Photos by Heather Belcher
Charleston – Cameron overcame a 40-point effort from Webster county all-stater Sydney Baird Friday afternoon to beat the Highlanders 54-51 in the Class A semifinals at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.
With the win Cameron, the defending state champion, returns to the Class A title game for the third consecutive season where it will face Tucker County on Saturday at 12:30.
A third-quarter rally proved necessary for the top-seeded Dragons after Webster held them scoreless in the second quarter, building a 25-17 lead at the intermission.
A layup from Cameron’s Ashlynn Van Tassell with 31 seconds left gave Cameron a 51-50 lead. A pair of Highlander turnovers in the final 30 seconds impaired their ability to tie the game, cementing the win.
Baird finished 14 of 30 from the field en route to her 40-point showing.
Van Tassell led the charge for Cameron with 24 points and 21 rebounds.
