Gallery by Heather Belcher
Hinton – Heavy can be the head that wears the crown, especially if you have never known that feeling.
However, following a little adjustment, Summers County looked quite comfortable with the new head piece Monday night.
Finding out about their new ranking just minutes before their clash with Class A No. 5 Greenbrier West, the newly ranked Class AA No. 1 Bobcats used a third quarter explosion to race past the Cavaliers 59-34.
“We are glad to live to see another day in the life of Region 3. We have now won 18 games this season,” Summers County head coach Chad Meador said. “Didn’t quite know we would be at this point in the season. I will take every positive moment.”
Summers County was primed for a sluggish start.
As if coming off a big win Saturday over then AA No. 1 Mingo Central wasn’t enough, Monday was also filled with the emotions of Senior Night.
Celebrating their final regular season home game on Coach Wayne Ryan Court were Sullivan Pivont, Ashley Cooper and the coach’s daughter, Liv Meador.
“Our seniors are three special young ladies that went through this program from the beginning. They started playing basketball in this county since the third grade and they have stuck it out. It is not easy. It’s not easy giving up your summers and your family events, but tonight it was worth,” Meador said. “Senior Night is emotional. We give them a gift and they give us a gift. For me it is extra special because it is my daughter.”
Greenbrier West took the early lead on a bucket from Ava Barclay prior to Cooper drilling a 3-ball for the Bobcats.
A runner from Abigail Thomas gave the Cavaliers their final lead of the night before the Bobcats went on an 8-0 run.
Leading 16-10 after the first period, Summers scored the first seven points of the second quarter for a 13-point that was 29-18 at halftime.
Still within reach with two quarters to play, West saw the game slip away in the first four minutes of the third quarter.
“We made a slight adjustment against that defense they were running. They were dropping their top guard or forward down on the block,” Meador explained. “Instead of coming over the screen, we went under and scored three straight possessions. That was kind of the catalyst for the third quarter run there.”
Abby Persinger scored off an offensive rebound before Gracie Harvey scored inside. When Pivont buried her second 3-ball of the game, the Bobcats had doubled-up the Cavaliers, 36-18.
Maddie Fields snapped the run momentarily, but with Summers transition game in full swing, the Bobcats scored on back-to-back drives from Harvey and a layup by Meador.
“They run the floor and push (it up) the floor better. Their transition is better,” Greenbrier West head coach Mark Agee said. “They are a little faster and move the ball better. I felt like we rebounded the ball well tonight. As far as working hard on the rebounds, we were good. We just got out hustled in transition and they made some good shots in transition.”
When the third quarter came to a close, Summers County was in full control up 46-23.
“The big thing tonight was our girls weren’t shooting the ball. We were passing up open shot after open shot. We have to shoot the ball, especially against double-A teams,” Agee said. “As good as we are rebounding, we have to shoot the ball. If it doesn’t go in, we go get the rebounds.”
Harvey led all scorers with 21 points, while Pivont dropped in 17 and Persinger scored eight. Barclay was the only Cavalier in double figures with 10.
“They are starting to trust each other and trust me a little more. They believe in each other and that is what you want at this time of year,” Meador said. “It is good to end the season continuing to climb the mountain. It is nice to win the last regular season game.”
Although it will not be the No. 1 team in its section, Summers County enters the postseason as the No. 1 team in the AP Poll for the first time in seven years.
“The last No. 1 ranking was when we beat Bluefield here the last regular season game approximately seven seasons ago,” Meador said. “They were No. 1 in double-A and we were No. 3 in single-A. That victory bumped us.”
While he admitted it was a nice achievement for his team, Meador also made it clear that nothing has changed in regards to the postseason.
“We are not paying attention to the rankings because nothing changes. If we beat Bluefield, then we have to beat Chapmanville or Mingo (Central),” Meador said. “We would like to host a regional, but you still have to beat one of those two teams. We are not dismissing Bluefield by any means. They always get better as the season goes along.”
Greenbrier West
Meagan Poticher 4, Ava Barclay 10, Maddie Fields 2, Preslee Treadway 7, Abigail Thomas 6, Brilee Redden 5. Totals: 15 3-14 34.
Summers County
Liv Meador 4, Avery Lilly 3, Gracie Harvey 21, Sullivan Pivont 17, Ashley Cooper 3, Abby Persinger 8, Kaylee Jones 3. Totals: 19 14-21 59.
3-pointers – GW: 1 (Redden); SC 4 (Pivont 2, Lilly, Cooper)
