Ritchie County players celebrate following the Rebels’ 38-34 win over Tucker County in the Class A state quarterfinals Tuesday in Charleston. (Photo by TaKaleb Turner)

CHARLESTON — Fifth-seeded Ritchie County erased a 13-point deficit in the second half and overcame a shooting night of horrors in the late game Friday at the 50th West Virginia State Girls Basketball Tournament inside the Charleston Coliseum as the Rebels rallied past fourth-seeded Tucker County, 38-34.

A 9-3 run to open the second half gave the Mountain Lions their largest lead at 29-16, but the Rebels closed it to 31-21 entering the fourth when Jordin Bailey drew one of her three charges and then assisted on an Elsa Law 3 to close the stanza.

After Bailey drew her final charge and followed it with a jumper to open the scoring in the fourth, Chelsie Jeffrey and Law connected from downtown to slice the deficit to 31-29 at the 4:17 mark. The Rebels (16-7) finally tied it at 31 on an Abbigayl Cox baseline jumper, but Tucker County went ahead by three following a Makenna Evans free throw and a Peyton Cross lay-in.

Jeffrey had a chance to cut into the lead, but both of her foul shots rimmed out. Nonetheless, Law knocked down another triple with 40 seconds remaining to square it for the final time.

Following a steal by Law, Cox scored the go-ahead deuce with 17 seconds left via a dime by Callie Smith, who sank two foul shots with 2.0 left on the clock to ice the Rebels’ first state semifinal appearance since 2007.

Gilmer County’s Lena Frymier shakes hands following the Titans’ 67-19 win over Webster County in the Class A state quarterfinals Tuesday in Charleston. (Photo by TaKaleb Turner)

“We shot, I think I saw at halftime, 2 of 25 first half, and that was miserable,” said elated Rebel boss Dave McCullough. “I think some of my girls were playing tight and they were doing a good job on Elsa with that box-and-one.

“We kind of adjusted something there in the second half and got her going a little bit. Then we changed our defense. A little bit on our press. We’ve been playing around with that for about two weeks now and it really hadn’t shown it, and it came through tonight for us.”

Addi Moats, who had a game-high 12 points, put the Mountain Lions (17-6) ahead 14-7 after one when she hit a buzzer-beating trey.

The two teams each had 4-plus minute scoring droughts in a second quarter that resulted in six points for each side.

Rebel Emily Bush, who was a point shy of Law’s team-high 11, tallied all six of those Rebel markers, which included two foul shots with 0.2 left.

St. Marys’ Laney Watkins shoots a jumper during Tuesday’s Class A state quarterfinal game against Pocahontas County in Charleston. (Photo by TaKaleb Turner Photography)

“I told them at halftime. I said ‘we’ve got six girls in here who’ve hit double figures all year and you are scared to death to shoot the ball

and we got to go out there and try to play to win,'” admitted McCullough.

“I felt like we were so scared we didn’t want to lose, and we were playing not to lose, and what happens when you play not to lose? You start playing bad and you play tight and that’s what happens. We got going there. We had to get some steals. I’m just happy we’re not one and done this year.”

Ritchie County, which was a double-A state qualifier a year ago, now will face defending state champion and Little Kanawha Conference nemesis Gilmer County at 7:15 p.m. Thursday with a berth to the state title game on the line.

“We played them earlier in the year. It was a six-point game at our place. I’m excited to get another shot at them,” added the coach, who got nine rebounds and four steals from Law, eight points, seven caroms and three steals by Jeffrey along with five boards and two steals by Bush.

Cox chipped in four counters, six rebounds, two dimes and as many steals on a night when the Rebels made 12 of 16 at the line and shot 21.6% (11 of 51).

Cross added six points and tied Law for game-high rebounding honors.

Gilmer County 69, Webster County 17

Lena Frymier opened Tuesday night’s Class A state quarterfinal with a 3 just a dozen seconds in as defending Class A state champ Gilmer County never trailed en route to a 69-17 victory against fellow Little Kanawha Conference member and eighth-seeded Webster County.

Aryana Hamrick’s putback made it a 3-2 affair, but Paige Sterns followed with an assist for a Blair Dobbins layup as the Titans of head coach Amy Chapman bolted out to a 24-9 lead after one that extended to 41-12 at the half.

Frymier, who led all scorers with 18 points while handing out a game-high four assists, knocked down 6 of 9 from beyond the arc.

“Lena looked real good tonight,” said Chapman, who has led the Titans to the state tournament eight of the past 11 seasons. “She seemed very confident in her shot. We need her to do that the rest of the week.

“Good for her. She deserves it. She’s worked hard with her knee injury early in the offseason and worked her tail off to get back, and so we’re happy for her. I’m happy for her tonight.”

Things didn’t get any better for the Highlanders, who shot 11% (6 of 54) but only lost the turnover battle 18-17, in the second half as they trailed 56-18 entering the fourth.

“I was happy to see that. They took good shots,” coach Chapman said of her squad shooting 48% (27 of 56).

“Good quality shots. They found each other. They just got the ball where it needed to get to tonight.”

The 23-2 Titans, winners of seven straight since a 46-37 loss on Feb. 16 at Tucker County, defeated the Highlanders twice during the regular season – 59-17 and 68-13.

“Coming into this week we just seemed like in a really good place,” added the coach, who got 30 bench points. “The girls were, you know, seemed very in tune with what we’ve been doing all year.

“It didn’t seem like there was a whole lot of frustration with the girls. I know sometimes kids can get down on themselves. I just really liked how we were looking coming into this week.”

Kenley Hartshorn double-doubled off the pine with 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Laura Brannon had four points, three assists and four steals while Erin Stoddard chipped in nine markers and Ariana White six.

“She had some good minutes. Some good quality minutes. We’re proud of Kenley. She works at it,” said Chapman, whose team will take on the winner of No. 5 Ritchie County and the No. 4 Mountain Lions in the semifinals. “She’s going to be here the next couple years.

“We’re excited for her to get this opportunity to get better and all those girls on the bench had some good minutes tonight. Ari White played well. Erin Stoddard played well. We just had some really good minutes from those young guys on the bench. It was nice to see that.”

Blair Dobbins finished with seven points, five boards and a block while elder twin sister Ava had six points, five caroms, three steals and two blocks.

Maddi Williams led WCHS with 12 points and a game-high five steals. Teammate Elizabeth Case joined Ava Dobbins and Frymier with a pair of rejections.

The Highlanders of head coach Corrie Phillips, who finished 12-12, watched Williams, Hamrick and Harley Clevenger play their final game.

“I think it’s a good thing,” Chapman said of having a day off. “The kids get to enjoy it, spend some time with each other.

“The seniors are done after this year so they get to relax and enjoy the tournament, take them out to eat and let them bond, and all that fun stuff kids like to do. We’re excited about that.”

St. Marys 65, Pocahontas County 28

No. 3 St. Marys came out firing on all cylinders here Tuesday morning in the Class A state quarterfinals as the Blue Devils led wire-to-wire during a 65-28 blowout of sixth-seeded Pocahontas County.

The Warriors, who finished 19-3 and had a six-game winning streak snapped, fell behind 23-4 after one as Laney Watkins made all six of her field goal attempts and had 15 points, four rebounds and two assists in the opening stanza. Watkins, who was a board shy of a double-double, led all scorers with 29 as the Blue Devils advanced to take on No. 2 Tug Valley at 11:15 a.m. Thursday in the semifinals.

PCHS was paced by Allyson Taylor’s 11-point, 11-rebound, double-double, but trailed 44-8 at halftime before being outscored 21-20 after intermission.

“That’s what we have to do. We have to establish the defensive side. You got to go out and make it happen,” said SMHS head coach Fred King, who got 22 points along with game-highs of six steals and three assists from Brynnley Bulluck.

“I was very pleased with the start. That’s what we talked about all week. Give credit to Pocahontas second half. They came out and did a nice job and played hard.”

Watkins, who watched teammate Anna Bennett go for five counters and a game-high 15 caroms, had 20 points at halftime as the Blue Devils owned an overall 35-6 advantage in points off turnovers.

St. Marys, which got five steals from Landrey Riggs, improved to 21-4 and extended its winning streak to 13 games.

The Blue Devils shot 43% (28 of 65) compared to the Warriors’ 28% (12 of 43).

PCHS committed 29 turnovers and missed all 13 of its attempts from distance.