Parkersburg’s Lauren Flanagan #1, Kennedy Porter #40, and Frances Guice (back) celebrate their win in the WVSSAC Class AAAA Region 4 Girls Basketball Co-final on March 4, 2025 at Hurricane High School in Hurricane, West Virginia. (Photo by Scott Abbott)

HURRICANE — Thirty-two minutes of regulation and four quarters stood in the way of Parkersburg and Hurricane for a spot in next week’s Class AAAA state tournament in Charleston.

The Redskins had won the two meetings during the regular season by an average of nine points, including the most recent by 15 points.

The Big Reds had revenge on the mind while in Putnam County Tuesday evening.

Parkersburg used that inner motivation throughout Tuesday’s contest against Hurricane as the Big Reds advance to the Class AAAA state tournament by defeating the Redskins, 64-49.

The Big Reds never surrendered their lead on Tuesday while shooting 23 for 53 (44%) from the floor.

Parkersburg’s Audriana Medina #2 shoots a 3 point shot in the WVSSAC Class AAAA Region 4 Girls Basketball Co-final on March 4, 2025 at Hurricane High School in Hurricane, West Virginia. (Photo by Scott Abbott)

Parkersburg earned the No. 3 seed in next week’s tournament and will face Mountain State Athletic Conference foe No. 6-seed George Washington in the first round.

“We’ve played a really good schedule that’s gotten us ready for this game,” Parkersburg coach Chris Murray said. “We’ve played Morgantown, Wheeling Park and George Washington. When you play Parkersburg South every year, who hates your absolute guts, they pack the gym, you get used to [the environment] after a while.

“Any team that’s been successful against them this year, like GW, Wayne and Grafton, all got a really good start. I thought a really good start was important.”

Hurricane’s magical season comes to a close as the Redskins year ends at 17-7.

The Redskins dropped five of their last seven games.

Parkersburg’s Frances Guice #3 drives past Hurricane’s Alex Anderson in the WVSSAC Class AAAA Region 4 Girls Basketball Co-final on March 4, 2025 at Hurricane High School in Hurricane, West Virginia. (Photo by Scott Abbott)

Coach Jeremy Young reflected on this season with a smile on his face, despite the season coming to a close.

“It’s been a special season,” Young said. “It’s a special group of seniors. We knew it was going to be tough. That’s what I told them. I said, ‘You can’t let this one game ruin what was an awesome season for all of us.’ There’s no one I’d rather be coaching than that group of girls downstairs.”

Parkersburg’s starting five consisting of Lauren Flanagan, Audriana Medina, Frances Guice, Sophie Lott and Kennedy Porter were the lone scorers for Murray on Tuesday.

Four of the five starters finished in double-figures with Flanagan leading the charge with 16 points.

“That’s pretty much par for the course for us,” Murray said. “I would have liked to go a little deeper tonight, but it’s hard to change that matchup when we were playing so well. Kennedy got into some foul trouble, and we were able to adjust.”

Parkersburg’s Kennedy Porter #40 shoots while Hurricane’s Brooklyn Jones #30 defends in the WVSSAC Class AAAA Region 4 Girls Basketball Co-final on March 4, 2025 at Hurricane High School in Hurricane, West Virginia. (Photo by Scott Abbott)

Parkersburg jumped out to an early 12-3 lead, using a 7-0 run in the process to take the early nine-point advantage.

Hurricane trimmed that deficit down to four, 12-8, before Medina hit a bucket with six seconds left. PHS led 14-8 after one.

The Redskins offense struggled in the opening quarter, only getting three field goals and one made field goal in the first six minutes of the game.

“They started out on us both times we played them,” Young said. “That’s not uncommon for usually. We typically play better as the game goes on. We did a good job in the second quarter in getting back in the game and making it closer.

“They did a good job on Alex [Anderson]. That was the difference in the game for us offensively.”

Parkersburg held the senior Redskins guard to nine points on 3 of 10 shooting and 1 of 6 from long distance.

However, Young doesn’t want the poor shooting numbers to diminish the impressive and historical career Anderson had at Hurricane.

“She’s always been a great shooter,” Young said. “It was a matter of getting her talent around her. We were lucky to have a couple of players step up this year. Alex has meant a lot to the program with just having a shooter that helps open up avenues for other girls.”

Hurricane used a 10-0 run in the early portion of the second quarter to make it a one-point contest, 19-18, after Anderson netted five of her nine points during that stretch.

The Redskins and Big Reds traded momentum swings following the Hurricane scoring spurt.

However, Parkersburg got the last laugh by ending the half out-scoring Hurricane, 8-4, taking a 27-22 advantage into halftime.

The Big Reds shot 33% from the floor in the first 16 minutes while holding the Redskins to 25% shooting in the first half.

Hurricane didn’t go away to start the second half as the Redskins cut their deficit down to six, 36-30, after Lauren White drilled her second triple of the quarter.

But, the Big Reds had another answer to the Redskins chance at closing the gap.

Parkersburg got five quick points from Porter and Flanagan to extend the lead back to double-figures, 41-30.

The same thing happened to end the third quarter as Hurricane closed the gap, which led to another quick scoring spurt by Parkersburg.

The Big Reds thought they were going to go into the final quarter with a double-digit lead. However, Hurricane freshman Kenya Kathale drilled a 30-foot three-pointer at the buzzer

“That was a crazy shot and we had to live with it,” Murray said. “We had really good energy. We were running them off the line and were doing a good job of protecting the paint then rotating down and boxing out. We had some lapses, but that’s high school girls basketball.”

Parkersburg, like the first quarter, got a big spark to begin the second half by out-scoring Hurricane, 12-4, in the opening 3:15.

The final scoring run for the Big Reds sparked by Flanagan’s ability to run the floor, control the ball in her possession, hit a big shot and find the open player.

The senior guard finished with 16 points while shooting 5 of 11 from the floor in the victory.

“I went back and watched her film from last year when we played Huntington,” Murray said. “I told her that she needed to get downhill, facilitate and create some penetration and kick. She did a great job of that. She shot the ball really well tonight.

“Lauren is such a major piece to what we do in pace and play. She was locked in.”

Hurricane, again, was held in check in the final quarter, only netting three fields goals, which played in favor of Parkersburg as the Big Reds out-scored the Redskins, 16-9, in the fourth quarter.