Kyle Lovern

Sports Editor

CHARLESTON - It was one of their most physical games of the season, but Tug Valley survived and advanced in the semi-finals with a 54-41 victory over Tucker County.

The win on semi-final Friday put the Panthers in their second straight state championship game in the 100th annual W.Va. State High School Basketball Tournament.

Tug Valley won the Class AA title last March, but this time they will be in the Class A championship game.

Junior forward Thomas Baisden scored 18 points and pulled down six rebounds to lead Tug Valley. Senior Mikey Newsome scored 16 points and top-seeded Tug Valley pulled away in the final quarter. Senior Aaron Muncy had eight points, but also had five steals and got the Panthers started early. Austin Brewer, the senior point guard, had six points, but dished out five assists and had six rebounds.

Tug Valley improved to 24-3 and will go up against No. 3 seed Charleston Catholic for the title on Saturday. Tug Valley beat the Irish earlier this season, 61-38.

Tug Valley defeated Bluefield in last year’s Class AA title game and dropped to Class A this season.

Fourth-seeded Tucker County (21-4) was hoping to advance to the championship game for the first time since 2004, when it lost to Wheeling Central.

Tug Valley never trailed and broke open a close game with a 12-4 run in the third quarter. In that run Newsome fired in a 3-pointer, then got a steal and a lay-up. Muncy also stole an inbounds pass and scored on a layup that seemed to shift the momentum for the Panthers.

Ian Nichols had 26 points and 14 rebounds for Tucker County.

Score by quarters:

Tucker County 7 13 10 11 - 41

Tug Valley 16 7 14 17 - 54

TUCKER COUNTY (21-4)

Snyder 3-9 3-8 9, A.Zirk 0-5 0-0 0, Lewis 1-4 0-0 2, Goldstein 0-1 0-0 0, Nichols 9-14 8-11 26, Armstrong 0-0 0-0 0, Rader 0-1 0-0 0, Shoemaker 0-1 0-0 0, D.Zirk 0-0 0-0 0, Evans 0-0 0-0 0, Dillard 0-0 0-0 0, Mason 0-0 2-2 2, Kidwell 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 14-37 13-21 41.

TUG VALLEY (24-3)

Muncy 3-9 2-4 8, Newsome 6-13 2-3 16, Brewer 2-10 2-2 6, T.Baisden 7-11 4-8 18, Dillon 1-2 0-0 2, Sturgell 1-2 0-0 2, A.Baisden 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 20-47 12-19 54.

3-Point Goals-Tucker County 0-9 (Rader 0-1, Lewis 0-2, A.Zirk 0-3, Snyder 0-3), Tug Valley 2-11 (Newsome 2-8, Brewer 0-1, Muncy 0-2). Fouled Out-none. Rebounds-Tucker County 31 (Nichols 14), Tug Valley 26 (Brewer, T.Baisden 6). Assists-Tucker County 8 ((Snyder 6), Tug Valley 11 (Brewer 4) Total Fouls-Tucker County 16, Tug Valley 18. Attendance - 7,181 (early session).