MORGANTOWN — The University High School girls basketball team hosted the Preston High Knights in the Region I, Section 2 championship game Friday night on Baker’s Ridge.
After getting off to a slow start, the Hawks found their rhythm and pulled away from the visitors in the second half to claim the sectional title with a 60-29 victory.
UHS junior Hannah Stemple finished with a game-high 20 points, including three triples. Preston was led in scoring by junior Kendra Nazelrod who contributed 14.
“I wasn’t very pleased at the beginning, we were a little selfish,” UHS head coach Nick Lusk said. “I’ve said all year we are at our best when we are unselfish and we started moving the ball in the second half and settled down.”
The opening eight minutes went exactly the way PHS wanted as it controlled the tempo of the game early on. Each team scored a basket to start the game but went on a scoring drought over the next three minutes. The Hawks ended the opening frame on a 5-0 run but the score was knotted at 7-7 after the first quarter.
A 6-0 run to begin the second quarter by UHS forced the Knights to take a timeout trailing 13-7. The run grew to 10-1 as a result of UHS applying a relentless full-court press that helped force over 10 turnovers before halftime and saw the lead grow to double-digits at halftime 24-14.
“They did what I said we couldn’t let them do and that’s speed us up,” PHS head coach Brian Miller said. “They sped the game up physically and then we started getting sped up mentally and making mistakes that led to their run. We played the game the exact way we wanted to in the first quarter but just stopped doing it after that.”
The hosts came out of the locker room at halftime with purpose and began the third quarter with an 8-0 run over the first two minutes to blow the lead open 32-14. The combination of a quicker tempo and forcing Preston into turnovers was a perfect formula for UHS as it outscored its opponent 22-8 in the third.
“Our press and defense made the difference in the adjustment,” Lusk said. “To start the game we were reaching and not moving our feet. Once we started getting in the passing lanes and making it difficult for them it made a huge difference. We tried to match up more out of the press.”
The Hawks will host cross-town rival Morgantown on Thursday, Feb. 29 at 7 p.m. in a Class AAAA Region I co-final. The Knights will visit Wheeling Park the same night.
“This is what we work for, to be on this floor with a shot to go to Charleston,” Lusk said. “We have to share the basketball if we want to be successful. When we work for open shots, I have faith in us to knock them down. Hopefully, the third time is the charm.”
Preston junior Camryn Sypolt, who suffered life-threatening injuries during a car accident two weeks ago, was released from the hospital this week and rejoined her team on the bench for Friday’s game. Miller said Sypolt’s recovery has been better than expected.
BOX SCORE
University 60, Preston 29
PHS 7 7 8 7 — 29
UHS 7 17 22 14 — 60
PRESTON — Nazelrod 4 6-8 14 Miller 1 0-0 3 White 2 0-0 4 Bishop 1 0-0 2 Wolf 1 0-0 2 Metheny 1 0-0 3
University – Stemple 6 5-6 20 Ella Simpson 6 1-1 13 Fox 5 0-0 12 Maisel 2 0-0 5 Braham 1 0-0 2 Weaver 0 1-2 1 Johnson 0 2-2 2 Patterson 1 0-1 2 Lexi Simpson 1 1-2 3
3pt goals – University 6 (Stemple 3 Fox 2 Maisel 1); Preston 1 (Miller 1)
