Wildcats dominate Irish, stakes claim for top seed in Region IV

Logan's Zayden Sherod (3) puts up a shot over a Teays Valley Christian defender during a game in December at the Willie Akers Arena. Sherod has 19 points and 11 rebounds Thursday night in the Wildcats 63-27 victory over Charleston Catholic (Photo courtesy of Boothe Davis/Captured by the Moment Photography).

Bill Lusk | WVOW Sports

INSTITUTE The Logan Wildcats turned the Walker Convocation Center into their own playground Thursday night.

Coach Mark Hatcher's team made its case for the top seed in the Class AA Region IV tournament after a dominating 63-27 win over sixth-ranked Charleston Catholic at West Virginia State University.

The third-ranked Wildcats, who improved to 12-3 with the win, finished undefeated, 5-0, against Class AA Region IV schools. The top seed in the seven-team regional tournament receives a bye and only has to win one game to qualify for the state tournament.

Charleston Catholic (7-8), last season's Class AA state champion, never led Thursday night. The Irish and Wildcats were tied at 11 after the first quarter and tied at 15 with 3:15 to play before the Wildcats outscored the Irish 48-12 over the final 27:45.

Zayden Sherod led Logan with 19 points and 11 rebounds. McCormick Ilderton finished with 14 and Lucas Lambert had 10 points to go along with 11 rebounds. The Wildcats, who shot 43.6% (24 for 55) from the floor, also got nine points and 11 rebounds from Ivan Miller.

Lambert, Miller and Sherod combined for just as many rebounds, 33, as the Irish had as a team.

Logan scored the first six points before Catholic fought back and tied the game at 11 on a Zaden Ranson 3-pointer with 0:19 remaining in the first half.

Ilderton drained a 3 with 7:30 to play before halftime to put Logan up 14-11, but once again the Irish responded and tied the game at 15 when Ranson scored inside with 3:15 to play.

Logan closed the half on a 10-0 run to go ahead 25-15 at halftime. Ilderton started the run with a pair of free throws and a layup off a steal, Sherod scored in the paint, Ilderton added two more free throws and Sherod scored at the buzzer rebounding a Grayson Sanders missed 3-pointer to cap the first half.

The Wildcats scored the first nine points of the third quarter to extend the run to 19-0 and led by 25 after three quarters. Logan would lead by as many as 36 in the final quarter.

Ranson led the Irish with 16 points and 16 rebounds. No other player had more than five points.

Logan returns to action Monday evening at 10th-ranked Westside.