SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – We are less than a month away from the beginning of sectional play, which means teams will begin to separate themselves in their respective conferences.
Numerous late-season games could shake up specific scenarios in conferences before playing in the championship games.
The Mountain State Athletic Conference (MSAC) girl’s field is, among many leagues, a tight race. Any of the ten league teams could make a run for the MSAC Night of Champions at the South Charleston Community and Rec Center on February 18th.
The MSAC has seen many girl teams have spectacular seasons, including St. Albans, Cabell Midland, and Spring Valley.
One team that is still in the hunt is the South Charleston Lady Black Eagles. South Charleston enters the remainder of the week, winning eight of its first 15 games, including its last two.
“Our defense has been working well for us so far,” said the Lady Black Eagles head coach Karley Walker. “It has kept us in games. We have not had a game where we have not been competitive, and that is because of our defense. We play aggressively and intensely on that end of the floor. I think that has helped propel us throughout the season.”
South Charleston started its season 3-1, with its only loss coming against Cabell Midland, 58-56. However, the script flipped as the Lady Black Eagles dropped their next three games.
Since the short drought, South Charleston has racked up wins in five of its last eight. Walker was a guest on the Monday edition of the Kanawha Valley Sports Report.
“It is going to take all five all the time, which has been our saying this season,” Walker noted. “We have to have all five locked in throughout the game. We have spurts of greatness, and then we have spurts where we make a few mental errors then it hurts us down the line because we cannot get over the hump. Patience will be key. We like to go fast pace all the time, but we give teams too many possessions during the game.”
South Charleston’s season has not been an easy path. However, Walker continues seeing growth from her squad heading into the second half of the 2022-23 season.
“We have had some ups and down, but where I am seeing the most improvement right now is them bonding together as a team,” Walker said. “In the last couple of games, we have gone through adversity, and we had to have team discussions. However, I have seen them come together. We had a great team win against Riverside the other night. Everybody was involved. We played eight to nine players, and even the players not getting enough playing time were locked in and engaged. I am excited to see how we finish these last few games.”
Despite the optimism, Walker still sees room for improvement.
“We have got to get better at rebounding,” Walker noted. “We are giving up too many opportunities. It is a team sport, so you need all five girls boxing out to ensure we end that possession to get it on the offensive end. Offensively, we have to continue getting into the sets and running the offense, including running up and down the floor, which we can do. If we can get that defensive execution and do what we need to do to put the ball in the hoop, then we will be fine.”
There are five seniors listed on South Charleston’s roster. Walker knows that her time with this senior class is limited, but she knows those young ladies will forever leave a mark on the program.
“They are big players for us. I have many great kids in that group, including some I have coached since they were in third or fourth grade,” Walker mentioned. “There are a few that I am coaching for the first time. They are ready to work every day because they know it is their last shot. They are trying to help me in building the program. They will be a big loss next year. They are doing the little things like showing up at middle school games, helping me with middle school night, and encouraging girls to come out and play.”
South Charleston will split its time on the road and at home in the final six games. The Lady Black Eagles will head to Wood County Thursday evening and take on the Parkersburg Big Reds.