By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
It was a tight first half with Philip Barbour holding a 17-16 edge at halftime over the Yellow Jackets, then the Colts galloped away in the second half for a 54-35 win in Moorefield on Monday.
Philip Barbour’s Izzy Knotts scored a game-high 25 points, followed by Taitem Jeffries with a dozen markers.
Moorefield was paced by Kerigan Bergdall with 11 points, followed by Sadie Crites with nine points and Korbin Keplinger with eight markers.
“Plain and simple, we just can’t put the ball in the hoop. The girls played hard and I am proud of their effort,” Moorefield coach Jared Wratchford noted.
Moorefield’s Sydney Rumer collected a defensive rebound to start the game, then the Colts forced a turnover with pressure making the Yellow Jackets step out of bounds.
Ansley Bollard hit a jumper for the initial Colts lead at 6:47.
Philip Barbour’s Olivia Wilmoth tole the ball and dish to Izzy Knotts for a layup.
The Colts corralled a defensive carom and Taitem Jeffries scored on the ensuing possession for a 6-nil edge at 5:42.
The Yellow Jackets got on the board with a jumper in the paint by Sadie Crites at 5:31.
The Colts missed two field goals sandwiching a turnover, then Finley Carpenter recorded a block.
Crites drew a foul and added one point at the line at 4:25, 6-3.
Moorefield’s CiCi Kump stole the ball, but the ensuing shot was blocked by Carpenter.
Crites scored in the lane moments later and hauled in a defensive board leading to a basket by Korbin Keplinger as the Yellow Jackets took a 7-6 lead at 3:03.
Wilmoth notched two free throws for Philip Barbour to regain the lead at 2:38.
Both teams had a couple turnovers and missed field goals to close out the first frame.
A steal and breakaway layup by Moorefield’s Kerigan Bergdall with 40 seconds left created a 9-8 edge entering the second stanza.
The Yellow Jackets couldn’t connect on two field goals to start the second period and the Colts missed two free throw attempts.
A steal by Carpenter was thwarted as Moorefield’s Sydney Rumor blocked the ensuing shot.
Both teams drew iron, then Moorefield’s Raleigh Kuykendall blocked a shot.
Kuykendall was fouled and made one free throw at 6:24 for a 10-8 lead.
The next two minutes had a couple turnovers and errant attempts before a free throw made by Knotts for the Colts at 4:30.
Stefanie Barker blocked a shot for the Colts.
Keplinger scored on a putback giving the Yellow Jackets a 12-9 lead at 4:15, then Philip Barbour added a free throw on the next series.
Knotts snatched a defensive carom and tied the game with a jumper on the following possession,12-all.
The Colts created a turnover and Carpenter knocked down a perimeter basket for a 15-12 lead at 2:15.
Knotts swiped the ball and scored on a layup to extend the lead at 2:06.
Crites scored on a jumper for Moorefield during the next series, 17-14.
A star by Jump led to a pair of free throws by Keplinger as the Yellow Jackets cut the deficit to 17-16 with under a minute remaining in the first half.
Moorefield forced two turnovers in the last minute, but couldn’t convert four field goal attempts.
Philip Barbour walked to start the second half, then Moorefield’s Sadie Crites collected a rebound and hit a jumper at 7:38 to regain the lead, 18-17.
The Colts took the lead back 14 seconds later as Jeffries scored in the paint.
Carpenter stole the ball and found Jeffries for a layup to put Philip Barbour up 21-18 at 7:01.
The teams traded a couple steals with latter by Rumer resulting in a breakaway layup for the Yellow Jackets at 6:28, 21-20.
Kump and Rumer teamed up for a steal, then Knotts blocked a shot on the next possession.
Knotts scored on a putback as the Colts went up 23-20 at 5:32.
Bergdall drew a foul during a rebound and made one free throw for Moorefield.
The Colts added two foul shots on the next series by Jeffries.
Moorefield’s Seanna Heavner collected a defensive carom and found Bergdall for a 3-pointer at 3:42 to make it 25-24.
Wilmoth created an old-fashioned three-point play for the Colts on the following series.
Keplinger nailed a jumper for the Yellow Jackets to cut the deficit to 28-26 at 3:03.
Keplinger snatched a rebound, then Bergdall crashed into a defender losing the ball out of play.
Knotts added one free throw, then the Yellow Jackets walked and Knotts completed a three-point play to put the Colts up 32-26.
A steal by Jeffries led to a bucket in the paint by Carpenter as Philip Barbour took 34-26 lead with 1:35 left in the third period.
The Colts forced a turnover, then Jeffries garnered a jumper for a double digit advantage, 36-26 with under a minute remaining in the third frame.
After a block by the Colts, Kuykendall scored off a pass from Keplinger at 7:17 in the fourth period for Moorefield.
Knotts scored thrice within 36 seconds off turnovers to give Philip Barbour a 43-28 advantage with 6:14 to go.
Bergdall made two free throws for the Yellow Jackets with 5:08 left, then stole the ball and hit the rim.
A steak and old-fashioned three-point play by Knotts put the Colts up 47-30 with 4:26 left.
Bergdall snatched a defensive rebound and found Kuykendall for a bucket in the paint with under three minutes remaining.
Bergdall swiped the ball and scored a layup as the Yellow Jackets closed the gap 49-34.
Moorefield forced four turnovers in the final minute and change, but failed to connect five times as the Colts galloped home with a 54-34 win.
