The Shadow
It took nearly two months to complete the 2nd Annual Alcova Mortgage Lady Mountaineer Basketball Tournament.
Alleghany made sure it was worth the wait.
The Mountaineers swept Stuarts Draft Saturday in a championship game doubleheader.
The AHS? junior varsity started the day with a 39-24 win over the Cougars and the varsity followed with a 53-48 victory.
“The weather got us back in December, but we were glad we could complete the tournament today,” said Alleghany varsity coach and tournament director Jeff Wolfe. “We want to again thank Jason Helmintoller and Alcova Mortgage for their commitment to this tournament and to girls basketball.”
Alleghany saw a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead cut all the way to one in the final minute.
“We had some ill-advised shots, three turnovers and five straight free throw misses that led to a 12-0 run for them,” said Wolfe.
Madi Armentrout’s three cut the Alleghany lead to 49-48 and a turnover gave Draft a chance to take the lead.
But Kendell Keene drew a charge with 27 seconds left and the Cougars were forced to foul in the closing seconds.
Alleghany made four of their final five free throws, three from Maggie Rooklin and another from Gracie Conner.
“Kendell drawing that charge was huge,” said Wolfe. “It was the third charge we took today (Erin Harden and Conner drew the others). It was a big win for us.”
Harden led the Mountaineers with 16 points, Rooklin added 12 and Conner knocked in 10.
All three were named to the all-tournament team and Rooklin was selected as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Armentrout, Lyndsay Harris and Hadley May all had 10 points for Stuarts Draft.
Harris, Leah Wood and McKinley Fitzgerald, who sat out Saturday’s title game with a concussion, represented the Cougars on the all-tournament team.
Alleghany, now 13-6 on the season, travels to Floyd County tonight.
The Mountaineer jayvees improved to 15-4 with the Saturday tournament victory.
Abbie Fridley led the champions with 19 points, Macyn Cash had eight, Maddie Brown had five, Cassidy Puffenbarger scored four, Zamera Hayslett had two and Kassie Huffman added one.
Anna Smith had eight points for Stuarts Draft.
Alleghany led 21-11 at the half.————————————————————————————————————–Alleghany’s varsity and junior varsity teams won championships Saturday in the Alcova Mortgage Lady Mountaineer Classic. Pictured is Erin Harden (11), who led Alleghany with 16 points in Saturday’s varsity title game win over Stuarts Draft. (Gavin Dressler Photo)
