By: Adam Freeman
The Tucker County Lady Mt. Lions saw their postseason run come to a painful end Wednesday after a hard-fought battle with the Ritchie County Rebels in the opening round of the state basketball tournament.
Tucker County, the tournament’s No. 4 seed, led for most of the contest but could not hold off a late surge from No. 5 Ritchie County, falling 38–34 in a tightly contested matchup in Charleston.
The Lady Mt. Lions controlled the game early, jumping out to a 14–7 lead at the end of the first quarter behind strong outside shooting from Addi Moats and Izzy Kitzmiller. Tucker continued to build momentum in the second quarter, stretching the advantage to 20–13 at halftime.
Tucker County’s largest lead came in the third quarter when the Lady Mt. Lions pushed the margin to 29–16. A layup from Makenna Evans and a three-pointer from Kitzmiller helped keep Tucker in front, and the Lady Mt. Lions carried a 31–21 lead into the final period.
Ritchie County, however, mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter. The Rebels opened the final frame with a 10-0 run, fueled by three-point shots from Law and Jeffrey along with a layup from Cox to tie the game at 31 with just under four minutes remaining.
Tucker briefly regained the lead when Peyton Cross converted a layup with 1:59 left to make it 34–31. But the Rebels answered again with another three-pointer by Law and a late layup from Cox to move ahead in the final minute.
Ritchie County sealed the game at the free-throw line with two shots from Smith with two seconds remaining, securing the 38–34 victory.
Addi Moats led Tucker County with 12 points, including two three-pointers. Izzy Kitzmiller added 9 points, all from beyond the arc, while Peyton Cross finished with 6 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Makenna Evans contributed 5 points, five rebounds, and four steals, and Mayah Gross added 2 points while pulling down eight rebounds.
The game was also marked by a disparity in fouls, with Tucker County whistled for 16 fouls compared to just eight for Ritchie County.
Despite the loss, the Lady Mt. Lions showed resilience throughout the game, leading through the first three quarters and building a double-digit advantage before the Rebels’ late rally.
Tucker County finishes its tournament appearance in the first round, just one possession short, in a game that remained in doubt until the final seconds.
Tucker will also say goodbye to a senior class that helped lead the program to the state tournament stage. The Lady Mt. Lions will miss the leadership and dedication of seniors Makenna Evans, Addi Moats, and Mayah Gross. Evans consistently demonstrated the heart and hustle that defined the team throughout the season, while Moats and Gross provided key contributions and experience that helped guide Tucker County during its successful run.
Though the season ended in a narrow defeat on the state’s biggest stage, the Lady Mt. Lions leave Charleston with a season to be proud of and a foundation for the future.
