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MARTINS FERRY -- Top-seeded Martins Ferry began the season in late October with its eyes on the OVAC Class 4A title.
The Purple Riders -- by virtue of their impressive 65-39 victory against fourth-seeded Oak Glen -- moved another step closer to the crown Monday evening as the annual Wheeling Hospital OVAC Girls Basketball Championship Tournament opened inside the Tolbert Gymnasium.
"We get to go play for a championship, so what more can you ask for?" Martins Ferry coach Dave Reasbeck said.
"I thought once we got settled down, we played really well."
The Purple Riders found themselves with just a 16-14 lead after one quarter, but Reasbeck believed much of that slower start, which included several missed scoring chances in close to the basket, was because he had his team "too hyped up."
"These girls have put in a lot of work and know how important this week's game are," Reasbeck said.
"We finally made a few shots and converted some easy chances as the game wore on. I think we'll be much more relaxed on Saturday. The tough part is getting there, but now it's the fun part."
Still finding themselves in a legitimate battle with under three minutes to go until the half, the Purple Riders closed with a flurry. They scored the final seven points of the half, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Shayla Schuster, which followed a trey from talented sophomore Maria Clark.
On top of that, the Purple Riders proceeded to score the first nine of the second half. All told, Ferry embarked on a 23-2 run over about six minutes of game action to all but punch its ticket to Saturday morning's title game.
"We have trouble scoring, and we were worried about their shooters," Oak Glen coach Scott Wiley said. "They have a really nice team, but we just have trouble scoring. We try to get some points off our defense, but their guards were too quick for us."
One of those types of spurts has become a hallmark for the Purple Riders.
"Our conditioning right now is exceptional," Reasbeck said. "We're getting up on these teams and then wearing them down.
The Purple Rider perimeter shooting included seven bonus goals with Clark, Schuster and senior Jaden Stalder, who supplied a spark on both ends of the floor, each knocking down two.
All told, the Purple Riders had four players in double figures. Senior Richella Spielvogel overcame a slow start to finish with 16 points, while Stalder and Madison Ging evenly split 22. Clark finished with 10.
Oak Glen, meanwhile, was led by Alexa Andrews, who had 13. No other player scored more than seven for the Golden Bears, who are 9-9.
The Purple Riders will next take on Beaver Local, which defeated St. Clairsville in the other 4A semifinal. Tipoff is slated for 10 a.m.