Parkersburg South’s Lindsey Logston (33) walks toward the Patriots’ bench as Parkersburg players celebrate their 59-53 win in Saturday’s Class AAAA state championship game in Charleston. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

CHARLESTON — The historic showdown here Saturday night in the Class AAAA state championship game contested inside the Charleston Coliseum between Wood County rivals Parkersburg South and Parkersburg was going to come down to which program likely made the final run.

As it turned out, PHS head coach Chris Murray’s defense had a quartet of key stops in the fourth quarter after trailing 41-38 through three as the second-seeded Big Reds brought back the school’s ninth all-time state crown after securing a 59-53 triumph versus the fifth-seeded Patriots.

“You know they are going to make runs. It’s part of the game. It’s awesome. I’m just really happy for our kids,” said Murray, who cited toughness as the key ingredient to victory. “I’m so thankful for the community, these players and they made me a significantly better basketball coach than I am. South would make a run and we would just find a way to counter that.

“It’s just awesome. I feel like I’m on a different planet right now. It’s sweet. I’m just so happy for our team, our coaches. They worked tirelessly with these girls and they worked their butts off with these girls. I’m just so proud of them. I’m so thankful for our players that put in the time and the work to be great. It’s great the championship is coming back to us.”

Despite being limited with foul trouble, Big Red and Shepherd-bound Kennedy Porter finished with eight points and six rebounds to earn the state tournament MVP award.

Parkersburg’s Lauren Flanagan celebrates after cutting the net down following the Big Reds’ 59-53 win over Parkersburg South in the Class AAAA state championship game. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

Lauren Flanagan drained 5 of 9 from beyond the arc and finished with 19 points. PHS got 13 points from Frances Guice, a 12-point, game-high 14-rebound effort from ex-Patriot Lucie Cline along with five counters and three steals by fellow starter Faithlyn Butcher.

“Coming out before the game Murray told us that we really needed to win the boards tonight,” said Porter, who helped PHS hold a 41-31 glass edge. “That was almost like the key to winning so we could push the ball. That was definitely a big job that we needed to take a role of and do that.

“Having Lucie has definitely brought a complete change to this season. I feel like we did lose some players last year and stepped up and took that role. She’s done a great job all season. We played together before in AAU season. It’s just a great feeling.”

Parkersburg South head coach Ed Davis’ squad had defeated the Big Reds earlier in the year by scores of 48-47 and 60-54, but an offensive lull in the fourth quarter where they made just one field goal in the first 6:58 that also included four chances to cut into a 50-43 PHS advantage with 3:35 remaining went by the wayside.

The dynamic freshman duo of Lindsey Logston and Quinn Bolyard led the way for the Patriots in scoring with 21 and 13 counters, respectively. Logston swiped a game-high four steals while Emilee Owens, who will graduate alongside Tae Richards, finished with eight points, five rebounds and two steals.

Parkersburg head coach Chris Murray, left, chats with Parkersburg South head coach Ed Davis prior to Saturday’s state championship game. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

“Emilee and Tae are two seniors who steered the ship,” admitted Davis, who got six points, four rebounds and a steal off the bench from Kenna Mace as well as five points, four boards and three thefts from reserve Grace Dotson. “I’m grateful to have spent four years with them and they changed the culture for us and everyone else got on board. Every time we play PHS it’s a game of runs. They just made one more.

“I couldn’t be more proud of them. We were probably left for dead two or three times in this game and kept coming back. Even to the very end there. Just super proud of them. When the preseason rankings came out, out of 20 teams, we weren’t even in the top 10 and we played until the last possible day we could play, and I think that just tells you about their character and their toughness and their will to win.”

It looked like it might be over before it started as Guice hit back-to-back triples and Flanagan made it 9-0 out of the gate when she swished in a trey from the top of the key.

“I think I just wanted to win really bad,” said Flanagan, who watched the Big Reds take their largest lead, 15-4, at the 1:40 mark when Porter had a putback. “Logston is a really good defender and with playing them two times I kind of had an idea of how she would guard me, and so our coaching staff and my amazing teammates, we kind of saw what we needed to do with that high pick-and-roll and I was able to get some shots off.”

PSHS stormed back to trim the deficit to three after one as the Patriots tallied the final eight points of the quarter. That included Owens bypassing a 3 for what resulted in a 15-foot buzzer-beating pull-up jumper.

Parkersburg’s Lucie Cline (13) attacks the basket as Parkersburg South’s Lindsey Logston defends. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

“We were just off tonight,” said Owens, who added of her youthful teammates, “they bring a lot to our team, but I think the biggest thing I appreciate is how much they listen to my knowledge of being in high school basketball for four years.

“I’m just going to miss being with my teammates. I only got one year with them so that’s kind of sad. Other than that, I’ll come and support them.”

A 9-5 spurt to open the second quarter, which was capped by consecutive Bolyard baskets, put the Patriots on top for the first time at 21-20 with 2:31 to go in the half. However, Flanagan had a pair of 3s to help PHS head into the locker room with a 28-21 advantage.

Logston had nine points in a pivotal third where her layup with 50 ticks left via an Owens dime had PHS behind again, 39-38. Bolyard added a hoop with 1.5 to go as PHS trailed 41-38 after three.

Although it took 68 seconds, PHS tied it for the final time when Flanagan started the fourth with another triple. Butcher then proceeded to put PHS in front to stay with a trey of her own 34 ticks later.

Parkersburg’s Frances Guice, right, makes a move with the ball. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

The Big Reds, who hadn’t won state since going back-to-back in triple-A (2018-19), extended the margin to 50-41 with 3:49 remaining following hoops by Cline and Guice.

“It’s been great,” Cline said of crossing the Little Kanawha River to play with the Big Reds. “These girls are literally like my sisters and my family. I love them all.

“This is like the best experience. I’ve had the best experiences all year with these girls and I’ve played with all of them, most of them, for like 11 years. It’s definitely something to remember.”

Logston admitted she was just trying to do whatever she could to help the team in the third.

“It was a close game so we got to try and keep the scoring up, keep up with their runs and it was important to put those shots up,” Logston said. “I didn’t make all of them, but I was just trying to keep up with the scoring.

Parkersburg South’s Lindsey Logston (33) handles the ball as Parkersburg’s Lucie Cline defends. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

“It was a great experience for all of us. I think we’ve learned a lot IQ-wise, situational-wise. We just got to keep at it and hope for the best next year. It just didn’t go our way.”

Bolyard concurred.

“I’m just really grateful to get to play with our team,” she said. “A lot of people didn’t think we were going to get how far we did. We knew we could get how far we did so I’m just very grateful and blessed to get to play with Emily and Tae.

“Going to miss them tremendously next year. Obviously we came up short. No one likes to come up short, but I think we played a good game. It just didn’t go our way tonight and sometimes that happens.”

The Big Reds knocked down 8 of 20 from distance and shot 38.6% (17 of 44) while the Patriots shot 33.9% (21 of 62) and missed 12 of 15 from downtown.

“They are the ones who created this culture from the beginning of the year,” added coach Davis. “We won seven basketball games last year and to turn around and be playing here is amazing. They are the ones who made the commitment to create a different culture.

“I think the future is bright. This hurts like a son of a gun and I’m not going to pretend to them it doesn’t, but we’ll pick up the pieces and move on. I think when a little time gets away from it we’ll recognize how much we accomplished this year.”

Joining Porter on the all-tournament team were Flanagan, Guice, Logston, Bolyard, Morgantown’s Carper Messerly and the George Washington backcourt duo of Ray Breckenridge and Jeriyah Pryor.

“This is truly the culmination of their achievements,” coach Murray added as the two rivals each finished 19-6. “What a way for these seniors to go out. They worked their butts off. Just proud of the way they worked. The way they communicated.

“The way they challenged each other and the leadership continued to grow. Just a great job by our coaching staff and the way they communicated the state tournament run. It could not be done without them.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

State Championship History

BIG REDS (8-2)

1981: Greenbrier East 35, Parkersburg 33

1985: St. Albans 46, Parkersburg 37

1987: Parkersburg 62, Woodrow Wilson 53

1988: Parkersburg 68, DuPont 55

1989: Parkersburg 53, Morgantown 45

1991: Parkersburg 53, John Marshall 40

1994: Parkersburg 59, John Marshall 48

1996: Parkersburg 64, Huntington East 63

2018: Parkersburg 49, Buckhannon-Upshur 47

2019: Parkersburg 63, University 54

2026: Parkersburg 59, Parkersburg South 53

PATRIOTS (3-4)

1984: Stonewall Jackson 74, Parkersburg South 59

2000: Huntington 69, Parkersburg South 53

2006: Parkersburg South 61, Morgantown 57

2008: Parkersburg South 51, Huntington 43

2013: Parkersburg South 58, Logan 34

2014: Morgantown 46, Parkersburg South 39

2015: Morgantown 48, Parkersburg South 31

2026: Parkersburg 59, Parkersburg South 53

Parkersburg’s Faithlyn Butcher (11) handles the ball as Parkersburg South’s Grace Dotson defends. (Photo by Jordan Holland)