Members of the Magnolia Junior Varsity Team that competed in the West Virginia Team Camp at West Virginia University are, standing from left: Katie Blatt, Kiera Standiford, Alivia Melott, Audrey Gibb, Shannon Williams, Kacie Jo Brown, and Abby Durig. Kneeling are coaches Jim Blatt and Allison Rothlisberger.

On June 24, the Magnolia Girls JV Basketball Team traveled to Morgantown to take runner-up WVU’s Team Camp.

“Wow! What an event!,” said Head Coach Jim Blatt. “The WVU Girls’ Basketball Program and Coach Mike Carey are a class act. We played our quarter final and championship game in the Coliseum. This was a weekend these girls and their families will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Because of an injury to Abby Durig, the team only had six girls, who played an impressive nine games in just over 48 hours before falling to Lake High School, Ohio, in the championship. “My three forwards — Alivia Melott, Kacie Jo Brown, and Shannon Williams, — played against bigger and stronger girls all weekend but they would just not give up.” said Blatt. “(Our) three guards — Katie Blatt, Kiera Standiford, and Audrey Gibb — continuously ran teams out of the gym.”

“I was impressed with how these girls adjusted to the game situations,” said Assistant Coach and former Magnolia Basketball standout Allison Rothlisberger. “I would talk to them on the bench and they would go execute in the game. These girls are in great shape! They are a special group.”

The Magnolia scoring was a three prong attack with Katie Blatt averaging 14.1 points per game, Kiera Standiford averaged 8.2 points per game, and Audrey Gibb averaged 7.3 points per game. All six players managed to score on the Coliseum floor.

The Magnolia fan who traveled the farthest to see the games was former player Julie Hazen. Last year, Julie moved to Texas but returned to watch her former teammates play in the Coliseum.