By Stephen Smoot
Early in the season, the Pendleton County girls’ basketball team has had to continually adjust — adjust to going straight from volleyball playoffs (some of them) into basketball season; adjust to a new coach, new staff, and new players capable of contributing right away; and adjust to the early season avalanche of weather postponements.
Lots of adjustments made and a lot of challenges overcome as the 2025 and 2026 edition starts to come together as a team. The scrappy roster has spent most of the season battling bigger schools from bigger cities and, while the wins have not come as often as liked, the effort, the development, and the improvement has happened.
Back in December, the Wildcats traveled to Pocahontas County with a full squad and lost by 15, 50-35. On Jan. 8, they hosted the same team and endured a 16-point loss, but played well and showed improvement over the first outing against the recently dominant Warriors.
Last week, the team had to take the court without starting center Susan Vincell and her 15.4 points per game, 54 percent shooting, 11.3 rebounds per game. That rebounds per game statistic is good for 10th in the state in all classes. Vincell is also 10th in field goals made and number two, again in all classes, in doubles with six.
The mark of a good team lies not always in how good their best players perform, but in how the team responds when challenged by the loss of one of the top performers to injury.
Vincell had taken ill, preventing her from taking the court. Her teammates, some of whom also felt under the weather, stepped in and stepped up their game to give the visiting Warriors an old-fashioned Wildcat battle.
Pocahontas County took the opening score 19 seconds into the game with a layup, working to establish themselves inside with the Pendleton County center out.
Jameigh Miller, a Potomac State recruit, averages just more than 11 points per game, but had to play even bigger against Pocahontas County. She executed a crossover at the top of the key to shake the defender, then drove in to tie the game at two.
Pocahontas County appeared to take momentum early in the first with a 7-0 run over less than a minute of play. That was unusual for them in the opening half. However. Katie Heavner fought Pocahontas County underneath and rebounded well. Lexi Tingler at the 4:20 point swiped a steal and drove it all the way in for a layup to cut the lead to 9-6.
Next, Miller stood tight and forced a charge from the Warriors who drove in with “Truck” Bryant-like reckless abandon all night.
One of the frustrating repeated problems for Pendleton County lay in the defensive athleticism of the opposing squad, who managed to fly in and swat shots that, momentarily at least, had been “good looks” by the Wildcat shooters. Additionally, in the first half, many Wildcat shooters rushed shots. However, by the second half that had stopped.
Pocahontas County pulled ahead by six once again, but then Miller and Heavner executed a nifty give and go play that got Miller open for a layup, cutting the lead to 12-8 as the first quarter concluded.
Defenses delivered in the first three minutes of the second. Miller and Heavner repeated their give and go from before, getting the same result and cutting the lead to two at the 4:59 mark. About 20 seconds later, Miller sank a three-point shot to put her team up 13-12. At the 4:36 point, Miller worked off a Heavner pick and buried another three from the top of the key. to edge the lead up to 16-12.
The scoring burst from Miller returned at 3:22 when she drove in and finished a gliding hook shot to put her team suddenly up by six. Pocahontas County promptly answered with a three, but Jess Parker opened up a little room with a 10-foot baseline shot to set the lead at 20-17.
The Warriors knotted it up with a three at the 1:27 mark, but outfought taller players for an offensive rebound, then used a baby hook to put the team up 22-20. With 48 seconds left, the Warriors took the lead on a three and carried it into the half.
In the third quarter, the two teams traded virtual punches throughout. Neither could quite put the other on their heels. Heavner opened scoring in the third with an offensive rebound and putback that got the Wildcats back on top. The Warriors once again hit a three to take the lead, but Heavner kept pouring it on, hitting a 10-foot baseline basket to knot the game at 26 with 5:30 left in the third.
As the game progressed, the Wildcats showed that the challenge had seasoned them. Tia Heavner hit an open three at the 3:23 mark to take a 30-28 advantage. Almost a minute later, Parker took a rebound, drove the length of the court, and dropped in a layup for a 33-30 lead.
Not long after, Miller fired a pass out to Parker, who then found Tia Heavner open for a shot. Pocahontas County fouled her and she delivered on two free throws. The same player converted on two more charity shots with about 20 seconds left in the third to extend the lead to 37-32.
Throughout the quarter, the Wildcats brought full effort and got the desired results. The Warriors settled for single attempts at long shots. Upon missing them Pendleton County turned those into fast break opportunities.
And then the car seemed to run out of gas as the third quarter ended and the fourth quarter began. Pocahontas County took the game to the young and weary Wildcats. Right to the end, the Warriors maintained the same intensity with even their coach continuing to yell to distract Pendleton County free throw shooters with the game out of reach.
Pocahontas County muscled their way back into the lead, their higher levels of age and experience taking over. The final Wildcat score came from Shayne Clutter who was fouled as she drove toward the basket. She made a free throw for her team’s 47th point.
Although the Wildcats fought to the end, the Warriors won the game 63-47.
Miller led with 19 points, with Parker coming in at 12, Tia Heavner eight, Katie Heavner four, Tingler three, and Clutter one.
In the absence of Vincell, her teammates showed up strong on the boards. Miller grabbed 15 rebounds playing a hybrid point guard and forward position. Katie Heavner gathered 10 while starting at center. Lauren Williams in limited action fought hard inside and took three of her own, while Parker and Tia Heavner got five a piece.
Even as they played without one of their key starters and lost, each player found a way to do more individually to create a stronger impact together. Quite often that learning situation pays major dividends down the road.
The Wildcats are scheduled to play at Moorefield today beginning at 6 p.m.
