MORGANTOWN – Buckhannon-Upshur couldn’t match University’s defensive pressure or speed in the title game of the Section 2, Region 1 tournament Friday night at University High.
The result was a 61-35 setback for the Lady Bucs in a game in which they turned it over 21 times.
“University sped us up, and we didn’t react well,” stated Buckhannon-Upshur head coach Rob Kittle. “We didn’t communicate on the defensive end, and we let them speed us up on the offensive end. We simply made too many turnovers and had too many self-inflicted mistakes to be competitive with University. We let them speed us up, and we were never able to get into our half-court sets. We struggled with their press.”
Kenna Maxwell gave the Lady Bucs their first lead after a pair of free throws made it a 3-2 game with 2:13 elapsed.
A Maxwell baseline jumper treated the Lady Bucs to a 5-4 lead at 3:44 in the first quarter, but it would be the last lead for Buckhannon-Upshur.
A lay-up by B-U’s Harley Dean deadlocked the game at 7-7 with 35 seconds remaining in the first quarter but UHS closed the quarter on a 6-0 for a 13-7 lead heading into the second.
The Hawks started the second quarter on an 11-0 run for a 24-7 advantage before Gabby Parke was able to put in a lay-up for the Lady Bucs with 3:52 remaining in the half making it 24-9 game.
B-U whittled the lead down at 13 at the break after a pair of free throws by Alyssa Abel, at 28-15.
Parke began the third quarter with a lay up that made it a 28-17 contest, but the Lady Bucs wouldn’t get any closer as the Hawks outscored them by a 11-5 margin the rest of the quarter and owned a 39-22 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Down 51-26, Abel and Parke hit back-to-back treys for the Lady Bucs making it a 51-32 contest with 3:12 remaining in the game.
University’s biggest lead of the game was 26 points at the end of the contest.
Ella Simpson led University’s offense with 11 points as the Hawks improved to 16-7 on the year.
They will host Morgantown (19-5) in of the two Region I games remaining on Wednesday.
B-U didn’t have a player reach double digits as Maxwell and Parke each had nine points.
The Lady Bucs (13-11) will now travel to Wheeling Park Wednesday with a berth in the state tournament on the line.
Wheeling Park will enter the game with a 22-2 record.
That game will tip at 7 p.m.
“We just have to come back and play with a lot more heart and emotion,” concluded Kittle. “It is going to be an uphill battle with Wheeling Park but we are certainly capable of playing with them if we come in the with right mindset.”
The boxscore:
Buckhannon-Upshur 7 8 7 13 – 35
University 13 15 11 22 – 61
Buckhannon-Upshur 35
Kenna Maxwell 2-11 4-4 9; Gabby Parke 4-6 0-0 9; Alyssa Abel 1-6 5-6 8; Kendall Currence 1-4 2-4 4; Harley Dean 1-2 1-2 3; Kyndal Davis 1-2 0-0 2; Casadie Lahman 0-2 0-0 0; Avi Travise 0-0 0-2 0; Hodge’Nay Henderson 0-0 0-2 0; Reagan McVay 0-0 0-0 0; Brooklyn Smith 0-0 0-0 0; Rosie Shackleford 0-0 0-0 0; Regina Petrokovich 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 10-34 12-19 35.
University 61
Ella Simpson 4-8 2-6 11; Julia Maisel 4-6 1-3 10; Hannah Stemple 2-10 4-4 10; Emily Sharkey 3-7 1-2 7; Eden Gibson 3-9 1-2 Lyla Byers 2-5 3-6 7; Ashlyn Weaver 2-8 0-0 4; Lexi Simpson 1-1 1-1 3; Aza Boateng 1-1 0-0 2; Riley Alexander 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-55 13-24 61.
Three-point field goals – Buckhannon-Upshur: Abel 1-1; Parke 1-2; Maxwell 1-4; Currence 0-2. Totals 3-9; University: Stemple 2-8; E. Simpson 1-1; Maisel 1-3; Sharkey 0-1; Gibson 0-2; Byers 0-2. Totals 4-20.
Rebounds – Buckhannon-Upshur: Abel 6; Currence 5; deadball 5; Henderson 4; Parke 3; Dean 2; Lahman 2; Davis 1. Totals 28; University: deadball 6; Gibson 5; Boateng 5; E. Simpson 5; Stemple 5; Weaver 1; Sharkey 1; Byers 1; L. Simpson 1. Totals 30.
Assists – Buckhannon-Upshur: Henderson 3; Lahman 2; Maxwell 2; Parke 1; Abel 1. Totals 9; University: E. Simpson 5; Sharkey 4; Weaver 3; Maisel 3; Gibson 3; Byers 1; Stemple 1. Totals 20.
Steals – Buckhannon-Upshur: Abel 3; Dean 3; Lahman 1; Maxwell 1; Henderson 1. Totals 9; University: Maisel 4; Gibson 3; E. Simpson 3; Weaver 1; Sharkey 1. Totals 12.
Blocked shots – Buckhannon-Upshur: None; University: Boateng 1. Totals 1.
Turnovers – Buckhannon-Upshur: 21; University: 11.
Fouls – Buckhannon-Upshur: 19; University: 19.
