BRUSHFORK — The Bluefield High School girls basketball team is going to the state tournament for what is believed to be the first time in modern high school basketball history.

It took a white-knuckle fourth quarter with six ties and a four-minute overtime for the Lady Beavers to beat the Summers County Lady Bobcats 74-72 in the Class AA, Region 3 co-championship game Wednesday at the Brushfork Armory.

Standing at midcourt moments after the final horn, Bluefield (16-4) head coach Tony Mallamaci said he remembered a four-overtime game last year with Summers that the Lady Bobcats pulled out.

“I felt like we were going to come out ahead in this one,” the Beavers coach said. “The kids have worked awfully hard, all year, and I knew we wanted it.”

Bluefield’s scoring came from just five players — all of whom had 11 or more points. Jia Coppola generated 20 points and 11 rebounds; senior Essence Brown had 17 points, 15 rebounds, four steals and a block.

Freshman Alyssa Lester came off the bench for the home team and scored 15 points, six of them in the four-minute extra frame. Emaleigh Gallinger and Dani Janutolo each contributed 11 points. Gallinger had three steals.

Summers County sophomore Whittney Justice recorded 37 points, while her twin sister Brittney was held to nine points below her average, with eight points, plus 12 boards. Avery Pivont had 10 points and eight rebounds in her final high school game.

The Lady Bobcats (18-5) forced turnovers on five straight Bluefield possessions in the first quarter and took an 11-6 lead. The Beavers trailed 15-12 after eight minutes.

Despite Summers’ withering full-court press, the Beavers went on a 10-2 run in the middle of the second period. Brown scored two field goals in the final minute to help Bluefield to a 35-29 halftime lead.

The Lady Bobcats’ pressure sparked seven straight points to begin the second half and Summers County regained the lead by a single point. Brittney Justice’s steal and transition basket broke a 44-44 tie and her sister scored from the paint half a minute later for a 48-44 advantage.

The visitors held a 48-46 lead going into the dizzying fourth quarter, in which neither team led by more than three points. Gallinger drove the baseline with 1:05 left in regulation to create the sixth tie of the fourth quarter, 60-60.

The Lady Bobcats maneuvered for the final shot of the period, but Whittney Justice lost the ball at midcourt with 11.8 seconds left. Bluefield lost the ball on its next possession, only to get it back on a steal by Gallinger.

There was not enough time for a tiebreaking shot, and the teams went to overtime.

Whittney Justice’s trey with 2:16 left in the game gave Summers its last lead, 63-62. Bluefield’s Lester and Coppola pulled off steals on the next two Summers possessions and turned them into quick points for a 67-63 margin.

After that, the Beavers converted 7 of 9 free throws, in the double bonus, to salt away the landmark victory.

Summers County did not go quietly, going 3-for-4 from the field in the final 19 seconds. Pivont’s final basket with 8.8 seconds remaining produced a one-possession game again, 72-69.

With 1.2 seconds to go, Bluefield’s Lester was fouled and the freshman went to the line for three pressure-packed attempts.

The first bounced around several times on the iron and dropped away. The next two were on the money for a 74-69 edge that turned out to be crucial.

Just before the final buzzer, Whittney Justice launched a 3-pointer from midcourt that swooshed through for the final score.

As teammates took turns cutting down the net, Gallinger said, “Summers County has a good team, but we just had to work together and pull it through.”

She said that the discussion during the overtime period was, “Did we want this to be our last game? We don’t. ... We want to go all the way and win it all.”

Asked what made the difference in overtime, Mallamaci said, “I think the kids just decided that they wanted it. It was a matter of them digging down deep and pulling it out.”

Defeating the program that has won nine state titles will send Bluefield to Charleston with an added spark.

“They’ve had a great, storied program for years,” Mallamaci said. “When you beat somebody who has that great a program, it gives you confidence.”

“We have much potential,” Gallinger said. “If we just keep trying, we can go (all the way).”

Summers County head coach Wayne Ryan and his team remained in their dressing room area long after the game. He was not immediately available for comment.

The Lady Beavers will play next Thursday in the first round of the Class AA tournament at the Charleston Civic Center. Their opponent and the game time will be determined by seeding the eight-school field later this week.

— Contact Tom Bone at

tbone@bdtonline.com;

Twitter @BDTBone

At Brushfork Armory

SUMMERS COUNTY (18-5)

Whittney Justice 10 13-19 37, Brittney Justice 4 0-0 8, Audrey Holley 1 0-0 3, Shelby Smith 2 0-1 4, Abby Taylor 2 4-5 8, Avery Pivont 5 0-0 10, Hannah Taylor 1 0-0 2. Totals 25 17-25 72.

BLUEFIELD (16-4)

Essence Brown 7 3-8 17, Emaleigh Gallinger 3 5-9 11, Jia Coppola 6 8-11 20, Dani Janutolo 2 7-8 11, Alyssa Lester 6 2-4 15. Totals 24 25-40.

Summers County.......12 17 19 12 12 — 72

Bluefield...................15 20 13 14 14 — 74

3-point goals — SC 5 (W.Justice 4, Holley 1); BHS 1 (Lester). Total fouls — SC 28, BHS 18. Fouled out — SC, Holley, Smith, A. Taylor, H. Taylor. BHS, Brown.