LOGAN – The Scott Skyhawks split two games in the Class AA Region Four, Section Two Tournament last week at the Logan Fieldhouse.

Scott defeated Tolsia in a sectional semifinal but dropped the sectional championship game to Tug Valley.

Under the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission's first-year postseason format, Region Four, Section Two runner-up Scott will face the Region Four, Section One champion Sissonville for the right to advance to next week’s state tournament.

The Skyhawks will face the Indians tonight at 7:30 p.m. at George Washington High School.

Sissonville defeated Poca 43-42 for the Region Four, Section Two title. Poca will play at Tug Valley with another state tournament berth at stake.

Scott 55, Tolsia 34

Overcoming a sluggish start, the Skyhawks parlayed persistent defense with deliberate offense to thump the Rebels last Tuesday night.

After seven minutes of first-quarter action, Scott trailed Tolsia 6-1 and had misfired repeatedly from the floor. But tenacious defense and scrappy rebounding kept the Skyhawks within striking distance until they found the range offensively.

Junior center Tyler Thompson typified Scott’s early effort, battling to claim two offensive rebounds and capturing a loose ball on the floor.

Senior guard Steven McComas eventually knocked the lid off of the Skyhawks’ basket, nicking the nylon with a three-pointer with 25 seconds remaining in the opening stanza. McComas added a free throw in the final seconds of the period, slicing the deficit to one point at 6-5 and helping the Skyhawks survive a dreadful start.

McComas and senior swingman Carl Shaffer each tossed in six second-quarter points to fuel a 16-5 run. A short jumper by McComas nudged the Skyhawks into their first lead at 7-6 during the first 30 seconds of the second stanza.

Shaffer’s slashing move and short jumper with 4:20 remaining in the period triggered a 13-0 spurt that enabled Scott to erase a 9-8 deficit and bolt to a 21-9 lead.

Thompson’s in-the-paint hoop and Shaffer’s three-pointer highlighted the key spurt. Junior forward Tyler Ramsey capped the run with a steal and drive to the hoop.

A long two-pointer from sophomore Derrick Robertson halted Scott’s run, but the Skyhawks flew into intermission with a 21-11 halftime advantage.

Robertson opened the third quarter with a two-pointer to slice the deficit to eight points, but Scott senior Shayne Butcher promptly netted a three-pointer to bump the lead back to double digits at 24-13 for good.

Inside hoops by Ramsey and junior center Chase Woodruff helped the Skyhawks maintain that advantage. A three-pointer by McComas late in the stanza enabled Scott to take a 15-point upper hand at 33-18 into the final frame of action.

The Skyhawks clinched the win with an 11-0 spurt early in the fourth period. Shaffer tallied seven points (a pair of free throws, a three-pointer and an in-the-paint hoop) during the run, while Ramsey and Butcher each contributed an inside hoop.

That 11-0 run stretched the lead to 46-23, setting the stage for Scott’s final margin of victory.

McComas netted 17 points and dished eight assists to pace the Skyhawks. Shaffer contributed 13 points and a team-high five rebounds. McComas and Shaffer each tallied two three-pointers.

Butcher added nine points, all in the second half, and three rebounds. Ramsey added seven points and four rebounds.

Junior forward Andrew Lockard scored four points. Woodruff and Thompson added two points apiece. Freshman guard Jesse Belcher tossed in one point.

Scott netted 16 two-point hoops, five three-pointers and 8-of-14 charity shots. Tolsia hit 12 two-pointers, two three-pointers and 4-of-6 free throws.

Robertson topped Tolsia with 10 points.

The Skyhawks committed just five turnovers, nine fewer than the Rebels.

Tug Valley 54, Scott 44

The Skyhawks held a five-point lead at 30-25 midway through the third quarter, but Tug Valley outscored Scott 29-12 the rest of the way to win the sectional title.

Junior guard Channing Preece buried a trio of three-pointers to pace the Panthers' decisive spurt while junior forwards Nathan Brewer and Michael Evans contributed solid play in the paint.

Tug Valley (15-9) netted 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch.

Scott (12-12) led by three points at 8-5 and 10-7 during the opening period as Thompson (inside hoop) and McComas (a pair of free throws and a short jumper) powered the Skyhawks' solid start.

Tug Valley pulled even at 12-12 with an in-the-paint hoop by Evans, but Shaffer’s baseline jumper bumped the Skyhawks into a 14-12 lead just ahead of the first-quarter buzzer.

The Panthers scratched out a 9-2 run early in the second stanza as Preece swished a three-pointer and Evans tallied on a drive to the hoop. Trailing 21-16, the Skyhawks battled back with a 7-2 spurt as Shaffer tossed in a three-pointer, Thompson netted an in-the-paint bucket and McComas drained a long two-pointer just ahead of the second-period buzzer to force a 23-23 halftime stalemate.

Scott opened up a 30-25 advantage early in the third quarter as Shaffer netted a three-pointer and a layup and Thompson tallied on a drive to the bucket.

The Panthers rallied with a key 11-3 run as Preece hit a trey, Brewer tallied two points and Evans tipped in a missed shot. Preece’s drive down the lane for two points sent Tug Valley into the final quarter with a 36-33 lead.

A drive to the hoop by junior guard Shawn Ballard and an offensive rebound and hoop by Butcher kept the Skyhawks close early in the fourth quarter. But Preece netted two more three-pointers, and Brewer and Evans limited the Skyhawks to one shot with strong defensive rebounding, helping Tug Valley take a 47-38 upper hand.

Sophomore guard Austin Vance then tossed in 5-of-6 free throws during the final two minutes to help the Panthers clinch the win.

Preece powered the Panthers with a game-high 20 points. Vance added 13 points.

Shaffer (14) and McComas (10) combined for 24 points to pace the Skyhawks' scoring. Thompson netted eight points and snared eight rebounds. Butcher tossed in four points.

The Panthers connected on 13 two-pointers, five three-pointers and 13-of-16 free throws. Scott hit on 15 two-pointers, a trio of three-pointers and 5-of-10 free throws.

Scott committed six turnovers, three fewer than Tug Valley.