The Chapmanville Regional Lady Tigers were down by nine in the 4th quarter, but they rallied to tie the game and overtake Logan in double overtime 57-50 from Danny Godby Gymnasium in Chapmanville, West Virginia on Thursday night.
“Thursday night was everything a rivalry game should be. The atmosphere was unbelievable to be a part
of,” Chapmanville Girls’ Head Coach Kristina Gore stated after the win. “We dug ourselves a pretty big hole with some sloppy play in the first three quarters. I’m proud of the way the girls regrouped and got the job done in the fourth to force overtime.”
Gore’s girls did indeed rallied when it matter most. Chapmanville outscored Logan 10-3 in the 4th quarter to tie things up after trailing a majority of the game.
“I felt we got big time contributions from everyone. Jaiden filled up the stat sheet again, Haley had total
command of the game in the fourth quarter and in the two overtime periods. Brooke Christian was an
absolute dog out there on defense. That stat of the game might be Daizi Farley finding a way to finish
the game out after picking up her fourth foul with over a minute to go in the fourth. I’m really proud of
her for that,” Gore said about the contributions from her team. “And, Jaycee, my goodness what is it with her and Logan games? She knows how to turn it on for a rival. Two years in a row she has been a key difference maker in this game. Her passion and “energy really sparked our comeback.”
Alaria Evans also contributed in the win after battling back from a tough ankle injury from volleyball season. “It was also great to get Alaira into some game action. The plan going in was to play her no more than 16 minutes, and we were able to stick to it and still get the win.”
Jaycee Blair’s big three-point baskets to help close out the game for the Lady Tigers were just the exclamation point on a great game for the sophomore. “Jaycee hit two massive threes to start us off in the second overtime. Thankfully we were able to get some huge stops down the stretch and finish them off at the foul line.”
Gore credits her team’s defense for being able to come from behind and pick up the win. “Our defense showed up big at times. Communication on the floor was much better, so I’m really pleased with that. Had this game been played last season I don’t think we would’ve found the guts to pull it out. These are the same kids, yet they are different. Our defensive culture has done a complete 180. That’s what allowed us to get back in it.”
Jaycee Blair led the Lady Tigers with 17 points. Jaiden Mahon added in 14 points and 10 rebounds. Haley Fleming also added 13 points in the win. Alaria Evans had 6 points in limited minutes, Brooke Christian finished with 5 points, and Daizi Farley added a crucial 2 points to help the Lady Tigers move to 2-1 on the season.
The schedule continues to beef up for the Lady Tigers over the holidays. ““Looking ahead, we travel to AAA #2 Wayne on Tuesday, host AA #1 Wyoming East on Saturday, and then host AAA #8 Nitro the following Wednesday.” Gore’s team then travels south over Christmas break to compete against some stiff out of state competition, “After that we travel to Charleston, SC for the Carolina Invitational. Our first game there is against Stratford in their home gym. They were the South Carolina 5A runner ups from last season and have around 2500 kids in their school. It doesn’t get any easier. But again, it was all by design to make sure we are battle tested by the time the postseason comes around.”
