Parkersburg’s Quinten Wilson takes a jump shot while being guarded by Riverside’s Josh Brock (4) during Tuesday’s game in Parkersburg. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

PARKERSBURG – Lately, two is every bit as good as three in the eyes of Parkersburg boys basketball.

With the team having its issues trying to connect from beyond the arc on a consistent basis, the Big Reds have decided to look for the high percentage shots. The past two games, the approach is working like gold.

Tuesday night inside Memorial Fieldhouse, PHS shot 51% (18-of-35) from the floor while only attempting just four 3-pointers in a 62-59 win over Riverside.

“I really didn’t need a whole lot of threes – I needed buckets in the interior,” PHS coach Phil Wilson said after his club improved to 5-9 and 3-4 in the MSAC. “Between Quinten (Wilson), Chandler (Jackson) and Mathias (Williams), I thought they did a really good job with their decisions. It helps us score at a higher percentage clip.

“Three-pointers are great if you are shooting at 40%. We’re shooting around 20 to 22 percent. So that was our mindset tonight – pound the interior and get some high conversion shots.”

Parkersburg’s Chandler Jackson (2) dribbles downcourt with Riverside’s Isiah Coles (1) defending during Tuesday’s game in Parkersburg. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

The previous night in a win at home against Belpre, Jackson and Wilson combined for 56 points. Against Riverside (5-6, 3-4 MSAC), Williams gave the Big Reds a third option and finished with 15 points, including 11 in the first half as PHS took a 26-20 lead into intermission.

“It’s just a matter of getting Mathias to understand when to be that top dog,” Wilson said. “I’ve been begging for a third and even a fourth option. Except for the Belpre game, every game we won we had three double digit scorers. That’s it. That’s the easiest way to put it.”

A combination of a 6-0 run to end the first half and a mere two points in those same eight minutes by Riverside allowed PHS to pull away from a 20-20 tie.

The Warriors closed to within 27-26 in the first two minutes of the third period and pulled even at 40-40 in the opening moments of the fourth quarter on consecutive 3-pointers from Isaiah Coles.

Jackson’s presence on the boards all night long ignited a 13-2 run. His putback, one of 12 rebounds, was followed by a three-point play the old-fashioned way he authored on the next trip downcourt.

Tuesday night at the Riverside and Parkersburg boys basketball game, Big Red players wore T-shirts honoring Michael Tibbs, a 1992 graduate of PHS who died in 2025 at the age of 51. Tibbs, who wore No. 32 as a Big Red, earned all-state honors and led PHS to the state tournament in 1991. He was a McDonalds All-American and continued his basketball career at West Virginia University, Pasco-Hernando University (Fla.) and Brewton-Parker University (Ga.). (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Jackson, who has turned himself into a 3-pointer shooter, stuck with the inside game and finished with 22 points to go with four assists.

“Chandler can also score inside – people don’t realize this,” Wilson said. “Chandler just became a 3-point shooter. He’s always been able to shoot the three, even through middle school. But he really made his money from inside.

“As for his rebounding, it’s to the point where I even had to tell my own team Chandler can’t be the only one rebounding the basketball. One thing I can never question is Chandler’s drive. That boy can flat out play.”

Even though PHS had built its largest lead of the game at 58-47 at the 1:13 mark, Riverside wasn’t done battling. Brycen Slack hit his second three and the Warriors whittled away at the deficit by creating turnovers and turning them into a pair of layups from Josh Brock.

The final Brock bucket came with only a few seconds showing and Riverside out of timeouts.

Parkersburg’s Sutton Stanley (24) works the perimeter during Tuesday’s game against Riverside inside Memorial Fieldhouse. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“I don’t ever feel confident – we could be up by 20 and I’m still not comfortable,” Wilson said. “I’m not comfortable until we are on the bus and we won the game, or two, when I’m in my car and warming it up for a minute.”

Wilson helped PHS maintain an edge on the scoreboard by knocking down 10-of-11 free throws in the second half. The junior matched Jackson with 22 points.

For those in attendance, Wilson was on the receiving end of one of the most picturesque plays anyone will ever witness. During the Big Reds’ fourth quarter run, Jackson’s steal on the defensive end created a 2-on-1 with Wilson trailing. As they approached the PHS basket, Jackson made a behind-the-back pass and Wilson finished with the easy layup.

“When they play with each other, for each other, we are fun to watch,” Wilson said.

For Riverside, Coles led the team with 19 points, while Brock added 10 points. Prior to fouling out at the 1:23 mark of the fourth quarter, Terry contributed nine points.

Tuesday marked the eighth and possibly final regular season home game for PHS. The Big Reds could potentially host an MSAC placement game.

“We went from one extreme to the next – last year we were on the road for nine or 10 games to start, home for two games then gone for another four or five,” Wilson said. “This year has been a little different. It’s like, let’s get on the road a little bit and see what we can do out there because you have to win on the road if you want to win and get to states.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com