Parkersburg South’s Harry Silvis (11) is fouled by Parkersburg’s Chandler Jackson (20) on a 3-point attempt during Thursday’s game inside Memorial Fieldhouse. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

PARKERSBURG – Parkersburg South boys basketball coach Mike Fallon refers to his starters Harry Silvis, Navi Hewitt and Taj Joyce as all-state caliber players.

Thursday night against their in-city rivals, the “Big Three” became the “Fantastic Four” as Cam Fallon came off the bench and knocked down four 3-pointers in the first half as part of a 16-point effort in a 76-69 win over Parkersburg High School.

“It’s all about confidence,” Cam Fallon said. “We need to have guys night in and night out switching rolls, so you have to come in and be ready to go with energy and effort.

“On the bench, you get to see everything going on out there, and you can go off of that.”

With a host of players picking up two fouls before halftime, Fallon became the central figure as the Patriots led wire-to-wire. Joyce finished with a team-high 18 points, while Hewitt and Silvis each pitched in 13 points in the Big Reds’ second straight win.

Parkersburg South’s Cam Fallon (32) guards Parkersburg’s Quinten Wilson (5) during Thursday’s game inside Memorial Fieldhouse. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“Cam is starting to shoot the ball,” South coach Mike Fallon, who just happens to double as Cam’s father. “(Assistant coach) Zac Grossenbacher has been working with him after practice and the last few weeks Cam has got his confidence going.

“He has always been able to shoot, and now he’s doing other stuff and starting to open up his game a little more.”

PHS, which fell behind 16-3 in the game’s first six minutes and trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half, made several runs at South only to continue trailing 70-55 with 5 ½ minutes remaining in regulation.

During the next five minutes, Quinten Wilson’s 3-pointer capped a 14-4 run by the Big Reds and closed the deficit to 74-69. Unfortunately, the Big Reds ran out of time.

South extended its winning streak over PHS to 14 straight meetings. Nearly six years have passed since the Big Reds’ last victory in the series. The Big Red seniors would like one more shot at the Patriots. They would have to wait for a possible matchup in the regionals.

Parkersburg South’s Mason Nutter (0) drives past Parkersburg’s Nate Rodriguez (25) during Thursday’s game inside Memorial Fieldhouse. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“Absolutely I thought we had another run left in us to put us over the top,” Rodriguez said. “The guys in our locker room, they don’t quit. They are my brothers and I loved them for that reason.

“Would I like another opportunity against South, absolutely. That’s not even a question. We’ve taken leaps since that first meeting with this season. We gave everything we had. It just goes back to these guys not quitting. We love each other and we are going to fight for one another. We are going to fight for our coach.”

Wilson finished with a game-high 21 points and was one of four Big Reds to score in double figures. Point guard Nate Rodriguez, who moved within five points of 1,000 for his high school career, picked up two quick personal fouls, spent maybe a minute on the bench then returned. He managed to play the rest of the game without picking up a third. The senior ended the night with 16 points.

“When South started opening the game up there in the first quarter, I just told Nate you have play smart,” PHS coach Phil Wilson said. “He just plays so hard, so he is going to pick up fouls.”

Also for PHS, Isaac Dailey scored 12 points, while Chandler Jackson scored all 10 of his points in a 28-point outburst for PHS in the third quarter.

Parkersburg’s Luke Anderson (3) is tightly defended by Parkersburg South’s Taj Joyce during Thursday’s game inside Memorial Fieldhouse. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“I said to Chandler the other day, when he first started playing his freshman year all Chandler cared about was rebounds,” coach Wilson said. “He didn’t care about scoring. He was scoring like 16 points a game but all he cared about was rebounds. I told him to go back to who you are and contribute that way.”

The outcome proved pivotal for the down the road when regional seedings are determined for the revamped seven-team Class AAAA regional. South improved to 8-5, while PHS moved to 5-9.

Thursday was constant uphill battle for PHS. Trailing 38-27 at halftime, the Big Reds closed to within 49-47 on a pair of Rodriguez free throws with 3:37 remaining in the third period.

South, which attempted 13 free throws in the third quarter alone, then pulled away to a double-digit lead by going on a 12-3 surge just before the quarter ended.

“When we got it to within two or three (in the third quarter), the problem was that we ended up sending them to the line shooting free throws,” coach Wilson said.

Parkersburg’s Nate Rodriguez (25) drives past the Parkersburg South defense during Thursday’s game inside Memorial Fieldhouse. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

After the Big Reds made 11-of-15 sots from the floor in the third quarter, the well went dry in the final eight minutes. PHS missed it first five shots of the period and South upped the lead to 70-55.

In the second half, South stayed away from the 3-pointer – attempting just three after halftime. Fallon made just one two-point bucket in the second half. But he had done his damage – similar to what his older brother Seth did for South years ago.

Of Cam Fallon’s four-3-pointers, he cherished his make from NBA distance just in front of the PHS student section.

“That’s the one I will remember for the rest of my life,” Fallon said. “This win is huge for down the road because it will help us possibly have a regional game at home.

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com

Parkersburg’s Chandler Jackson (20) attempts a shot over Parkersburg South’s Mason Nutter (0) during Thursday’s game inside Memorial Fieldhouse. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)