Chapmanville's Haley Fleming cuts a piece of the nets following the Lady Tigers sectional championship win over Mingo Central. Fleming had 24 points in the contest as Chapmanville won its second consecutive sectional championship (Photo courtesy of CKG Graphics).
Bill Lusk | WVOW Sports
CHAPMANVILLE Of the 16 regionals to be played this week across the state of West Virginia, Class AA Region I and III are without a shadow of a doubt the two toughest regions in girls basketball.
The four combined teams in Class AA Region I have a combined record of 66-25 and a .725 winning percentage. The second-highest record and winning percentage belongs to Region III where four teams have a combined 63-27 record and a .700 winning percentage.
Each region has four teams ranked in the final Class AA girls basketball Associated Press poll, each team has won 14 games or more this season and each matchup carries a state tournament semifinal feel.
Chapmanville, one of those four teams in Region III, is looking for its first state tournament berth in 13 years.
The Lady Tigers (14-9) captured their second consecutive Class AA Region III Section 2 championship with a 59-38 over Mingo Central Friday night at the Danny Godby Gymnasium.
The win was important for the Lady Tigers in more ways than one. Not only did it guarantee them a home game in the regional championship, but they avoided top-ranked Wyoming East, who has won 19 games including their last 13 heading into the regional finals.
A year ago, Chapmanville lost to Wyoming East, 54-47, in the Region III finals at Chapmanville.
This year, the Lady Tigers will welcome a familiar foe in fourth-ranked Summers County in one of two Class AA Region III championship games Wednesday night.
Chapmanville and Summers County met twice during the regular season with the Lady Bobcats coming out on top, but a play here or there, a basket here or there and it could have easily been the Lady Tigers coming out on top.
In the first meeting at Summers County on January 27, Chapmanville rallied from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to take a 41-38 lead with under three minutes thanks in part to a 15-2 run.
Summers County ended the game on a 10-1 run to defeat the Lady Tigers 48-42. It would be a script that would be all too familiar in the two schools next meeting on February 12 at Chapmanville.
In that meeting, Summers County led Chapmanville by 13 points with under three minutes to play, however, the Lady Tigers scored 13 straight points in a span of 2:11 before Gracie Harvey broke a 46-46 tie with 28 seconds left to give the Lady Bobcats a lead, they never relinquished in a 49-46 win.
Meanwhile in Class AAA, Logan will look to secure its third state tournament berth in four years with a win at Nitro Wednesday night.
Logan scored the 17 points in its sectional opener against Scott, defeating the Lady Skyhawks, 73-46, to advance to the Class AAA Region III Section 2 championship against Wayne.
Addie Adkins tied a school record with eight 3-points in the Lady Pioneers 68-30 win over Logan to advance the second ranked Lady Pioneers to one of two Class AAA Region III championship games against Ripley Wednesday night at Pioneer Gym.
Ripley was a 42-32 loser at Nitro Friday night. Nitro, ranked third in Class AAA, has won nine straight games avenging its last loss to Ripley. The Lady Vikings defeated Nitro, 70-66, in overtime on January 24 at Ripley.
Nitro is 20-3 on the season and has lost to AA No. 1 East Fairmont, 69-46, on December 2 and feel to No. 2 Wayne, 60-46, on January 5.
Despite a nine-game winning streak, and a 57-39 win over Logan on January 27 at Nitro, the Putnam County Lady Wildcats know that their opposition from Logan County will be a tough challenge.
Logan is playing its best basketball of the season having won five of its last eight games. One of those five victories was a 58-52 win over then Class AAAA No. 8 Greenbrier East snapping the Lady Spartans 10-game winning streak.
Also included in that eight-game span was a victory over then Class AAA No. 10 Westside, which also snapped the Lady Renegades 10-game winning streak.
Despite its 13-9 record, Logan has wins over Class AAA ranked teams Ripley, Robert C. Byrd and Sissonville.
All regional games start at 7 p.m. and tickets for Class AAA and Class AA regional games scheduled for Wednesday can purchased online by clicking on the link provided below: Logan vs Nitro - Basketball - Feb 28, 2024 (gofan.co)
West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission Girls Basketball Regional Schedule
Class AAAA (All games Thursday, February 29)
Region I
Preston (11-13) at 2. Wheeling Park (20-4)
5. Morgantown (15-8) at 9. University (14-10)
Region II
Musselman (14-8) at 10. Martinsburg (16-4)
Spring Mills (8-16) at Washington (11-10)
Region III
Riverside (5-19) at 8. Greenbrier East (20-4)
Princeton (15-7) at 1. George Washington (20-3)
Region IV
Huntington (10-13) at 4. Parkersburg (20-4)
6. St. Albans (15-7) at 3. Spring Valley (18-6)
Class AAA (All games Wednesday, February 28)
Region I
Hampshire (10-11) at Weir (12-10)
6. North Marion (15-8) at 10. Keyser (17-5)
Region II
Robert C. Byrd (15-9) at 1. East Fairmont (23-0)
7. Philip Barbour (14-8) at Elkins (17-7)
Region III
Westside (16-8) at 4. Lewis County (21-3)
Sissonville (14-10) at 5. PikeView (17-6)
Region IV
LOGAN (13-11) at 3. NITRO (20-3)
Ripley (13-11) at 2. Wayne (21-1)
Class AA (All games Wednesday, February 28)
Region I
2. St. Marys (19-5) at 3. Williamstown (18-4)
10. Parkersburg Catholic (15-8) at 4. Wheeling Central (14-8)
Region II
Frankfort (14-9) at 9. Trinity (18-5)
Braxton County (11-14) at Petersburg (14-9)
Region III
7. Mingo Central (14-9) at 1. Wyoming East (20-2)
4. SUMMERS COUNTY (16-7) at 8. CHAPMANVILLE (14-9)
Region IV
Buffalo (12-9) at 5. Ravenswood (17-6)
Wirt County (12-12) at Charleston Catholic (11-11)
Class A (All games Tuesday, February 27)
Region I
Valley (Wetzel) (11-13) at Tyler Consolidated (12-12)
6. Doddridge County (17-7) at 1. Cameron (19-5)
Region II
East Hardy (8-15) at Pocahontas County (12-11)
Pendleton County (11-14) at 3. Tucker County (18-5)
Region III
10. Meadow Bridge (13-10) at 5. James Monroe (15-8)
7. River View (16-8) at 8. Greenbrier West (14-8)
Region IV
2. Gilmer County (22-2) at Tug Valley (6-18)
Tolsia (11-12) at 4. Huntington St. Joe's (18-5)