PARIS — Elkins girls basketball coach Monica Wells heaved a sigh of relief before accepting hugs from her players Friday afternoon.
It was that kind of nerve-wracking game for the Lady Elks, who defeated Mansfield 58-55 in the Class 3A Region 1 Tournament. Mansfield rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit to pull ahead in the fourth quarter before Elkins regained the lead.
Skylar Johnson scored 23 points, including two free throws with 20 seconds left to break a 55-55 tie. Andrea Wilson added 12 points for Elkins, which made 13 of 16 free throws in the second half.
The close victory enabled Elkins to continue its turnaround from last season, when the Lady Elkins won only one conference game. It also prevented Elkins from ending the season with consecutive losses after the conference champs lost a first-round game in the district tournament to Cedarville.
Elkins will play Greenland in a semifinal game at 2:30 p.m. today before advancing to the state tournament for the first time since 2008.
“We hadn’t played since last Wednesday when we lost, but that was our own fault,” Wells said. “It certainly showed out there because we were rusty, and Mansfield is the kind of team you just can’t put away.”
Elkins (16-11) looked like it would have an easy time with Mansfield (18-12) after taking a 28-20 lead at halftime, but the Lady Tigers refused to fold. Kaylie Pyles scored 17 points for Mansfield, which made five of its six 3-pointers in the second half.
Erica McKay tied the score at 55-55 on a 3-pointer with 38 seconds remaining. The Lady Tigers then committed a turnover with 12.5 seconds left after Johnson put Elkins ahead for good.
“We did the best job we could on (Johnson), but she had a great game,” Mansfield coach Brent Reeves said.
Johnson, a 5-foot-10 junior, was particularly effective around the basket while piling up 23 points. She gave Elkins a boost with consecutive 3-point plays to end the first half.
Johnson made a bank shot and free throw before getting a rebound and competing another three-point play to put Elkins ahead 28-20 at halftime. Wilson added some offensive punch with 12 points, including a free throw with 2.5 seconds left to give Elkins a 58-55 cushion.
Mansfield then committed a turnover before attempting a tying 3-pointer.
“These kids have worked so hard and I’m proud of them,” Wells said. “They deserve this. It wasn’t by luck, it wasn’t by fluke.”
ELKINS 58, MANSFIELD 55
Elkins 8 20 18 12 — 58
Mansfield 7 13 26 9 — 55
ELKINS (16-11): Johnson 23, Wilson 12, Welch 8, Hendrix 5, Krodell 4, Skaggs 4, Stahman 2.
MANSFIELD (18-12): Pyles 17, Farrish 13, Lee 11, McKay 7, E. Reano 5 Roberts 2.
BOYS
MANSFIELD 70, ELKINS 56
Mansfield got some revenge from Elkins after the Lady Elks defeated the Lady Tigers.
Carl Jones scored 20 points for Mansfield, which jumped to a 34-14 lead at halftime. Jesse Cotner followed with 18 points, and Brad Barnard had 13.
Dillon Gash finished with 23 points for Elkins. Brenton White added 10.
CHARLESTON 68, GREEN FOREST 26
Charleston held Green Forest without a field goal in the second quarter to post an easy win over the Tigers.
Green Forest made only two free throws in the second quarter and trailed 22-10 at halftime. Clayton Watson finished with nine points to lead Green Forest.
Andrew Smith had 22 points to lead Charleston.