MORGANTOWN – If there was any doubt that University High senior girls basketball standout Bri Fox was one of the top players in the state in Class AAAA (or any class), she put that doubt to rest with her performance in the quarterfinals of the 2026 WVSSAC girls state basketball tournament last week against the eventual champions, Parkersburg.
After returning for the Hawks this season as the only starter from a season ago (and one of only two players with varsity experience), Fox led her team back to the state tournament for the second consecutive time after not making an appearance in Charleston from 2019 to 2024.
Fox finished her final season on Baker’s Ridge, leading her team in nearly every stat, averaging 21.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 5.0 steals per contest for UHS.
On Thursday in the state tournament, Fox led UHS on a furious comeback in the second half against the 2-seed Parkersburg after it seemed that the Hawks had let the lead get out of reach.
Trailing by 14 at the beginning of the third quarter, Fox scored nine of her 22 second-half points in the frame, but the Hawks only outscored Parkersburg by one, making up one point of the deficit and trailing by 13 entering the fourth.
That’s when Fox took the game over and helped UHS begin to chip away at the Parkersburg lead, nailing three straight triples and converting a layup that tied the game at 58 with 2:15 left to play.
Fox scored 13 of her 32 points in the fourth, shooting 5 of 6 from the floor with three triples, helping the Hawks force overtime, tied at 63 after a game-tying 3-pointer by Cheyanne Bishoff with three seconds remaining.
Despite falling to the Big Reds 71-70 after the extra period, Fox proved why she belongs in the conversation as one of the top ten players in Class AAAA in the state, leading a team of players with virtually no varsity experience to the state tournament in a year where Class AAAA had one of its deepest fields, team and player-wise.
In her final six games for UHS, Fox’s point totals were 23, 29, 24, 26, 26, and 32. She also led UHS in assists and steals and was second on the team in rebounds, while playing one of the toughest schedules in the state, including six games against teams that qualified for the state tournament.
“UHS has meant the world to me, especially with Sammy (Lusk) stepping up this year as head coach,” Fox said. “I’ve played with some of these girls since we were kids and have been very blessed to be a part of this program for four years.”
