MetroNews Staff, Author at WV MetroNews

Charleston man charged in East End shooting

MetroNews Staff — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:22:52 +0000

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A man is charged with malicious wounding following a shooting that took place Sunday evening in Charleston.

Charleston police allege Julian Groom, 33, of Charleston shot a person on Veazey Street at just before 6 p.m.

The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.

A criminal complaint said surveillence video shows Groom throwing a gun into the Kanawha River.

Groom was arraigned and bond set at $50,000.

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MetroNews This Morning 3-9-26

MetroNews Staff — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:11:49 +0000

Today on MetroNews This Morning:

–The Mountaineer women’s basketball team knocks off TCU to win the Big XII Championship
–The Legislature enters the home stretch with the session ending Saturday night
–Another docu-series on Hulu examines the murder of Skyler Neese
–Also in Sports, the Mountaineer men prepare for the Big XII tourney

Listen to “MetroNews This Morning 3-9-26” on Spreaker.

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Georgia Southern moves past Marshall 82-78 for fifth win in 5 days

MetroNews Staff — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:58:01 +0000

— By David Walsh

Georgia Southern continued its incredible postseason run Sunday night by outscoring Marshall 6-1 over the final minute to escape an 82-78 victory in the second Sun Belt Conference semifinal game at the Pensacola Bay Center.

The Eagles (21-15) made it five wins in five days to reach Monday night’s title game against No. 1 seed Troy. The Trojans eliminated Southern Miss in the first semifinal, 78-70. The winner gets the league’s automatic to the NCAA Tournament.

Marshall, the No. 2 seed by virtue of winning a six-way tiebreaker, hadn’t played in more than a week. The Thundering Herd finish 19-13.

“We had a chance to play for the league championship and came up short,” Herd assistant coach Steve Snell said on postgame radio. “They made the plays down the stretch that we didn’t. We fought hard and came out on the short end.”

Georgia Southern swept the Herd in the regular season and had 200 points and 28 three-pointers in the two games. The bombing slacked off a bit as the Eagles had just two threes in the second half and went 7 of 26 for the night.

Georgia Southern turned to Spudd Webb to secure the win. He poured in 31 points, went 8 of 14 from the field and proved clutch at the foul line with a 13 of 14 effort. Down the stretch, Webb willed his way to the basket multiple times and it paid off in the form of free throws.

Andres Burney scored 12 points and Tyren Moore and Alden Applewhite 11 each in the win.

Marshall battled adversity before and during the game. Normal starting guard Noah Otshudi, with a 14-point average, did not suit up as he battles an illness. Big man Erich Harding played just 5 minutes in the first half. And the Herd had three players with three fouls each in the first half.

Shamarrie Hugie led Marshall with a career-high 19 points and eight rebounds. Wyatt Fricks, playing in his final game, totaled 18 points. Jalen Speer scored 15, Caleb Hollenbeck 11 and Landen Joseph 10. Hollenbeck got all his points in the second half and made three three-pointers.

“In the second half, Erich was a little banged up and we had to go small,” Snell said. “They took advantage of it. We came up one play short tonight. Winner-take-all and we didn’t make that one play. We did have some guys step up.”

Marshall struggled to find an answer for Webb.

“He’s such a good player,” Snell said. “He’s a foul magnet. He gets fouled a lot and makes them. We have to learn not to foul as much.”

The Herd trailed by nine early in the second half and Hollenbeck came on to hit three baskets, two of them threes, to cut the lead to 46-45. Joseph’s three-pointer with 15:19 left capped a 15-2 run and gave Marshall the lead, 50-48. The teams went back and forth from that point.

Over the final 6 minutes, there were five times, while Hollenbeck’s three left Marshall with a 77-76 lead with 1:24 remaining.

Webb’s two free throw with 56 seconds to go put the Eagles ahead to stay 78-77. After a Herd turnover, Webb got fouled with 28 seconds left and made both for a three-point advantage. The Eagles had one foul to take, then fouled Fricks with 16 seconds on the clock and he made one of two to make it 80-78.

The Herd had to foul and sent Moore to the line with 10 seconds left and he made both to make it 82-78.

In the first half, one of the three fouls on Speer was a technical just 1:30 before halftime.

Georgia Southern’s biggest lead was 13 at 25-12 with 8:54 left on a triple from Khayri Dunn. A three by Wilson Dubinsky at 5:37 got the Herd within two at 27-25. The Eagles then ruled the final five minutes to lead by seven (42-35) at the break.

Georgia Southern defeated Marshall three times in as many matchups from February 14 on. The Eagles have scored at least 80 points in all five Sun Belt Tournament wins.

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Marshall meets Georgia Southern in Sun Belt semifinal

MetroNews Staff — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 19:30:48 +0000

— By Bill Cornwell

An extended break ahead of Sun Belt Conference Tournament play ends Sunday for Marshall.

The Thundering Herd wrapped up the 2025-26 regular season February 27 with a 99-82 home loss to Georgia Southern.

Despite the result, a six-way tie for second place in the Sun Belt worked out quite favorably for Marshall, which is the No. 2 seed with an automatic bye into a semifinal.

The Herd will get another crack at the Eagles at 8:30 p.m. Sunday with a spot in the Sun Belt title game at stake.

With nine days between contests, Marshall had a chance to rest and work on fine-tuning its performance before it takes the court at Pensacola Bay Center for its third matchup this season with Georgia Southern.

The Eagles (20-15) have won four games over the last four days, defeating Old Dominion, Arkansas State, South Alabama and Coastal Carolina to reach this point. Combined with its February win in Huntington, the Eagles have been victorious in five straight.

Georgia Southern also defeated Marshall at home this season, 101-87, with the Eagles having amassed 200 points over two games against the Herd.

“Huge opportunity for us,” Herd head coach Cornelius Jackson said. “We were fortunate to get the number 2 seed, so we have a few days off to get ourselves right after the loss to Georgia Southern. It’s a two-game season for us — one possession and one game at a time.”

Jackson hasn’t noticed discouragement from his squad after losing two of its last three regular season games.

He’s more concerned about Marshall controlling the narrative in Pensacola — regardless of opponent.

“We controlled our own destiny,” Jackson said. “We still do. We gave the guys a couple of days off to regroup mentally since we don’t play until Sunday. I thought we had a good practice on Monday.

“We are upbeat and we’re locked in on winning on Sunday.”

Top seed Troy takes on Southern Miss in the first semifinal at 6 p.m. Sunday.

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New Mountaineer mascot ready to cheer long and hard for the Old Gold and Blue

MetroNews Staff — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:24:41 +0000

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The new Mountaineer mascot, the 72nd in WVU history, says he’s been preparing for this opportunity for a long time.

Reese Allen, a Harrison County native, will serve as the 2026-27 Mountaineer mascot.

Reese Allen (WVU Photo)

“It is my honor to have been part of so many cheers and so much Mountaineer spirit so far, but I’ve got a year more of it to really look forward to,” Allen said.

He’s a senior with a dual mechanical engineering and data science major, a 2022 Bucklew Scholar, Eberly Scholar, Honors College member, Presidential Student Ambassador, and the founding president of the Microgravity Research Club in the Statler College, where he leads STEM outreach activities for K-12 students.

Allen said he began growing a beard his freshman year in hopes of one day becoming the Mountaineer.

“I realized that years ago, from the story of me growing a beard at the oil and gas internship, I was just thinking about being a Mountaineer,” Allen said. “I realized that back then I wasn’t ready, but some time between then and now, I became ready, and now I am more than excited to go out and represent WVU and the state.”

Allen credits Rachel Morgan, who is winding down her time as alternate Mountaineer, for helping guide him through the many roles and responsibilities that come with being the Mountaineer.

In addition to Morgan’s mentorship, Allen has been greatly inspired by former Mountaineer mascots, especially Jonathan Kimble, the 62nd official WVU Mountaineer mascot.

“He had an unreal energy,” Allen stated. “That kind of vibrance that he was bringing at full spirit is something I really admire. I would love to bring his passion for this position, and help to really connect between me, the people, the university, and the state.”

Following his undergraduate studies, Allen plans to attend grad school and continue to further his education.

“Part of the reason that I’ve wanted to be the Mountaineer mascot is to really work on perspective and learn about my place in the world,” Allen concluded. “I think the best way to do it is to go meet people throughout the world. I want to, hopefully, visit every county, create stories, and meet people from all over the state and the country, and really help myself to understand where I fit into the world and where I can help give back.”

Allen will be presented the rifle and the responsibilities by Cade Kincaid, the 71st Mountaineer mascot, during the formal “Passing of the Rifle” ceremony on April 17 at 6 p.m. The ceremony will take place in the Mountainlair, Gluck Theatre. Prior to the ceremony, a reception, which is open to the public, will be held in the Mountainlair, Vandalia Lounge at 5 p.m.

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3 Guys Before The Game – WVU Basketball- UCF Recap & B12 Preview (Episode 703)

MetroNews Staff — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:02:26 +0000

The bracket is set. It’s tournament time.

The West Virginia men’s basketball team enters the Big 12 Tournament as the No. 7 seed, earning a coveted first-round bye after closing the regular season with a win over UCF and getting a help from TCU’s victory over Cincinnati.

For a team projected to finish 11th in the preseason, the Mountaineers have positioned themselves for a meaningful week in Kansas City. Their tournament run begins Wednesday against the winner of Tuesday’s matchup between Kansas State and BYU.

In this episode, the “Guys” recap the regular-season finale against the Knights and examine what lies ahead in the conference tournament. They also preview the WVU women’s appearance in the Big 12 Championship game against TCU.

As always, Hoppy delivers his Obvious Observations, and Brad dives into the numbers with Spreads on Stats to set the statistical stage for the Mountaineers’ postseason path.

3 Guys Before The Game is sponsored by – Jan Dils Attorneys at Law, Komax Business Systems, GoMart, Lou Wendell Marine Sales, Tudor’s Biscuit World and Conley CPA Group.

Don’t forget to check out the 3 Guys website.

Never miss an episode, it’s free, subscribe below.

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2026 Big 12 Conference Tournament Men’s Basketball Schedule

MetroNews Staff — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 06:56:15 +0000

2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament Schedule

(Note: All games at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City; all times listed are EST)

BRACKET

First Round – Tuesday, March 10

Game 1: No. 12 Arizona State vs. No. 13 Baylor (ESPN+) – 12:30 p.m.

Game 2: No. 9 Cincinnati vs. No. 16 Utah (ESPN+) – 3 p.m.

Game 3: No. 10 BYU vs. No. 15 Kansas State (ESPN+) – 7 p.m.

Game 4: No. 11 Colorado vs. No. 14 Oklahoma State (ESPN+) – 9:30 p.m.

Second Round – Wednesday, March 11

Game 5: No. 5 Iowa State vs. Game 1 winner (ESPN/2) – 12:30 p.m.

Game 6: No. 8 UCF vs. Game 2 winner (ESPNU) – 3 p.m.

Game 7: No. 7 West Virginia vs. Game 3 winner (ESPNU) – 7 p.m.

Game 8: No. 6 TCU vs. Game 4 winner (ESPN2/U) – 9:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals – Thursday, March 12

Game 9: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. Game 5 winner (ESPN/2) – 12:30 p.m.

Game 10: No. 1 Arizona vs. Game 6 winner (ESPN/2) – 3 p.m.

Game 11: No. 2 Houston vs. Game 7 winner (ESPN/2) – 7 p.m.

Game 12: No. 3 Kansas vs. Game 8 winner (ESPN/2) – 9:30 p.m.

Semifinals – Friday, March 13

Game 13: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner (ESPN/2) – 7 p.m.

Game 14: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner (ESPN/2) – 9:30 p.m.

Final – Saturday, March 14

Game 15: Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner (ESPN) – 6 p.m.

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MEC Semifinals: Glenville State, Charleston women move on; West Liberty men win in double overtime to earn matchup with Falcons

MetroNews Staff — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 06:30:11 +0000

Women’s Semifinals

— By Duane Cochran, For MountainEast.org

GLENVILLE STATE 83, Fairmont State 74: Top-seeded Glenville State uncharacteristically chose not to attend its morning shootaround prior to its semifinal showdown with fifth-seeded Fairmont State Saturday in the annual Mountain East Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament at WesBanco Arena.

The decision, however, proved to be the right one. The Pioneers came out on fire connecting on seven of their first 10 shots, including their first four 3-point field goal attempts as they raced to an early 10-point lead and eventually an 83-74 victory over the Falcons.

“That’s not like us is it to not take a shootaround?” said GSU coach Emily Stoller with a smile. “This is my eighth MEC Tournament (as a player or coach) and this is the first time we’ve chosen to not take the shootaround time. It was nothing like we know we’re good enough to come in here and win and not have to shootaround. We just chose to prioritize rest and recovery over getting maybe an extra 20 minutes to shoot.

“We employ a shooter’s system. I was a shooter myself in the system and as long as I’m in this position as a coach I’m always going to preach confidence to the girls I coach. I tell them a shooter’s game is probably 90 percent confidence and 10 percent skill. I knew that as a player myself. Today, that worked out.”

The Pioneers shot 49 percent from the field for the game (28-of-57), including 52 percent from three-point range (13-of-25). Glenville was also 82.4 percent at the foul line (14-of-17) as it ran its record to 24-5 with the win and earned a second straight berth in the MEC Tournament championship game. It also avenged the Pioneers’ loss to the Falcons in the title game last season.

Glenville will face third-seeded Charleston (20-10) Sunday at 1 p.m. in the tournament championship game. The Golden Eagles eliminated seventh-seeded Frostburg State Saturday. The Pioneers and Golden Eagles split their regular-season series.

The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak in MEC Tournament games for the Falcons dating back to 2024. FSU, which won the last two league tourney titles, fell to 21-9 overall this season. Fairmont will now await word Sunday night from the NCAA on whether it did enough to qualify the annual NCAA Divison II Women’s Basketball Atlantic Regional for the third year in a row. The Falcons were ranked seventh in the region coming into the week and the three teams below them all lost. The top eight teams in the region qualify for the national tournament. Fairmont would have to earn an at-large bid.

“That’s the hardest thing about being a coach in the locker room right now,” FSU coach Stephanie Anderson said. “You don’t know how to address your team. I don’t know if I should be giving them hugs and be telling them how much I loved this season or using it as motivation for them to get back to work and get ready for a regional next week.”

After the first 20 minutes Saturday it looked as if Glenville was going to run Fairmont out of the gym. The Pioneers were hitting shots, dominating on the offensive glass and held a 16-2 advantage in second-chance points which helped lead to a 43-28 lead at the break.

“I’m proud of my kids,” Stoller said. “We took the game plan of the scout to the floor and we were able to execute it today against a high-energy team.”

CHARLESTON 79, Frostburg State 71: The University of Charleston and Glenville State have waged some epic battles in the championship game of the Mountain East Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Sunday afternoon they’ll have the opportunity for another.

Third-seeded UC jumped on seventh-seeded Frostburg State early and then held off every comeback challenge from the Bobcats as they recorded a victory in the semifinals of the annual league tourney.

“I was proud of the way we fought today,” said Charleston coach Bubby Johnson. “At times they crept back in. They had already played two games here and they’re a hard-fighting team which is well coached. I was just proud of our girls for not breaking down when that happened.”

The Golden Eagles, who never trailed in the contest, improved to 20-10 with the win and will square off with top-seeded Glenville State (24-5) Sunday at 1 p.m. for the league tourney title.

UC and Glenville have met five times in the 12-year history of the MEC Tournament Championship Game. The Pioneers have claimed three of those titles, while UC has won two. The most recent meeting between the teams for the championship was in 2023 when GSU claimed a 76-59 win. Prior to that, UC won the Mountain East titles in 2022 and 2021. In 2022 the Golden Eagles were the only team to defeat Glenville, which regrouped and won the NCAA Division II National Championship that season.

Glenville has won a record five MEC Tournament crowns, while UC has two.

Saturday Charleston wasted little time taking control of its game with the Bobcats. UC raced to a 15-2 lead midway through the opening quarter only to see Frostburg patiently and methodically work its way back into contention. In the final 1:22 of the second quarter Frostburg tied the game twice at 31 and 33 before settling for a three-point deficit at the break.

“We went into the game knowing it was not going to be a cakewalk,” said Frostburg’s Julie Spinelli, who finished with 12 points and five rebounds. “We knew we had to be ready to play and give total effort. It was unfortunate the way it started for us. We were ready to play, but we just didn’t play well at the start.”

Spinelli and teammate Jenna Muha, who finished with 20 points and a game-high eight rebounds, keyed the Bobcats’ first rally as they combined for 16 of the team’s 22 second-quarter points.

Men’s Semifinals

— By Bryan Dillon, For MountainEast.org

WEST LIBERTY 105, Glenville State 100 (2OT): Top-seeded West Liberty punched its ticket to the Mountain East Conference tournament final in a classic two-overtime victory over fifth-seeded Glenville State.

West Liberty improved to 26-4 on the year and clinched its tenth appearance in the league’s championship game. To get there, the Hilltoppers had to overcome a late nine-point deficit in regulation to force overtime. Over the final 3:32 of the second half, WLU reeled off a 13-2 run to keep its season alive, including five points in five seconds to tie the score at 77-77 with 30 seconds left on the clock.

“What a basketball game,” said West Liberty head coach Michael Lamberti. “It went back and forth and back and forth … Glenville is really good. They have two of the best guards in the league between Knott and Redfern, and they put on a show for everyone.”

The Hilltoppers showed their strength on the offensive boards and with their full court press. On the offensive glass, WLU grabbed 23 offensive rebounds, which they turned into 30 second-chance points, while also forcing 28 turnovers and converting them into 33 points off turnovers.

“It didn’t look like things were going our way as things slowed down in the second half,” Lamberti stated. “Glenville ultimately took that nine-point lead, and we talk about it all of the time, the way we play, we are not out of the game. We are going to extend the game with our pressure. “[Our] guys forced some turnovers and made big shots in a timely manner, and when we forced it into overtime, we felt very confident after the comeback.

Myles Montgomery, who was a key piece to the comeback, scored a team-high 24 points, including a three-pointer with 30 seconds left to force overtime. Montgomery was one of three players who scored over 20 points for West Liberty; he was joined by Cam Williams (21) and Jamie Muldowney (20).

Asked about the shot following the game, Montgomery said, “When the play was called in the huddle, I knew where I was going and felt that I was going to get a good look. As soon as I took the shot, it felt good coming out of my hands, and I was fortunate enough to hit it.”

Jalen Knott and Prince Mosengo paced the Pioneers in scoring, each finishing with a game-high 26 points. Knott scored all of his points in regulation, but fouled out early in the first overtime. Elijah Redfern (19) and Corey Boulden (15) joined them in double-digits.

With Glenville State in serious foul trouble and four out of five starters fouled out, West Liberty was able to pull away in the second overtime period. Cam Williams scored four of the first eight points in the period gave the Pioneers the lead for good on layup with 4:02 left to play, and added two free throws with 43 seconds left to ice the game.

Corey Boulden hit the biggest shot of the night for Glenville State when he drilled a three from the left corner as time expired to tie the game at 94 and force the second overtime period. West Liberty took control of the first overtime period with an 8-0 run capped by a driving dunk from Jamie Muldowney which gave the Hilltoppers a 91-86 lead with 58 seconds remaining. Prince Mosengo and Elijah Redfern closed the Pioneers’ deficit to two points. WLU’s Montgomery hit a free throw to take a three-point lead to set up the final play of the first overtime.

Six second-half three-point field goals helped Glenville State to a nine-point lead with just over four minutes remaining in the second half as they looked to pull the upset on the top seed. Jamie Knott hit four of his seven shots from distance in the half, including back-to-back threes with 9:48 remaining to give the Pioneers their first lead of the half. Boulden would repeat Knott’s back-to-back three to stretch the GSU lead to eight points with 4:38 remaining. The Hilltoppers showed their resiliency, putting together a 13-2 stretch. Their full-court pressure forced four turnovers during the final moments of regulation.

FAIRMONT STATE 91, Concord 74: Fairmont State clinched a berth in the championship game of the Mountain East Tournament presented by The Health Plan with a victory over Concord.

For the sixth time in program history, the Falcons will play for a league title, facing a familiar opponent, the West Liberty Hilltoppers. These two have played four times previously in the championship game, including a thrilling three-overtime contest last year won by Fairmont State

“I thought it was a really good win and I am really proud of all of these guys,” said Fairmont State head coach Tim Koenig. “I am proud of our prep and our togetherness, and I am just really proud of the players and coaches. Concord is a really good team. Inside and outside a tough team, and it was a really good win.”

Fairmont State (26-4) shot 54 percent from the field and 40 percent from behind the arc while controlling the board to earn a convincing win over Concord, which shot 41.5 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from behind the arc. It was the Falcons first half defense that helped them separate. They held the Mountain Lions to 32.4 percent shooting from the field and just 18.2 percent from long range to open up a 13-point advantage at the intermission, a lead that they would not relinquish.

“I thought Miguel [Martinez] rebounded really well and made shots,” stated Koenig. “He just spreads the court coming off the bench. Joey [Brown] and Zycheus [Dobbs] were really good in the press and really good in the half-court defensively. It was a big lift for us.”

The bench unit came up big for the Falcons as Miguel Martinez (14), Joey Brown (13), and Zycheus Dobbs combined for 38 points, giving Fairmont State a 38-17 advantage in bench points for the game. Starters Drey Carter and CJ Meredith tied for a game-high 18 points to lead the scoring effort.

Boubacara Djigo recorded his 20th double-double of the season with 16 points and 18 rebounds on the night. Four Mountain Lions joined him, scoring in double-digits. Anfernee Hanna finished with 14 points, Josiah Rickards scored 13 points, and Savior McCall and Micah Young each had 10 points.

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University’s Division I crown highlighted by memorable day for Maisel family; Ripley claims first title

MetroNews Staff — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 04:58:20 +0000

( Story by David Walsh, Photo gallery by Will Wotring)

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — University’s Nico Maisel hit a trifecta in high school wrestling Saturday night.

Maisel won an individual state title, beat the opponent from the team in hot pursuit of his and made dad quite proud in the process.

Maisel defeated Parkersburg’s Colston Skeen, 8-6, for the Division I 144-pound championship. The outcome helped the Hawks stretch out their team lead to a near insurmountable amount. And dad, coach Ken Maisel, got to celebrate the moment. Quite the contrast to 2025 when Maisel lost to Stephen Myers of Parkersburg in the finals at 132.

Maisel has a photo at home of Meyers celebrating the moment and him departing dejected. Talk about motivation.

“I got beat last year and it hurt,” Maisel said. “I’ve got eight papers in the house that read ’26 state champ. Been chasing this since I was 4.”

Coach Maisel was quite proud of his son’s accomplishment.

“It lived in his head for a year,” he said of that 2025 defeat. “It’s special for him.”

University, champion in Region 1, found itself in a battle with Parkersburg for state supremacy through the first two days in the 78th West Virginia State High School Wrestling Tournament at Mountain Health Network Arena.

The Hawks gained separation from the Big Reds in the consolation round Saturday morning. Jason Walker’s win by pin for the title at 150 locked up their third straight state crown. They finished with 246 points and Parkersburg 235. The Hawks had 11 placers overall.

“Every session, we had to have it,” coach Maisel said. “To win it with the people out of the lineup is really special. This morning was big. We got more points and we had the lead to finish.”

This is the first time since 2004 two Division I teams surpassed 200 points. That year, Parkersburg won with 224 points and Parkersburg South took second with 204.

“It shows our hard work pays off,” Maisel said. “We’ll continue to work and try to do it again next year. It feels like we’re creating a culture here. You want to be a state placer.”

As for Nico Maisel, he hung on in the final seconds to prevail and finish 44-5 as a sophomore.

“The longest 40 seconds of my life,” Maisel said. “This is what I worked for.”

University and Parkersburg each had six wrestlers in the championship round. The Hawks went 3-3. Jason Walker (150) and Maximus Fortier (175) joined Maisel as state champions. Fortier, a transfer from Fairmont Senior, has signed to wrestle at Virginia Tech.

Coach Maisel had hoped to take a break, but offseason wrestling will be important.

“It’s great for everyone,” he said. “I want to be happy, but I’m already thinking how to do this next year.”

Parkersburg, which has three seniors, went 4-2 in the finals. Winners were Aiden Linko, 103; Seth Drennen, 120; Stephen Meyers, 138; and Dominic Way, 157.

“Things didn’t go as good in the consolation round,” Parkersburg coach Matt Littleton said. “It was a hard-fought state tournament. We made the state interesting.”

Ripley had an easier time of it on the way to winning in Division II for the school’s first state wrestling title.

The Vikings had four in the finals and nine placers overall. Carter Price won at 150 and Carter Neal won by pin at heavyweight to give the Vikings 191.5 points.

Lars Cooper, a transfer from Parkersburg, got the ball rolling with a 12-10 overtime win over Jackson Swingle of Keyser at 138.

“I believe in cardio,” Cooper said regarding how he had the necessary energy for the long match. “Push the pace. Outwork him. It’s special to be on that first state winner. That’s what we wanted to accomplish.”

Ripley coach Matt Smith said the extra work put in by Viking wrestlers paid off.

“The first one’s special,” said Smith, who is in his 15th season. “When I came back we had a lot of things we had not done in the past. We worked to fix things and get where we are now.”

Ripley is in year two in Division II. The drop didn’t deter Smith.

“We compete regardless,” Smith said. “We schedule the best competition possible. We got this as a group.”

Williamstown finished second with 131.5 points.

Cameron won Division III with 130 points.

Washington won the Girls Division with 124 points. Washington’s one state champ is Oliva Kershisnik at 132.

This is the last year the girls and boys compete in the state together. Next year, the WVSSAC has sanctioned girls wrestling. That means regional and state competition a week earlier at a site TBD.

Coach and Outstanding Wrestler awards were handed out at the conclusion of action.

Girls: Outstanding Wrestler, Justice Anthony, Parkersburg South. Coach of the Year, Dustin Anthony
Division III: Outstanding Wrestler, Eli Tedrow, Cameron. Coach of the Year, Chad Burge, Cameron
Division II: Outstanding Wrestler, Lars Cooper, Ripley. Coach of the Year, Matt Smith, Ripley
Division I: Outstanding Wrestler, Jesse Adams, Parkersburg South. Coach of the Year, Ken Maisel, University

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University, Parkersburg involved in tight Division I race ahead of final day; Ripley maintains lead in Division II

MetroNews Staff — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:59:50 +0000

— By David Walsh

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Division I in the 78th West Virginia State High School Wrestling Tournament is going down to the wire.

In the two-team race, defending champion University and 2025-runner-up Parkersburg created little separation Friday in the semifinal round at Mountain Health Network Arena. That means a higher probability it’s undecided until the final match Saturday night, unlike past years when a champion had all but been determined.

Parkersburg ruled in the lower weights and opened a near 30-point lead. Then came the heavier weight classes and the Hawks ruled there, and thus moved to first with 199.5 points. The Big Reds have 193.

“Lost some we shouldn’t, others we came back,” University coach Ken Maisel said. “Kids have to do a good job tomorrow.”

University, the Region 1 winner, and Parkersburg, champ in Region 4, each have six wrestlers in Saturday’s finals.

For the Hawks, they are: Jacob Hensley, 126; Timofey Husk, 138 Nico Maisel, 144 Jason Walker, 150; Max Vitale, 157; and Maximus Fortier, 175.

“We knew it’d be close,” Maisel said. “It’ll be interesting tomorrow. I tell the guys keep it classy.”

Parkersburg’s finalists are: Aiden Linko, 106; Austin Carrodus, 113; Seth Drennen, 120; Stephen Myers, 138; Colsten Skeen, 144; and Dominic Way, 157.

“We knew coming in it would be a war,” Big Reds coach Matt Littleton said. “We had a plan. Some executed the plan, the others fell short and have to change. It’s far from over. Got six in the finals. The others have to come back strong tomorrow.”

Parkersburg has 21 state titles to its credit, but its last one was in 2008.

In Division II, Ripley took control and leads with 149.5 points. The Vikings have four wrestlers going for titles Saturday in Carter Neal, heavyweight; Lars Cooper, 138; Terry Osborne, 120; and Carter Price, 150. Cooper is a transfer from Parkersburg.

“We wrestle and have things happen you don’t expect and some surprises,” Vikings’ coach Matt Smith said. “Consistency wise, we’ve been there. Kids have worked hard. This is when you want to peak. Got a ways to go. Each guy (finalist) has a tough match. The guys in the morning have to come to wrestle.”

Herbert Hoover is second with 103.5.

Cameron leads Division 3 with 103 points.

The tournament concludes Saturday and starts with the girls state action at 8 a.m..

The boys matches begin at 10:30 a.m. Championship finals are at 6:30.

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Offense tough to muster for Marshall in 73-58 loss to South Alabama

MetroNews Staff — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:39:07 +0000

— By David Walsh

Marshall went scoreless at the wrong time.

The Thundering Herd missed its final six shots and did not score over the final 4:14 of a 73-58 loss to South Alabama in the fourth round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla.

This is the first time the Jaguars have beaten the Herd. They had been 0-4 until Friday.

“That is never how you want the season to finish,” Herd coach Juli Fulks said. “Proud of the effort over a 31-game season. We had a lot of really good moments this year. A lot to be proud of. We packed the gym (Cam Henderson Center) and had a lot of fans here today. We have six seniors and it’s a shame you can’t go out on your own terms. You’re incredibly elated or just devastated. It’s one or the other. This segment of your life is over. We fought through a lot. Hats off to South Alabama. They played a really good game and hit a lot of shots.”

A year ago, Marshall played its first tournament game on Tuesday and won four before bowing out. South Alabama, a No. 12 seed, is following a similar path. The Jaguars meet No. 4 James Madison in a quarterfinal Saturday.

Marshall finishes 23-9. The 23 wins are the third-most in a single season in Herd women’s basketball history. The team also more than doubled its regular-season win total from last year, finishing plus-12 in that category in Fulks’ second season in charge.

After trailing by 12 at halftime, the Herd twice got within six points in the fourth period, but could not muster the offense to make it interesting.

The Jaguars hit 18-of-23 free throws in the second half.

“We’re not supposed to be here, that’s what everybody else said,” South Alabama coach Yolisha Jackson said. “It shows we can go five, six, seven days. I’m excited to coach one more day. See how we compete. Runs can go either way. Our way we want to keep going.”

In the fourth period, Marshall cut the deficit to 58-52. South Alabama took over from there. The Jaguars had just four threes, but made 23-of-46 shots and 23-of-30 free throws.

“They’re on the same track as us last year,” Fulks said. “You get a game under your belt and normalize things a bit. We had fresher legs. We were not able to execute when we needed to. Gave them extra possessions and too much inside.”

The Herd sank just 22-of-71 shots, including 8 of 37 from three. Marshall made 6-of-12 free throws.

Chrysta Narcisse led the Jaguars with 18 points and made 8-of-8 free throws. Renaltha Marc scored 17 and Daniela Gonzalez added 12.

Marshall’s Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year, totaled 18 points, eight steals and six rebounds. The steal total is one off the tournament record of nine, set by Western Kentucky’s Dawn Warner in 1996.

Logan native Peyton Ilderton made four threes on the way to 14 points. Timberlynn Yeast closed with 10. Meredith Maier was held scoreless.

“South Alabama is like us last year,” Marshall’s Blessing King said. “They had nothing to lose. We’re on fresh legs, but not locked in.”

“They’re a pretty deep team,” Fulks said. “We held them to four threes. We didn’t want to foul as much. The (foul) line kept them in the game. We had 71 (shots) and only 58 points.”

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Man indicted on sexual assault, kidnapping charges

MetroNews Staff — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:11:04 +0000

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. –A man was indicted Thursday on multiple charges of sexual assault and kidnapping by a Kanawha County Grand Jury.

Brian Parker (Photo: WVDCR)

According to the Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney’s news release, Brian Steven Parker, 44, of Deep Water, West Virginia, faces eight counts of second-degree sexual assault and three counts of kidnapping.

The release also said he is scheduled to be arraigned on March 26, in front of Judge Jennifer Bailey.

The office and the Charleston Police are encouraging the community to reach out have any information regarding additional victims/witness. You can contact CPD at 304-348-6400.

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Pomeroy-Mason bridge reopened Friday evening after barge strike

MetroNews Staff — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 20:16:19 +0000

UPDATE 3/6/2026 8:05 p.m. — The Pomeroy-Mason Bridge back open Friday evening after it was hit by a runaway barge earlier in the afternoon.

The West Virginia Department of Transportation said that a rope crew and inspector assessed all of the areas that were impacted and found no damage to the structure.

MASON, W.Va. –A bridge that connects Mason, West Virginia and Pomeroy, Ohio is shut down due to a barge strike.

According to a social media post from the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, the Pomeroy-Mason Bridge was shut down a little before 2 p.m.

It’s unclear when the bridge, which is located between the end of West Main Street in Pomeroy and Second Street in Mason, will be back open. The West Virginia Department of Transportation will come in and inspect the bridge for any potential damage.

No other information is available.

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Week 8 Power Rankings: GW, Chapmanville, Wheeling Central and Tug Valley close regular season on top

MetroNews Staff — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 18:29:29 +0000

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The MetroNews high school boys basketball poll is voted upon weekly by a panel of 10 radio broadcasters and sports writers across West Virginia. The rankings include total points and first-place votes in parenthesis.

Week 8 rankings reflect all results up through the completion of the regular season.

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DNR Releases total deer whitetail numbers for 2025, down significantly from 2024

MetroNews Staff — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:37:51 +0000

DNR PRESS RELEASE

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) today announced that hunters harvested 92,553 white-tailed deer during the 2025-2026 seasons, which is a 17 percent decrease from the 2024 deer harvest of 111,646 and 14 percent below the 5-year average of 107,434.

This year’s decreased harvest was caused by an increase in hard mast production, which often results in decreased harvests due to the difficulty of tracking and targeting game species spread out over a landscape. Several counties also experienced an outbreak of hemorrhagic disease, which likely impacted hunter success, especially in the western part of the state.

According to preliminary numbers collected through the WVDNR’s electronic game checking system, hunters harvested 33,823 bucks during the traditional buck firearm season, 25,453 antlerless deer during all antlerless firearm hunting opportunities, 29,654 deer during the urban and regular archery/crossbow seasons, 3,102 deer during the muzzleloader season and 501 deer during the Mountaineer Heritage season.

Click here to download county-by-county 2025-2026 deer harvest numbers.

Antlerless Deer Season
Hunters harvested 25,453 deer during the 2025 antlerless deer season, which includes the youth, class Q and Class XS deer season. The harvest was a 23 percent decrease compared to the 2024 harvest of 33,057 and 13 percent below the 5-year average of 29,303. The top ten counties for antlerless deer harvests were Preston (1,442), Upshur (907), Greenbrier (877), Monroe (876), Mason (841), Lewis (836), Hardy (775), Randolph (774), Barbour (695) and Braxton (680).

Archery and Crossbow Deer Seasons
Hunters harvested 29,654 deer during the 2025 archery and crossbow season. The 2025 harvest was an 8 percent decrease over the 2024 harvest of 32,240 and 5 percent below the 5-year average of 31,139. The proportion of the archery harvest taken using a crossbow has stabilized and was greater than deer reportedly taken by a bow.

The archery and crossbow harvest does not include the 29 deer taken with recurve or longbows during the Mountaineer Heritage season. The top ten counties for archery and crossbow deer harvests were Preston (1,573), Raleigh (1,378), Wyoming (1,224), Kanawha (1,045), Fayette (1,032), Mercer (892), Nicholas (889), McDowell (876), Randolph (860) and Monongalia (842).

Muzzleloader Deer Season
Hunters harvested 3,102 deer during the 2025 muzzleloader season, which was 26 percent less than the 2024 harvest of 4,173 and 22 percent below the 5-year average of 3,979. The muzzleloader deer season harvest does not include the 472 deer taken with side lock and flintlock muzzleloaders during the Mountaineer Heritage season. The top ten counties for muzzleloader deer harvests were Nicholas (186), Preston (179), Randolph (158), Greenbrier (131), Upshur (115), Fayette (111), Raleigh (95), Mason (93), Barbour (90) and Kanawha (88).

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10th Annual U.S. Marshals Fallen Heroes Honor Run takes place in Charleston

MetroNews Staff — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:53:33 +0000

Photos by Ben Queen/www.BenQueenPhotography.com

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Several hundred law enforcement officers ran through the fog on the streets of Charleston Friday morning as part of the 10th Annual U.S. Marshals Fallen Heroes Honor Run.

The annual run, which helps the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund support the families of fallen U.S. Marshals and deputy marshals, started at the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Charleston and ended at the state capitol.

Those who participated included deputy marshals, sheriff’s deputies, troopers, municipal police and cadets from the West Virginia State Police Academy.

There was a brief ceremony remembering fallen officers once runners reached the capitol.

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Smith says he stopped the machine gun bill from Senate floor vote

MetroNews Staff — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:23:27 +0000

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Senate Judiciary Committee grabbed some headlines earlier this week when it passed a bill that supporters said would allow for the public sale of machine guns through the state police.

Randy Smith

The controversial bill passed out of committee but was never taken up on the Senate floor by the crossover day deadline.

Senate President Randy Smith issued a statement Friday and said it was his decision.

Here is Smith’s statement:

In recent days, there has been a lot of discussion regarding the fate of Senate Bill 1071, the Creating Public Defense and Provisioning Act, also known as “the Machine Gun Bill.” This bill, which was introduced in the Senate on the last possible day Senate bills could be introduced, was a poorly drafted piece of legislation provided by a gun rights group who, to my knowledge, had never been active in the West Virginia Legislature prior to this bill. After consultation with several attorneys and with membership of West Virginia’s two leading and longstanding gun rights groups – the National Rifle Association and the West Virginia Citizens Defense League – I was convinced this bill as it was submitted to us would be unable to pass the House of Delegates, and would face numerous legal challenges to its implementation upon passage.

Based upon those conversations, I alone decided that the Senate would not take up the bill for further consideration. I did so with no reservation. With an issue as critical as the protection of our Second Amendment rights, we must ensure the legislation we pass will survive legal challenge. This would not have.

My record with the NRA and WVCDL is unquestioned, and West Virginians unquestionably trust the judgment of these groups on Second Amendment issues. And, further, I trust them.

The behavior of this out-of-state group has been disappointing to say the very least. I have seen individual Senate members harassed and threatened. I have seen calls for people to show up at their homes. I’ve seen people accuse the Senate of treason. It makes it very difficult to negotiate in good faith with anybody who cannot come to the table with respect.

We welcome the Gun Owners of America to consider this legislation next year, but would encourage them to submit the bill before the last minute so that the Senate can give it the full, thorough, and fair vetting it deserves.

— ?Senate President Randy E. Smith, R-Preston

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MetroNews This Morning 3-6-26

MetroNews Staff — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 12:00:26 +0000

Today on MetroNews This Morning:

–The Legislature has passed the budget and it’s on to Governor Morrisey with a week to go in the session
–A man is in jail after police say he fled in a stolen vehicle and killed a woman in a crash during the pursuit
–Members of the West Virginia Air Guard’s 130th Airlift Wing are home from a three month plus deployment
–In Sports: Tournament brackets are filled for next week’s girl’s state high school basketball tourney

Listen to “MetroNews This Morning 3-6-26” on Spreaker.

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Photo gallery: Winfield defeats Point Pleasant, 63-32

MetroNews Staff — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 03:34:25 +0000

WINFIELD, W.Va. — Photo gallery from Winfield’s 63-32 win over Point Pleasant in the Class AAA Region IV semifinals. The Generals will host Nitro in the regional final round on March 10.

(Photo gallery courtesy of Ben Queen/www.BenQueenPhotography.com)

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University, Ripley out to early leads at state wrestling

MetroNews Staff — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 03:10:51 +0000

— Story by David Walsh, Photo gallery by Will Wotring

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Divisions I and II are going as expected after Thursday night’s opening round in the 78^th West Virginia High School State Wrestling Tournament at Mountain Health Network Arena. University, seeking a third straight large school title, and Parkersburg found themselves in the top two in the standings on a night dominated by pins as No. 1 seeds would beat up on No. 4 seeds.

University started the event minus two competitors. One did not make weight and the other, who won a state title a year ago, is not competing as he’s recovering from a football injury.

One competitor delivering big for the Hawks is Maximus Fortier, a junior who transferred in from Fairmont Senior. While there, he won the state title as a freshman at 144 with a final record of 41-1. He competes at 165 now and is 36-2 after winning with a first-round pin Thursday night.

“Come down, support the team and try to win,” Fortier said of his battle plan. “Wrestle the way we know how.”

Fortier and the Hawks won the Ron Mauck OVAC title, the WSAZ Invitational and West Virginia Duals during the season. He competed in two major tournaments as well. He went 2-2 in the Ironman and won his weight class in the Powerade Tournament which attracts the top teams in the nation.

“Wasn’t ready,” he said about the Ironman. “Did my thing at Powerade. It was big.”

Fortier said support at his new school grows every day.

“They treat me like family,” he said.

Strategy for the State Tournament is simple.

“Wrestle the way we know how to wrestle,” Fortier said.

University capitalized on a strong finish in the heavier weights and leads with 47 points. Parkersburg, which finished second here last year, trails with 39.5. Cabell Midland is third with 37.5 and Huntington fourth with 32.5.

Ripley is in year two in Division II. The Vikings placed sixth a year ago. They came to town as the Region 4 winner and qualified 11 with nine taking first and the other two second. Ripley leads after Thursday with 38 points thanks to wins by pin or major fall. Independence is second with 27 and Keyser third with 25.5. Cameron is the leader in Division III with 16 points.

The tournament continues Friday with sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, the girls have their state with action starting at 8 a.m. The boys begin at 10:30.

Championship finals are Saturday night at 6:30. Wrestlers are now seeded prior to the tournament and the pill breaks deadlocks.

During the season, Ripley won the West Virginia Duals, beat Herbert Hoover twice, Point Pleasant and also got wins over Parkersburg South and Huntington.

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MEC Tournament Day 2: Women’s semifinal matchups set

MetroNews Staff — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 02:42:34 +0000

— By Duane Cochran, For Mountain East.org

Frostburg State 77, West Virginia Wesleyan 71

WHEELING, W.Va. — Much of the talk entering this week’s annual Mountain East Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament centered around the title being wide open for the taking by any number of teams.

Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals at WesBanco Arena seventh-seeded Frostburg State validated that conversation.
FSU erased a seven-point halftime lead late in the third quarter and then held off every challenge from second-seeded West Virginia Wesleyan in the fourth and final period to record a 77-71 victory.

The win, which improved Frostburg to 16-14, marks only the third time in the history of the tournament that a seventh seed has reached the semifinals and it put Frostburg back in the final four for the second consecutive season.

The Bobcats will face third-seeded University of Charleston (19-10) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the tournament.

Frostburg dropped both of its meetings with Wesleyan during the regular season so Wednesday after its opening-round win over Point Park and Thursday morning FSU head coach Jenna Eckleberry and her team chose to take a bit of a different approach.

“Wesleyan beat us twice so we didn’t expect them to make too many adjustments,” Eckleberry said. “The thing I want to say is how proud I am of our girls because we didn’t have practice and we opted not to shoot around this morning and instead rest.

“We met as a group in our film session and I was throwing a lot of different things out there as to what we were going to do against them. There were all these things and little adjustments without any practice and I’m so proud of our team for staying locked in, switching defenses and doing and executing all of those things today we asked them to do to try to keep them off balance. It was a lot for them to adapt to in a very short period of time.”

FSU’s Jenna Muha, who finished with 17 points and six rebounds, says Eckleberry’s tweeks made the difference against Wesleyan.

“Coach Eck said this morning this may be the worst game plan in the world or it may be the best, but if you all buy in I think good things will happen,” Muha said. “We did that. We trusted her as our leader and that’s what helped us win the game.”

Wesleyan controlled the contest for the first 27 minutes, but in the final 2:32 of the third quarter Frostburg went on an 11-2 run to wipe out a six-point deficit and take the lead for good at 56-53 heading to the final quarter.

Wesleyan did tie the score twice at 67 with 4:28 to play and again at 69 with 3:28 remaining, but could never re-take the lead.

FSU’s Julie Spinelli, who finished with 17 points, scored 12 of those points in the fourth quarter, including four in the final two minutes to help her team pull away and open a six-point lead with just 17 seconds left to play.

“Give Frostburg credit,” said Wesleyan coach Brett Vincent. “They played really well. We knew it was going to be a tough game. They played us tough at their place, they’re getting better and they deserved to win.

“We didn’t play bad. We shot the ball well, but maybe not a good as we could have and maybe that had something to do with the openness of this arena. We just made a couple of bad decisions with the ball at times in the second half and missed a few shots here or there that could have made the difference in a game like this.”

Sophie Nichols led Frostburg with a game-high 25 points, 14 of which came in the opening half.

“This morning coming into the game we were all motivated, locked in and ready to play,” Nichols said. “At halftime only being down seven we knew going back out there we had to give it our all, stay together and play together. We just kept chipping away, eventually took control of the game and once we got to the fourth quarter we felt we could win it.”

Frostburg also got 11 points from Ayla Hileman and a game-high six assists and four steals from Mandy Roman.

Wesleyan, which finished its season at 18-7, was led by Ana Young’s 22 points. Kilah Dandridge chipped in 18 points, Emma Witt added 15, nine of which came in the fourth quarter, and Sydney Baird contributed 10. The Bobcats also got a game-high 11 rebounds from Allie Daniels.

Charleston 69, Wheeling 55

Despite a pair of close meetings during the regular season third-seeded University of Charleston had little trouble handling sixth-seeded Wheeling here Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the annual Mountain East Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament at WesBanco Arena.

The Golden Eagles took control of the contest early and never trailed en route to an impressive 69-55 win. The victory improved UC to 19-10 on the year and sets up a meeting Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in the tournament semifinals with seventh-seeded Frostburg State (16-14).

“I’m really proud of our team,” UC coach Bubby Johnson said. “It’s tough to beat anyone three times in a year. That’s a really good Wheeling team which continues to fight and has a lot of talent.

“We really wanted it today. We’ve been talking about rebounding, offensive rebounds and how at this time of the year the game comes down to offensive rebounds and free throws. I thought in those two areas we did a really good job.”

That might be an understatement. Charleston actually did a phenomenal job on the glass in the game outrebounding the Cardinals 53-23 and was a perfect 7-of-7 at the foul line. UC actually had more offensive rebounds in the contest (25) than Wheeling did rebounds and the Golden Eagles turned those offensive boards into a 20-5 advantage in second-chance points.

“We do definitely try to emphasize rebounding and giving ourselves extra possessions in games,” said UC guard Paris Stokes, who finished with 19 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. “That’s something coach emphasizes every single day no matter whether it’s a light day or a regular day.

“Lately we’ve only been having one or two people crashing the boards hard. Today, I felt like everyone or at least three or four of us crashed hard and it made a difference.”
Wheeling, which saw its five-game winning streak halted with the loss, closes out the 2025-26 season with a 17-12 mark. It’s the fourth straight year the Cardinals have lost in their opening round game in the MEC Tournament. Three of those losses have now come against the Golden Eagles.

“To win in a tournament you’ve got to put four quarters together and today we didn’t do that,” Wheeling coach Ella Skeens said. “I thought we finished strong in the third and fourth, but you’ve gotta put four together, especially against a strong team like Charleston.

“The difference today? Rebounding. That’s no secret. It’s also no secret that we’re not that big on the court so we needed to make it an emphasis to get into them, get low and push them out. We didn’t do that. As a result they scored a lot on second and third chances today and I thought that was more our fault. We’re going to have to get better in the years to come in that area.

“Our free throws weren’t good either. We made just 5-of-12 and that’s nowhere near good enough.”

The contest was a battle of the top two scoring defenses in the MEC. Wheeling came into the game tops in league in scoring defense only allowing 58.9 points per game. UC, on the other hand, is second and gives up just 63.3.

Thursday Charleston’s defense won the war, holding the Cardinals to just 21 points in the first half and just 33 through three quarters.

“We not only emphasize rebounds, we emphasize defense,” UC’s Jordan Scully, who finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, said. “We’re all about getting stops. We always say see a stop, get a stop. We definitely play off of our defense a lot.”

After falling behind by 21 heading into the final quarter, Wheeling rallied and outscored the Golden Eagles 22-15 in the final 10 minutes. The Cardinals got within nine of UC at 62-53 with 2:08 to play on a layup by Kenzie Dalton, but could get no closer.

“This year we had a new coach and a new system but we had the same fundamentals,” said Dalton, who led Wheeling with 20 points, eight rebounds, five steals and five assists. “Our philosophy is defense wins games, but we’ve also got to be able to score more.”

Wheeling also got 13 points from Emilia Sierra Lacosta and 10 from Emma Reynolds.

UC and Frostburg, who will square off in Saturday’s semifinals, split their regular-season series this year with each team winning on its home court.

Glenville State 85, West Liberty 74

By Bryan Dillon
For MountainEast.org

WHEELING, W.Va. – Nwando Okigbo’s career night led the top-seeded Glenville State Pioneers over ninth-seeded West Liberty 85-74 in the quarterfinals of the Mountain East Conference tournament Thursday night at WesBanco Arena.

Okigbo finished the game with her tenth double-double of the season, including a career high 25 rebounds and 17 points. The 25 rebounds tied for the most in MEC women’s tournament history with Lily Ritz of Wheeling University.

Glenville State’s offense was well-balanced with four players scoring in double-figures and seven players scoring at least seven points. In addition to Okigbo’s team-best 17 points, Nylah Davis scored 16, Khalia Bryant added 12, and Jayda Allie dropped in 10 points.

Reagan Vinskovich and Anna Lucarelli turned in big performances for West Liberty, with Vinskovich scoring a game-high 29 points and pulling down 13 rebounds for her tenth double-double of the season. While Vinskovich did her work in the lane, Lucarelli showed her multi-level scoring ability with a career-high 27 points in her final game for the Hilltoppers.

“It was a tough and gritty win from our team,” stated Glenville State Head Coach Emily Stoller. “We played them twice already this season, and it came down to the wire both games, so we knew we were going to be in a dog fight. We made some adjustments coming into the game, and I am proud of how the team applied the adjustments to the game today.”

The teams entered the halftime break with the score tied at 43-43. After the back-and-forth first half, which saw ten lead changes and four ties, the adjustments from the Pioneers, who averaged 86 points per game in the regular season, showed up as they turned to their defense to pull away from West Liberty. Glenville State held the Hilltoppers to only 31 points in the second half. GSU’s defense was particularly strong in the 3rd quarter, limiting WLU to just 16.7 percent shooting on 18 attempts and 11 points.

West Liberty jumped out to an early first quarter lead at 15-11 before Glenville State reeled off nine straight points to seize a 20-15 lead with 1:53 remaining in the quarter.

During the second quarter, neither team was able to gain more than a four-point lead at any point as the teams exchanged the lead seven times in the quarter. Vinskovich’s spinning layup on the fast break gave West Liberty a lead at 35-33, which they would maintain until the final 30 seconds of the half, when Jayda Allie dropped in one of her two three-pointers in the game to level the score at 43.

Glenville State started to pull away midway through the third quarter, thanks to a 10-2 scoring run capped by a Nylah Davis layup, which gave the Pioneers a 57-51 lead. Davis then closed out the quarter with a free throw and a layup to give her team an eight-point advantage heading into the final quarter.

Early in the 4th quarter, Okigbo scored six points to help stretch GSU’s lead to 12 points. Vinskovich and Lucarelli combined to score 15 points in the quarter, but it was not enough to cut into the Pioneers’ lead as they were able to find answers throughout the final period of play.

“I am unbelievably proud of my group,” said West Liberty Head Coach Kyle Cooper. “When you look at what we were able to do, we were able to get into the ring with a really good basketball team tonight and have our chances … I thought we did generate some good looks at crucial times, but unfortunately some of the shots just didn’t fall.”

Glenville State will move on to the semifinal on Saturday, March 7, at Noon where they will face the winner of the game between fourth-seeded Concord and fifth-seeded Fairmont State at WesBanco Arena. This will mark the ninth time that the Pioneers have reached the semifinals of the MEC tournament.

Fairmont State 58, Concord 56

By Bryan Dillon
For Mountain East.org

WHEELING, W.Va. – Fairmont State’s record breaking defensive performance lifted the fifth-seeded Falcons over fourth-seeded Concord, 58-56, in the quarterfinals of the Mountain East Conference Tournament presented by The Health Plan on Thursday night at WesBanco Arena.

The Falcons’ defense was the story of the night, utilizing stifling pressure throughout the game to force the Mountain Lions into 32 turnovers, which were converted into 26 points for Fairmont State. 21 of the 32 turnovers that were forced came from steals, which set a new Mountain East Conference tournament record for steals in a game, surpassing the previous record of 20 set by Glenville State on two occasions.

Forcing turnovers was critical for Fairmont State to overcome a difficult shooting performance. The Falcons shot 34.3 percent from the floor, making 24-of-70 shots and 38.9 percent at the foul line. Meanwhile, the Mountain Lions shot 47.8 percent from the field for the game. Their 32 turnovers allowed Fairmont State to attempt 24 more shots.

“I want to give credit to our opponents; it was a great game that could have gone either way,” commented Fairmont State Head Coach Stephanie Anderson. “Our identity is defense, and that is something that we preach every single day. We work on it every single day because it is controllable and we know that we control the effort that we give defensively.”

Gabby Reep led the Falcons in scoring, netting a game-high 18 points. Alanna Tate joined her in double-digits with 14 points. Haylen Cook was big on the boards for Fairmont State, grabbing a team-best 10 rebounds.

Three Mountain Lions shared the scoring load, Abbie Smith (17), the league’s player of the year, Olivia Ziolkowski (16), and Kenyah Stubbs (14) combining for 47 points. Smith and Ziolkowski both finished the games with double-doubles, pulling down 12 and 11 rebounds, respectively.

Tied at 56-56 with under a minute remaining, Gabby Reep drove baseline and dropped off a pass to Alanna Tate, who scored the game-winning basket with 52 seconds remaining in the contest.

The game started with both teams trading baskets, before Gabby Reep gave the Falcons the largest lead of the first quarter on a driving layup with 14 seconds remaining to give Fairmont State a 19-15 lead. FSU set the tone for the game, forcing seven turnovers and snatching five steals in the quarter.

Both teams scored 11 points in a low scoring second quarter. After Concord’s Kiley Smich tied the score at 23-23, the Falcons went on a 6-0 run following baskets from Reep and Haylen Cook. Fairmont State ended the half with 14 steals and turned 18 turnovers into 14 points to give them a 30-26 lead at the break.

A pair of runs for each team highlighted the third quarter. With the score 34-32, the Falcons went on an 8-0 run to give them a 42-32 lead. The run was fueled by eight points from Alanna Tate. That run was quickly matched by a 9-0 run from the Mountain Lions to close the deficit to one to set up a dramatic 4th quarter.

Kenyah Stubbs gave Concord its first lead since the first quarter following a layup with 8:50 remaining in the final frame. After falling behind by a single point, Fairmont State strung together three consecutive baskets to recapture the lead.

Stubbs would once again give CU a one-point advantage with 3:20 left to play on a driving layup, which was answered by a three-pointer from Lalia Jones. Olivia Ziolkowski evened the game at 56-56 with 2:03 left to play on a short jump shot from inside the lane, before the decisive basket from Tate in the final minute of play. The Mountain Lions had an opportunity right at the end of regulation to force OT; however, a layup attempt from Stubbs just missed.

“If you stayed up this late, you got your money’s worth. You got to see two good teams really go at it,” said Concord Head Coach Tesla Southcott. “To be in that game after turning the ball over at that level, we have to count our blessings. I think credit goes to Fairmont for their defensive effort. I thought from a defensive effort standpoint that our team played as good as they could have. To give them 32 extra possessions, that is the difference in the game.”

Fairmont State will move on to the semifinal on Saturday, March 7, at Noon to face top-seeded Glenville State at WesBanco Arena in a rematch of last season’s championship game. This will be the seventh time that the Falcons have reached the semifinal of the MEC tournament.

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All lanes closed east and westbound in Putnam County, one fatality reported following two-vehicle wreck

MetroNews Staff — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 21:06:05 +0000

UPDATE: 4:06 p.m. — One fatality has been reported by West Virginia Department of Transportation officials. All eastbound and westbound lanes are closed.

It’s unclear when they will be back open

PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. –A two-vehicle accident has closed the eastbound lanes in Putnam County on Interstate 64.

The incident occurred a little after 3 p.m. Thursday, just east of the Hurricane exit.

One of the cars was on fire.

No other information is available.

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Lincoln County man facing charges following shots fired incident Wednesday night

MetroNews Staff — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 19:07:51 +0000

LINCOLN COUNTY, W.Va. –A Lincoln County man is in custody following a shots fired incident Wednesday night.

Michael Terry (Photo: WVDCR)

Michael Terry, 54, of West Hamlin, was arrested Thursday on Daughters Lane in West Hamlin. Terry faces charges of wanton endangerment and prohibited person with a firearm.

Police say that Terry drove to a residence in Branchland, existed his vehicle and fired two rounds with a rifle and fled the scene.

He is being held in the Western Regional Jail, awaiting arraignment.

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Nicholas County deputies searching for vehicle believed to be connected to a homicide

MetroNews Staff — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:51:36 +0000

NICHOLAS COUNTY, W.Va. –The Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department is looking for a vehicle believed to be connected to an ongoing homicide investigation.

The homicide occurred in the Richwood community of Nicholas County. According to deputies they need the publics assistance in identifying a 2010-2014 Ford Raptor. They also said the occupants of the vehicle are wanted for questioning.

If you have information on the identity of the owner or regular operator of the vehicle or has seen the vehicle anywhere to contact police at 304-872-7880 or go to the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Office website to submit a tip.

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3 Guys Before The Game – WVU Basketball – KSU Recap – UCF Preview (Episode 702)

MetroNews Staff — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 15:45:47 +0000

The final game of the regular season will have a significant impact on what lies ahead for the WVU basketball team.

A win on Friday against UCF will give the Mountaineers an opening round bye in next week’s Big 12 Championship in Kansas City.

A victory would also give the Mountaineers the schoo’s second non-losing Big 12 record in the last five years.

In this episode, the “Guys” recap Tuesday’s loss at Kansas State and preview the second regular season encounter with UCF.

Hoppy Kercheval presents his Obvious Observations and listeners contribute with Textual Healing.

3 Guys Before The Game is sponsored by – Jan Dils Attorneys at Law, Komax Business Systems, GoMart, Lou Wendell Marine Sales, Tudor’s Biscuit World and Conley CPA Group.

Don’t forget to check out the 3 Guys website.

Never miss an episode, it’s free, subscribe below.

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Fricks, Lewis-Eutsey earn first-team All-Sun Belt honors

MetroNews Staff — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:55:23 +0000

— By Bill Cornwell

A pair of seniors from Marshall’s men’s basketball team were honored by the Sun Belt Conference this week for their accomplishments in the recently completed regular season.

Wyatt Fricks was named first-team All-Sun Belt and teammate Jalen Speer was a second-team honoree.

Fricks, a five-year member of the Marshall program, averages 15.6 points and 5.6 rebounds to go with 45 blocks. The Lawrenceville, Georgia native scored double figures in 24 contests, with eight games of 20 or more, including a career-high 34 against Elon.

Fricks also registered three double-doubles including one against Miami Ohio, the nation’s lone remaining unbeaten.

Speer leads the team with a scoring average of 15.7 assists and is tops in the Sun Belt with 170 assists.

The Gainesville, Florida native had 23 games with at least 10 points and nine with 20 or more, including a career-high 39 at Coastal Carolina last month.

Speer also recorded at least five assists in 19 games with 10 or more in three, including a career-high 12 against Elon.

South Alabama guard Chaze Harris was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Troy’s Scott Cross was named the league’s Coach of the Year.

— — — — —

Marshall women’s scoring leader Timaya Lewis-Eutsey earned multiple honors in being named all-conference first team, league Newcomer of the Year and a member of the Sun Belt All-Defensive team.

Timaya Lewis-Eutsey handles the ball. Photo courtesy of @HerdWBB

The Herd have now had at least one first-team all-conference honoree in three straight seasons.

Lewis-Eutsey joined the Herd ahead of this season after transferring from Virginia Commonwealth. She finished as the Sun Belt’s leading scorer with an average of 19.4 points and tops the conference with 3.6 steals per game. Her 112 steals are 34 more than anybody else in the Sun Belt and ranks No. 4 among all Division I players.

Lewis-Eutsey shot an efficient 49 percent and had six games with 30 or more points, 12 with 20-plus, while registering double-figure scoring 26 times.

Lewis-Eutsey also averages almost four assists and four rebounds and ranks fifth in the Sun Belt with 121 assists.

Georgia Southern forward Kishyah Anderson was named the Sun Belt Women’s Player of the Year, while the Eagles’ Hana Haden was the pick as the league’s Women’s Coach of the Year.

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MetroNews This Morning 3-5-26

MetroNews Staff — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:39:44 +0000

Today on MetroNews This Morning:

–Lawmakers have 9 days left in the 60 day session to get legislation completed
–A bill aimed at a new way of conducting economic development remains alive
–Criminal charges are filed in a Clarksburg fire
–In Sports: March Madness has arrived in West Virginia

Listen to “MetroNews This Morning 3-5-26” on Spreaker.

The post MetroNews This Morning 3-5-26 appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Photo gallery: John Marshall defeats Fairmont Senior, 47-30 in Class AAA Region I final

MetroNews Staff — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 04:28:29 +0000

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Photo gallery from John Marshall’s 47-30 win over Fairmont Senior in the Class AAA Region I co-finals.

(Photo gallery courtesy of Robert Ovies Sports Photography)

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Clarksburg man arrested for making threats against Trump, ICE agents now facing federal charges

MetroNews Staff — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 23:28:53 +0000

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. –A Clarksburg man is now facing federal charges after he allegedly made threats against President Donald Trump and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.

Cody Smith

A news release from U.S. Attorney Matt Harvey said Cody Lee Smith, 20, was indicted Wednesday on two counts of threats to murder the President, one count of influencing and retaliating against federal officials by threat of murder, and one count of influencing a federal official by threat of murder.

Smith was arrested on January 22.

The indictment stated that Smith had made a series of public posts on Instagram that encouraged and threatened the murder of President Trump, any citizen who supported Trump, Israelis, and “all government officials.”

It also alleges that Smith contacted Donald Trump, Jr., via Instagram and told him he would kill his father, President Trump, by cutting his jugular.

He also threatened to kill ICE agents in Clarksburg.

“Threats of violence and death against President Trump and our brave law enforcement partners will not be tolerated in the Northern District of West Virginia,” U.S. Attorney Harvey said. “We take threats seriously, regardless of how they are made, and will prosecute those who make them to the fullest extent of the law.”

Smith faces up to five years for each of the presidential threat charges and faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the remaining counts.

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Kanawha County Magistrate Joe Shelton passes away

MetroNews Staff — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 22:49:37 +0000

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. –Longtime Kanawha County Magistrate Joe Shelton has died.

Shelton passed away Wednesday.

He was first elected as a magistrate in 1976 and became the first magistrate elected following the 1974 West Virginia Judicial Reorganization Amendment that replaced the former justice of the peace system with magistrate courts.

His first tenure as magistrate was from 1977 to 1980. After that he took a position with the Division of Highways, where he worked from 1980 to 1997. He then worked for the State Treasurer’s Office from 1998 to 2003.

In 2003, he was once again elected as a Kanawha County magistrate and served until his death.

West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Justice Haley Bunn issued a statement Wednesday evening following his death.

“The West Virginia judiciary mourns the loss of Magistrate Shelton, who had a long history of distinguished service to the people of Kanawha County and our state,” Bunn said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and colleagues at this difficult time.

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