CHARLESTON, W.V. (LOOTPRESS) – The Shady Spring Tigers Varsity Boys Basketball Team has taken home their final victory this season, winning the AAA title.
With this win, the Tigers are officially the titleholders of the 2021 WVSSAC Boys Basketball State Championship – Class AAA Tournament. They beat the Wheeling Central Knights 55-43.
Prior to tonight’s game, the team stated that, win or lose, they had already made history and were proud of what they have accomplished this year.
The Tigers have blasted through this year’s tournament, beating both Herbert Hoover and Winfield by large amounts in their quarterfinal and semifinal games.
The championship game was close when the teams left the court at halftime, but the Tigers pulled away with an 8-0 run to start the second half. The game was sealed for the Tigers when they made six of six free throws in the fourth quarter.
While Shady’s offense is usually what they are known for the most, their defense helped secure major parts of tonight’s game. They forced 16 turnovers and put back 15 points off of these turnovers.
This season has brought record after record to the Tigers, finally bringing home their first AAA title win in school history.
Tonight was an emotional night for the players, not just for what happened on the court but for what happened last week when Dwayne Richardson, a Woodrow Wilson basketball player, was shot and killed.
To honor Richardson, his childhood friend, Shady Spring’s Todd Duncan changed his jersey number to 12 before tonight’s game. Not only did the Tigers win their game by 12 points, but also Duncan scored 12 points on his own, including the final score of the night.
As the team traveled through Beaver on their way home after the game, fans, friends and community members lined the streets to celebrate the making of history.
