KEYSER, W.Va. — A key run in the final two minutes of the first half proved to be the difference in the Class AAA, Region I, Section 2 final on Friday.
No. 3 Keyser ended the half on a 12-2 run, giving the Golden Tornado (17-5) the cushion needed to defeat Hampshire 45-32.
“I thought we started out kinda slow, kinda tight,” Keyser head coach Josh Blowe said. “We’re a young team in our first playoff environment. You could see the nerves, the tension. But we battled. I thought that second quarter was key.”
Blowe praised the effort and fight his team showed.
Tied at 8 after one quarter, Keyser took a 9-8 lead when Bibs Felton recorded a steal that set up a pair of free throws for Autumn Kerchner.
She split the pair to give the Tornado the one-point advantage with 5:39 left in the first half.
“I thought through the first quarter and a half, we did exactly what we needed to do,” Hampshire head coach Jordan Richardson said. “We slowed the game down, we made them limit their possessions. Unfortunately, we didn’t make shots.”
Keyser dominated the final two minutes defensively, holding the Trojans (11-12) to two points, both at the free-throw line.
Felton entered the game averaging a team-high 18.5 points.
After not scoring in the first quarter, Felton scored six of the Tornado’s 13 second-quarter points.
Felton only made three field goals with one being a 3-pointer, however, but shot 10 of 12 at the line.
“Her understanding what’s the counter, when someone does this, I’m doing this,” Blowe said of Felton’s aggressiveness. “When we’re in her ear and telling her exactly what to do, it’s better. But I want to see her pick that up in the flow of the game.”
She led Keyser with 17 points, three blocks and two steals.
While Felton had a quiet start offensively, Kerchner stepped up.
Kerchner led the Tornado with eight first-half points and finished with 14 and a steal.
“That’s probably the best I’ve seen her rebound all year,” Blowe said. “Just going and getting balls, putting it back in and getting fouled. She hustled, she really wanted it tonight.”
Felton assisted Rooney Urice on a layup to push the lead up to 20-10 with 15 seconds remaining in the half. Keyser led 21-10 at halftime.
The story of the first half was uncharacteristic mistakes from the Tornado.
Several passes were forced inside with tight defense, often with two or three defenders in the area.
It led to 13 turnovers in the first half by Keyser. It began on the opening tipoff when the tip went sideways, forcing a backcourt violation on the Tornado.
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a backcourt violation on a tip, I’ve been doing this a long time,” Blowe said. “It happens, they didn’t get too upset about it.”
However, Hampshire failed to score off a turnover in the first half.
The Trojans also struggled to take care of the ball, committing seven turnovers in the first half and 17 overall.
“We’re a team that has to limit the other team’s possessions,” Richardson said. “We can’t get into shootouts, that’s not who we are. Anytime we give them more possessions, it’s never gonna go our way.”
While Keyser’s offense didn’t have the best start, the defense played one of its better halves of the season.
The Golden Tornado held Hampshire to 3 of 23 (13%) from the field in the first half including 0 of 8 from deep.
Keyser went 7 of 15 (47%) from the field.
The Tornado were in control for the entire third quarter, leading by double digits for all eight minutes.
Keyser led by as many as 14 at two different points and led 35-21 heading into the fourth.
Similar to the third quarter, the Tornado led by four possessions the entire fourth quarter.
Hampshire cut the deficit to 12 points after Izzy Blomquist drew a foul on a 3-pointer.
She hit all three foul shots to cut the lead to 44-32 with 1:18 to go.
Blomquist led the Trojans with 13 points, adding five steals and two assists.
“We challenged her tonight to really get into lanes and be the initiator,” Richardson said.
The Tornado drained 20 seconds off the clock, forcing the Trojans to start fouling.
Free throws were a big factor, especially in the second half. Keyser was 22 of 32 overall and 15 of 22 in the second half.
Hampshire shot 11 of 15 overall and 7 of 9 in the second half.
“That’s completely attributed to them getting to the rim and being physical,” Richardson said. “I think we got away from us a little bit and they played the way they need to play, that’s why they won.”
Keyser will host the defending Class AAA state champion North Marion in the Region I co-final on Wednesday.
The Huskies (15-7) have reached the state tournament 14 of the last 16 seasons, but were upset by Weir (13-11) on Friday.
The Red Riders will host Hampshire in the other co-final on Wednesday.
The Trojans seek their third trip to Charleston, West Virginia, in the last four seasons.
“Weir is coming off the best win in probably school history,” Richardson said. “The last time they beat North Marion, I can’t even say. They’re gonna have all the momentum in the world.”
Keyser looks to return to the state tournament for the second time in three seasons and the third in the last 10 years.
“Section finals and region finals at home are what you dream about,” Blowe said. “You don’t get a chance for those very often.”