Charleston – Logan has a rich basketball history on the boys side, sporting a program littered with titles.
On the girls side history was made Saturday in the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.
In a defensive battle where both teams shot 23 percent from the field on 38 field goal attempts each, Logan made just enough stops and converted on its chances late to defeat No. 1 Fairmont Senior 27-26 In the Class AAA state championship game.
The title marks the first in program history, sending senior all-stater Peyton Ilderton out on top.
“It may not have been the best game of basketball but when you get the two best defensive teams in the state and all classes playing for a title, that’s what it looks like,” Logan coach Kevin Gertz said.
In a showdown of all-staters and Mary Ostrowksi Player of the Year finalists, Ilderton outlasted Senior’s star and Mary O winner Marley Washenitz, forcing Washenitz to the bench with her fifth foul when a drive and a layup with 1:12 left dropped and Ilderton was fouled. Ilderton finished the 3-point play at the line for the final and deciding point.
“They told me she had four fouls and it would be a different game if she fouled out so they told me to take it to her and I did and she fouled me,” Ilderton said.
Logan led 3-2 after the first quarter and 8-7 at the break but trailed 19-13 heading into the fourth after a 6-0 Fairmont run to end the the third. The Lady Wildcats fired back with a 7-0 run to open the fourth spurred by Emma Elkins, Abbie Myers and Halle Crouse but fell behind 25-22 when Washenitz nailed a 3 with 2:26 left.
A layup from Ilderton cut the deficit to a point before her aforementioned three-point play gave Logan the lead for good. In all, she scored the team’s final seven points over the final 2:43 of the game.
“I’m so proud of this team,” an emotional Ilderton said. “We’ve worked so hard and I’ve put in so much work over the past four years and for it to finally pay off my last game of high school is unbelievable.”
Ilderton led all scorers with 13 points while Washenitz scored 12, putting her at 2,000 to end her career.
***
The Class AAA All-Tournament team selections were Natalie Blankenship (Logan) , Laynie Beresford (Fairmont), Hannah Perdue (PikeView), Meredith Maier (Fairmont), Hallie Crouse (Logan), Olivia Toland (North Marion), Marley Washenitz (Fairmont) and Peyton Ilderton (Logan).
Class AAA All-Tournament
Blankenship (Logan)
Bearsford (Fairmont)
Perdue (PikeView)
Maier (Fairmont)
Crouse (Logan)
Toland (North Marion)
Washenitz (Fairmont)
Ilderton (Logan)#wvgirlsbb pic.twitter.com/pjnB2NACkJ— Tyler Jackson (@TJack94) March 13, 2022
Email: tylerjackson@lootpress.com and follow on Twitter @tjack94
