Parkersburg's Kennedy Porter and Parkersburg South's Grace Dotson prepare to jump for the opening tip during Friday night's game inside Rod Oldham Athletic Center. The fourth-ranked Class AAAA Patriots got a game-winning 3 by Lindsey Logston with 17 seconds remaining to upend the No. 3 Big Reds, 48-47. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

PARKERSBURG — In a showdown of ranked Class AAAA rivals here Friday night inside Rod Oldham Athletic Center, Parkersburg South’s Lindsey Logston swished in a 3 from the top of the key with 17 seconds remaining to help lift the No. 4 Patriots to a 48-47 upset victory versus third-ranked Parkersburg.

Parkersburg, which saw starters Kennedy Porter and Frances Guice get into early foul trouble, took its final lead with 30 seconds to go when Lauren Flanagan drained a turnaround jumper from the free-throw line.

PSHS head coach Ed Davis called timeout with 26 seconds on the clock as Logston inbounded the ball near the Patriots’ sideline to teammate Quinn Bolyard, who got the ball back to Logston as Guice nearly had a steal.

“There’s a lot of preparation. Our main focus was just defense,” Logston said of coming into the game. “Try to hustle around and get the rebounds. We really tried to work against their strengths and rebound and really push the ball, and just move it as a team.

“Just tried to work together. The plan was for me to pass it to Quinn, the point guard, and then I just tried to cut. That didn’t work so we just tried to get whatever the shot was. It kind of felt pretty good whenever it went up, but we did a great job on defense on the way back.”

Parkersburg South's Quinn Bolyard, who had a game-high 19 points during the Patriots' 48-47 upset of rival Parkersburg on Friday night inside Rod Oldham Athletic Center, is all smiles after converting a bucket and heading to the foul line where she completed her second three-point play of the opening quarter. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Flanagan, who joined Porter with team-highs of 15 points, got the ball ahead to former Patriot Lucie Cline. Cline, who had seven points and a game-high four steals, then drove toward the middle of the floor and kicked it out to an open Faithlyn Butcher. However, Butcher’s potential game-winning trifecta hit the rim and went off the glass before Olivia Conaway grabbed the game’s last rebound just before the final horn.

“It was a great game. Looking around for women’s basketball it was great. Credit to South,” admitted Big Red head man Chris Murray, who watched Porter grab a game-high 13 caroms before fouling out at 3:53 of the fourth.

“I mean they came out with a lot of energy and made one more shot than us. Sometimes that’s part of the game, right? It’s just one game. We got to go get better. We got to get better.”

Bolyard led the Patriots with a game-high 19 points and Logston pitched in 16. Emilee Owens had four points and a team-high 11 rebounds while teammate Kenna Mace had five markers and six caroms.

“I’m so proud of our kids,” admitted coach Davis. “They have just been engaged since day one and I thought they did what they had to do tonight. They made plays. We would get a little run and they would get a little run. They are just a great basketball team, PHS is. I mean they can shoot it. They can go inside. They can defend. Chris does such a good job with them and their staff. We’re just thrilled to death for our kids. Thrilled to death for our two seniors, Emilee and Tae (Richards).

Parkersburg's Lucie Cline, who transferred from Parkersburg South, gets some ribbing from the southside psychos while inbounding the ball during the Big Reds' 48-47 setback Friday night inside Rod Oldham Athletic Center. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“They give me their all everyday and I’m so proud of them, and then our younger guys Lindsey, Quinn, Grace (Dotson), Olivia – those four – they rose to the moment tonight. They rose to the moment and we got good minutes out of Kenna Mace, too, and she really hadn’t played until last year. I didn’t get Macie Forshey in as much as I should’ve and I didn’t get Tae in probably as much as I should’ve, but I’m so proud of all of them. Our bench energy and stuff was outstanding all night.”

The first half featured seven lead changes, but only one tie at four apiece before Bolyard converted the first of her two three-point plays as the hosts led 12-11 after one.

A pair of charity stripe tosses by Flanagan and then her putback with 12 seconds left in the half gave the Big Reds a 26-23 intermission advantage.

That proved to be short-lived as the Patriots, who improved to 7-1 and welcome in Hurricane on Tuesday night, opened the third on an 11-0 spurt.

Dotson’s deuce in the paint got it started and after buckets by Owens, Bolyard and Mace the Big Reds found themselves down 34-26 at the 5:22 mark following a Logston triple.

Parkersburg South's Lindsey Logston, who was fouled on the floor before attempting a reverse lay-in, drained the game-winning 3 with 17 seconds left to help lift the host Patriots to a 48-47 victory Friday night versus rival Parkersburg inside Rod Oldham Athletic Center. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

The Big Reds, who dropped to 6-2 and play host Monday to Circleville, continued to fight and closed it to 41-38 entering the fourth following a Butcher runner with two ticks left in the third.

Prior to Flanagan’s deuce for the Big Reds’ final points, a Cline putback gave the red and white a 43-41 lead with 5:48 remaining. Bolyard, though, connected from downtown and Logston added a foul shot before Eden DeBord’s putback squared it at 45 with 2:21 to go.

Parkersburg South, which hit 5 of 9 from distance in the second half after missing 13 of 14 in the first half, had 11 turnovers compared to the Big Reds’ 17 and only lost the battle on the board, 42-35.

PHS connected on just 2 of 17 from beyond the arc and converted 7 of 15 from the free-throw line.

“I dropped my head when she shot it because, you know, so many times you don’t want to watch,” admitted coach Davis when Butcher released her shot in front of the Big Reds’ bench. “I have to be honest.

Parkersburg's Lauren Flanagan nearly deflects a pass by Parkersburg South's Emilee Owens during the Big Reds' 48-47 setback Friday night inside Rod Oldham Athletic Center. (Photo by Jay W. Benett)

“I dropped my head when she shot it, but you know the kids did what they had to. It was a two-point game so you got to stop the penetration. Lucie is a heckuva player for them. You know she can drive it and Lauren and Guice are all-staters. We had to help there.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com