BY ANTHONY STEVENS
For the Daily Telegraph
BRISTOL, Va. – It was a slow process but in the end it was a similar result. Wise County Central will be in the championship game. In a matchup between the defending 2A state champion and 1A runner-up the Warriors notched a 55-36 win over Honaker in the Tip-Off Classic semifinals at the Bearcat Den.
Both teams started excruciatingly slow. It was tied at four-all with just over two minutes to play in the first quarter.
“It seems like it’s been that way for us every game,” Wise County Central coach Robin Dotson said. “We’re just not clicking offensively but our defense is keeping us in the game. We’ve played three games and allowed less than 40 points in all of them, we just need to get in a rhythm offensively.”
Even standout Logan Reynolds didn’t light up the scoreboard. Reynolds finished with 10 points. But it was still another outstanding night for Reynolds who helped her team in other ways.
“Reynolds just controls the game and controls the pace,” said Dotson. “She doesn’t turn the ball over. Logan is a true point guard, that’s what I expect from her every night.”
Reynolds had six rebounds, seven assists and seven steals.
“Annie Church definitely stepped up,” Reynolds said. “When I’m missing my shots she seems to pick me up and so does the rest of the team. If one person’s down everyone just picks each other up and we kind of feed off that.”
With the score tied at four early, Sophie Mullins scored on a turnaround shot in the post to put the Warriors up 6-4. Laken Robinette answered inside for the Tigers to tie it for the third and final time. Church only a sophomore swished the net with two consecutive 3s to start a 7-0 run and the Warriors were on their way. Church led all scorers with 16 points, picked up five rebounds and four steals.
“Church sparked us,” Dotson stated. “She didn’t play well last night, I think she came out determined she was going to play better and she did.”
Honaker (2-2) kept the margin in single digits until midway through the third quarter. Eight points by Megan Ray and Robinette were the most points scored by any Tiger. Honaker only made 37 percent of their shots and committed 19 turnovers.
“I was proud to stay with the state champs with Logan Reynolds back into the third quarter,” Honaker coach Misty Miller said. “I think we played decent defensively we just couldn’t do anything offensively.
“Games like this will only help you later in the season, especially in the playoffs. You won’t see many teams as strong defensively as Central.”
It will be two undefeated teams in the finals as the Warriors take on Castlewood tonight.
“Castlewood is playing awfully well, they are on a roll,” commented Dotson. “We’ll have our hands full. Coach (Barry) Ruff has done a good job.”

HONAKER (36) – Musick 3 0-0 6, Ray 3 2-3 8, Shelton 0 0-0 0, Robinette 4 0-0 8, Meade 1 1-2 3, Deel 2 2-2 6, Miller 2 0-0 5, Roman 0 0-0 0, Vandyke 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 5-7 36.
WISE CENTRAL (55) – E. Mullins 1 1-2 3, Reynolds 4 2-3 10, Church 4 5-7 16, S. Mullins 4 0-0 8, Cantrell 3 4-6 10, Elkins 0-0 2, Stallard 2 0-0 4, Dotson 0 0-0 0, P. Caldwell 0 0-0 0, Underwood 0 0-0 0, R. Caldwell 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 12-18 55.
Honaker 6 10 11 9—36
Wise Central 13 11 15 16—55
3-point goals – Honaker 1 (Miller 1), Wise Central 3 (Church 3). Total fouls – Wise Central 6, Honaker 13. Fouled out – none. Technicals – none.