fortunate they generated so many turnovers. Spring Mills wasn’t in much of a position to take advantage, though. Only 33 percent of the Cardinals’ shots found the bottom of the basket.

However, Cozzens wasn’t worried about the performance.

“Every win is a big win down here. It is hard to get here and at this point it is ‘survive and advance.’ We aren’t worrying about style points I was talking to Buckhannon-Upshur’s coach about the title game a few years ago, before out game, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

The Big Reds now await the winner of tomorrow’s matchup against No. 4 Cabell Midland and No. 5 University in a semifinal battle at 5:30 p.m. Friday. A Knights’ win sets up a rematch of a regular-season game won 63-49 by PHS, while a Hawks’ victory sets up a rematch of last year’s state championship game, also won by the Big Reds.

Contact Joe Albright at jalbright@newsandsentinel.com.