CHARLESTON — It’s a game tape Parkersburg Catholic coach Joe Barrett will likely tuck away somewhere on a back shelf.

When he’s asked the score in coming years, he may very well mutter something like, “We won. Never mind the score.”

Garrett’s No. 2-seeded Crusaders (20-3) survived a stiff challenge from the upstart Fayetteville Pirates (11-8) by a record-setting 25-20 count Thursday in a Class A basketball quarterfinal contest at the Charleston Civic Center Coliseum.

“I apologize for the ugly game,” were Garrett’s first words in Parkersburg Catholic’s post-game press conference. “It’s about moving on.

“We’re happy with the win.”

Meanwhile, Fayetteville coach Larry Spangler was effusive with his praise for his team, which entered the game as a heavy underdog but was never behind by more than five points and, in fact, trailed 22-20 midway through the final quarter.

“I thought our kids played extremely hard,” said Spangler, whose team is known for its deliberate attack. “Parkersburg Catholic had beaten some really good teams ... and averaged quite a few points (62.6 per game), so to hold them to 25 points (was outstanding).

“I couldn’t be more proud of a group of kids. Not one second did they slack.”

The combined 45 points between the two squads easily eclipsed the former Class A standard of 79 points (Piedmont and Union in 1969), at least since the state’s schools were divided into three classifications in 1959. The game also broke standards for the fewest points by a winning team (41, Piedmont) and fewest by a losing squad (31, Moorefield and Valley-Wetzel).

Both teams shot miserably, with the Crusaders connecting on 25.7 percent (9-for-35) and Fayetteville 21.6 percent (8-of-37).

Neither unit put more than eight points on the scoreboard in any one quarter, and the only double-digit scorer was the Crusaders’ Cole Cwynar, with 11.

The Pirates played the last 3:56 of the game without senior standout Nich Carte, who fell hard to the Civic Center floor after a collision involving several players. After a lengthy period during which he was administered to by medical staff, Carte — who had a team-high nine points when he was hurt — was transported to a local hospital. According to a family member, he was released later Thursday with a severe concussion.

While Spangler was pleased with his team’s defensive effort, the Pirates’ MichaelAngelo Hernandez said the opponent was solid defensively, as well.

“Parkersburg Catholic was in your face ... as soon as you touched the ball, they were there,” he said. “We just didn’t shoot good because they put so much pressure on us.”

Led by Cwynar’s five points, Catholic jumped out to an 8-3 lead just over two minutes into the game. Fayetteville, however, knotted it at 8-all on a Brandon Doyle layup off a Hernandez assist and a Carte three-pointer from the left wing, the latter coming at the 1:29 mark.

Fayetteville claimed its first and only lead, 11-9, when Carte took a feed from Drew Weis and converted a left-handed scoop shot and a free throw for a conventional three-point play with 4:32 left until halftime. The Crusaders tied it at 11-11 when Nick Fisher scored off a lob pass from teammate John Padden, and they led 16-15 at the break.

Fayetteville crept to within two, 20-18, on a Carte trey with 4:18 to go in the third, then the Crusaders actually got their winning goal on a runner from Jason Williams at the 2:14 mark of the same period, making it 22-18.

Fayetteville missed several chances to cut into the lead in the remainder of the third stanza and into the fourth. By the time Corey Goodman scored on a bank shot in the lane to trim the deficit to 22-20 with 4:30 remaining, the Pirates had gone 7:48 without scoring.

“Without Nich in there, it was a lot tougher for us (offensively),” said Spangler. “We got what we wanted at the end, we just didn’t capitalize.”

Following Goodman’s goal, the Crusaders got a dunk from Fisher and a charity toss from Jake Hensler to go up 25-20 and hold the Pirates at bay.

Parkersburg Catholic plays Tucker County at 11:15 a.m. today in one Class A semifinal.

— E-mail: skeenan@register-herald.com



PARKERSBURG CATHOLIC 25, FAYETTEVILLE 20

FAYETTEVILLE (11-7)

Goodman 1-10 0-0 2, Hernandez 2-8 0-0 4, Doyle 1-2 0-1 2, Young 1-1 0-0 3, Carte 3-15 1-1 9, Mathis 0-0 0-0 0, Tabit 0-0 0-0 0, Hill 0-0 0-0 0, Briscoe 0-0 0-0 0, Braskey 0-0 0-0 0, Weis 0-1 0-2 0, Dorsey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 8-37 1-4 20.

PARKERSBURG CATHOLIC (20-3)

Padden 2-7 0-0 5, Cwynar 4-13 2-2 11, Q.Collie 0-2 0-0 0, Reifsteck 0-2 1-2 1, Fisher 2-6 0-0 4, Hensler 0-0 1-4 1, Garvin 0-0 0-0 0, Williams 1-4 1-2 3, D.Collie 0-1 0-0 0, Allowatt 0-0 0-0 0, Rafferty 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 9-35 5-10 25.

F    8    7    3    2    —    20

PC    8    8    6    3    —    25

3-Point Goals—Fayetteville 3-12 (Carte 2-7, Young 1-1, Goodman 0-2, Hernandez 0-2), Parkersburg Catholic 2-8 (Padden 1-3, Cwynar 1-5). Fouled out—Young. Rebounds—Fayetteville 25 (Goodman 5), Parkersburg Catholic 34 (Fisher 8). Assists—Fayetteville 5 (Hernandez 4), Parkersburg Catholic 6 (Pazdden 3). Total fouls—Fayetteville 13, Parkersburg Catholic 12. A—5,819 (early session).