Local Sports

            It was an instant classic, the Region III game between the Bluefield Beavers and Wyoming East Warriors. Before a jammed-packed crowd the Beavers’ Craig Ponder dropped in 56 points, but it was a floater in the lane with five seconds left by Chase Morgan that gave Wyoming East an 83-81 victory.

            Bluefield battled back from 15 and 13 point deficits to take the lead on the shoulders of Ponder. Morgan was key for East as he scored 32 points in the contest.

            With the win Wyoming East, now 20-2 on the season, advances to the state tournament next week in Charleston. Bluefield finished the season with a 16-8 record.

            In the other Region III contest Oak Hill won a spot in the state tournament with a 59-49 win over the PikeView Panthers. It will be the fourth consecutive state tournament appearance for the Red Devils who are now 18-4. PikeView concludes the season with a 16-5 mark.

 

 

 

            Da’Sean Butler nailed a three from the top of the key at the buzzer to lift the West Virginia Mountaineers to a 54-51 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. West Virginia will play Notre Dame tonight in the semifinals. Hear the action beginning with The Mountaineers Today, this evening at 9 o’clock on J104.5.

            Turning to the Conference USA Tournament it is one and done for the Marshall Thundering Herd. Marshall, the fourth seed fell 80-64 to Tulsa in the conference quarterfinals.

            Marshall 23-9 awaits Selection Sunday to see where they will next play. It is expected the Herd will be extended a bid to the National Invitational Tournament.