Wheeling Central Girls Fall In Class AA State Quarterfinals
Charleston Catholic Ousts Maroon Knights In OT
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CHARLESTON — Some losses are harder to take than others. Such was the case late Wednesday night for the Wheeling Central girls basketball team.
The No. 4 Maroon Knights (19-7) saw No. 5 Charleston Catholic tie their W.Va. Class AA state tournament quarterfinal game in the waning seconds of regulation, and then outscore them 7-5 in overtime for a 47-45 victory inside the Charleston Coliseum.
"It was a tough loss. Yes it was," Wheeling Central head coach Roberta Olejasz said. "It certainly was."
Trailing 47-45 after the Irish (16-10) missed the second of a two-shot foul with 11.8 left in the 4-minute extra session, Wheeling Central got the ball across halfcourt but couldn't get off a shot before the buzzer sounded.
Charleston Catholic caught Wheeling Central off guard in the first half with its three-point shooting. Normally just a 24 percent shooting team from beyond the bonus arc, the Irish knocked down 6 of 12 in the first half to take a 23-17 lead into the lockerrom.
"It really surprised us that they shot that well from three-point range," Olejasz said. "We had scouted them and decided we were going to let them shoot."
The Irish cooled off in the second half which allowed Wheeling Central to take the lead in the third quarter.
The Maroon Knights used a 12-2 run to start the second half in taking a 27-25 lead when Brook Edge knocked down a three-point shot with 4:10 on the clock.
Addie Payton followed with a layup and Edge scored again to make it 31-25 before Charleston Catholic called timeout.
Wheeling Central led 33-32 heading into the final eight minutes.
"We made some adjustments at halftime to take away their second chances," Olejasz said of a 20-10 deficit on the boards.
The Maroon Knights held a 40-36 advantage after Edge made two free throws with 30.3 seconds left to play, but the Irish used two free throws from Mary Rushworth and a fasbreak layup by Molly Messer with 0:07 showing on the clock to tie the game and send it into overtime.
Messer hit a three to start the extra session. The teams were deadlocked at 44 but Rushworth converted a shot to make it 46-44 Irish.
Edge, who was in foul trouble the entire game, led the Maroon Knights with 15 points. Valerie Downing added 11 and Lily Vogrin 10. Payton finished with nine.
Messer paced the Irish with 14.
"I told my seniors that it's been my privilege to coach them. Some of them I've coached in travel ball since they were 5 years old," Olejasz noted. "It was a great honor to coach all of them.
"I asked them when I got the job three years ago if they ever thought we could make a run to the state, and they all shook their heads no.
"They were living the dream."