The St. Marys bench erupts in celebration after the Blue Devils defeated Tug Valley, 52-50, in the Class A semifinals during Thursday’s West Virginia High School Girls State Basketball Tournament in Charleston. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

CHARLESTON – A total of 11 high school girls basketball seasons had come and gone since St. Marys last appeared in a state championship game.

That all ended on Thursday morning when a Lainey Watkins layup followed teammate Brynnley Bulluck’s made 3-pointer in the final minute of regulation in a 52-50 win over Tug Valley in the Class A state semifinals.

When the third-ranked Blue Devils (21-4) step onto the floor at 10 a.m. Saturday at Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center for an opportunity at the school’s first state championship in 36 years without a senior on the roster and no guarantee this same unit would return next season, Bulluck simply said, “Why not us?

“I am glad I am with these girls and we have an even better opportunity next year, but like why not now?” Bulluck continued. “”We have a good enough crew to do it.”

After Tug Valley’s Haven Deskins and Katie Hall each scored a bucket to erase a 47-46 deficit on Thursday, Bulluck made the first clutch shot of the game with her 3-pointer from the wing with 42 seconds showing on the clock.

St. Marys’ Laney Watkins dribbles through traffic, including Tug Valley’s Kylie DeBoard (21) during Thursday’s Class A semifinal in Charleston. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“Honestly, I had no idea where I was on the court,” said Bulluck, who led all scorers with 29 points. “I was like, we’re down three so I am just going to shoot it. I had trusted my teammates that if I would have missed it they would have got the rebound. So I was like, I might as well. Why not?

“You miss every shot you don’t take. We had nothing to lose.”

Kylie DeBoard missed a floater for Tug Valley and Bulluck grabbed one of her team-high 11 rebounds. None of the Blue Devil players heard their coach calling for timeout and play continued with Watkins sprinting down the opposite sideline, passing three Tug Valley defenders and receiving a pass from Bulluck underneath the basket.

“As I was going down the court, I was trying my hardest to catch Brynnley,” Watkins said. “She had one person on her and I was like, I need to get down there in case she misses her layup. I really didn’t think she would miss it.

“She just gave me a great pass and I had the fear of God that I was going to make it.”

St. Marys’ Brynnley Bulluck drives to the hoop during Thursday’s Class A semifinal against Tug Valley in Charleston. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Watkins laid in the 2-footer at 12.9 seconds for a 52-50 lead. After a timeout at 7.0 seconds, Bulluck came up with yet another defensive board when Haven Deskins missed a shot in close.

The celebration commenced for St. Marys. The Blue Devils are scheduled to play in the Class A title game Saturday against the winner of defending state champion Gilmer County.”To win a game like that, after we struggled then figured out a way – it’s because they care,” St. Marys coach Fred King said. “These girls here with me (Bulluck, Watkins and Anna Bennett) are all winners. Lainey is a state champion in track, Anna is an LKC and regional champion in cross country and Brynnley is an all-state volleyball player.

“This is big for us. It’s going to be tough, but I think these girls have got one more in them.”

The free-throw line carried Tug Valley (20-4) to a 16-15 lead after one quarter. The Panthers went 7-of-8 from the line in the opening eight minutes, but St. Marys allowed only six attempts the rest of the game.

Absent from the scoring column in the opening eight minutes, Anna Bennett became an integral part of St. Marys’ offense in the second quarter – spotting up at the free-throw line and scoring two buckets while adding an assist as the Blue Devils built a 27-18 lead with two minutes remaining before halftime.

St. Marys’ Anna Bennett, right, stands firm while defending Tug Valley’s Bailee Hall during Thursday’s Class A semifinal in Charleston. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Bennett finished with eight points, eight rebounds and four assists.

“I knew we were all rebounding, but at the same time I’m not the best 3-point shooter,” Bennett said. “I know my range is eight to 10 feet. I have more faith in myself when I’m shooting at the free-throw line.”

The margin reached as many as 11 points (41-30) late into the third quarter before Tug Valley fought back – limiting the Blue Devils to one made free throw over the next seven minutes during a 14-1 run.

The two teams traded blows over the final four minutes of regulation.

Deskins led Tug Valley with 15 points, eight assists and four steals. Kate Hall and Kylie DeBoard each pitched in 11 points, while Bailee Hall added six points and 13 rebounds.

St. Marys girls basketball coach Fred King signals in a play during Thursday’s Class A semifinal against Tug Valley in Charleston. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“I thought we played a good game and came in with a good gameplan,” Tug Valley coach Seth Ooten said. “The resiliency of this team – they could have stopped playing, but they fought all the way to the end.

“On that last possession, we had two different chances so we got a look at it. That’s all you can ask for at the end.”

St. Marys’ Rylee Renner (4) gives teammate Laney Watkins a hug after the Blue Devils defeated Tug Valley 52-50 in a Class A semifinal, Thursday in Charleston. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)