MORGANTOWN – As January swiftly passes, the high school basketball season does the same, and teams are beginning to push for the highest seed possible in the regional tournaments coming up next month.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Morgantown High remains without star player Brenna Nelson, but the Mohigans are still winning games, splitting their last four contests. After a 56-38 defeat to Parkersburg back on January 6, MHS went on the road and earned a 50-44 win over Keyser, but dropped a home game to Spring Valley 53-50, in overtime the very next day. Freshman Maddie Ancell scored 20 on Tuesday night to put MHS back in the win column (its eighth on the season), heading into a huge matchup with rival University on Thursday, looking to improve to 9-3.
University (10-3) is now a winner of six out of the last seven games as the Hawks defeated Laurel Highlands 67-25 on Tuesday. Four Hawks scored in double figures, and they’ll need that same effort to defeat crosstown rival MHS on Thursday night on Wilson Avenue.
After opening the campaign 4-1, the Preston Lady Knights have dropped four of their last five games, most recently to Elkins, 50-30, on Tuesday night. PHS has some opportune games ahead, including contests against East Hardy and Clay-Battelle, but it will need to prove itself down the stretch to have a chance to go to Charleston. PHS will travel to Grafton on Thursday night and East Hardy on Saturday.
Clay-Battelle is having a turnaround season under second-year head coach Sherry Patterson, sitting at 7-3. The Cee-Bees are winners of four of their last five games and are led by junior Ali Hellyer, averaging 13.2 points and four steals per game. C-B will host Madonna on Thursday and Paw Paw on Friday.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Senior Waylon Colistra led Morgantown to its tenth win of the season, a 115-41 victory over Huntington Expression Prep, with 18 points and five assists on Monday. The Mohigans are now the only team in Class AAAA without a loss after George Washington fell to Parkersburg South on Tuesday. MHS will hit the road to visit John Marshall on Friday and Nitro on Saturday in New Martinsville at Magnolia High School.
Clay-Battelle dropped its first game of the season on Monday at home against Toronto (Oh.), 70-54. Despite the loss, the Cee-Bees are still one of the top teams in Class A, led by senior Trey Huggins, who averages 18.8 points per game. C-B is now 9-1 with a home game against Parkersburg Catholic on Saturday night.
