By Bill Nestor
This past week was a wash, well, more like a whiteout, in North Central West Virginia as far as high school sports are concerned. Heavy snowfall from the prior weekend put the shutdown on school and everyone knows the rule – no school equals no play.
However, there was an avenue for fans to catch some action as the Mountain East Conference was open for business. The MEC is home for some excellent basketball teams that happen to display former local talented players. This past Saturday, West Virginia Wesleyan played host to Glenville State in a key women’s matchup.
Heading into the affair, the Bobcats sat atop the conference standings while the Pioneers were just one game back. Prior to the start of this battle, I took a gander around the Rockefeller Center and realized a large portion of the crowd in attendance was from Shinnston and Clarksburg. A pair of Harrison County standouts are on the Glenville State roster. Last year, Lincoln’s Ashlyn Riley and Robert C. Byrd’s Martina Howe were busy burning up the nets on the high school level, and now they are teammates on the next level.
Unfortunately, Howe has battled injury throughout her time in Glenville and is looking at a medical redshirt, but her family was still in Buckhannon supporting Martina and the Pioneers.
Riley led the Mountain State in scoring (25.5 points per game) her senior season in Cougar Country and has made the adjustment seemingly effortlessly to the college game. Riley is third on the team in minutes played per game, averaging just under 20 per contest.
That is an impressive number, considering the Pioneers are one of the deepest squads in the conference. They currently have 10 players that play 12 minutes or more per game. Riley is second in rebounding (4.1), made three-pointers (22), tied for first in steals (26) and leads all Glenville State players in blocked shots with 11 on the campaign.
Another former Harrison County standout that led the state in scoring is Brett Vincent. Vincent is the current Head Coach of Wesleyan’s women’s team. One of his top players is Sydney Baird. Baird is a sophomore from Webster Springs and has impressive numbers, not only among conference foes, but on the national level as well. Baird is seventh in Division II basketball in minutes per game and tied for seventh in the country in free throw percentage.
The Pioneers won this epic showdown leaving both teams, along with Fairmont State, with two losses and in a battle for top spot in the conference. Frostburg State, Wheeling, and Concord are all a step behind with three setbacks. It is shaping up to be one of the most talented finishes in recent years with the competition level at an all time high. It’s great to see several local products making a difference and when you throw in Bridgeport’s Gabby Reep at Fairmont State, it’s safe to say that our area is well-represented in the MEC!
That will do for now! Until next week . . . take care and God Bless!