Williamstown's Annabelle Haught blocks the shot of St. Marys' Addie Davis during the Yellowjackets' 51-44 victory Friday night. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

WILLIAMSTOWN — Here Friday night in a Little Kanawha Conference West Division showdown featuring two of the three top programs in Class AA, host Williamstown’s defense only allowed eight points in both the second and fourth quarters to No. 2 St. Marys as the third-ranked Yellowjackets prevailed 51-44.

St. Marys, which was riding a 10-game winning streak with its only other setback coming to No. 3, Class AAA Grafton (51-48) back on Dec. 14 at Robert C. Byrd, held its largest lead at 22-14 with 7:09 left in the half and also had it tied for the last time at 38-all with 6:25 remaining in the affair.

However, a pair of free throws from Annabelle Haught and a 3 by Faith Pickens, who went for game-highs of 22 points, a baker’s dozen boards and a trio of blocks, helped ignite a game-ending 13-6 spurt as the ‘Jackets of head coach Danny Bunch avenged a 44-36 setback two weeks ago in Pleasants County.

“I’m proud of the girls for taking that loss Wednesday night (51-48 to No. 1 Wheeling Central) and the battle we had to come back two days later and play another tough team like St. Marys and do what we did, I’m proud of them,” said coach Bunch, who received 10 points, two steals and two blocks from Annabelle Haught as well as nine counters, four assists, three steals and a block from point guard Quinn Bunch. “I don’t know if that loss the other night put a little fire under them.

“We had an opportunity, but St. Marys is a great basketball team and this is the kind of game you get each time we play. That’s why you look forward to it. It’s stressful as a coach on the sideline, but I think they just did a better job tonight of executing and not getting rattled when St. Marys made that run there in the second quarter. I felt like we stayed composed a little bit, kept doing what we planned on doing and it ended up working out in the long run. I thought we played some good team basketball tonight, really.”

Williamstown's Quinn Bunch looks to penetrate while being guarded by St. Marys' Laney Watkins during the Yellowjackets' 51-44 victory Friday night. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

St. Marys, which was led by Addie Davis’ 18 points, two blocks and game-high four steals, received nine of Callie Powell’s 17 markers in the first quarter

Pickens’ eighth point of the first on a putback gave the now 12-4 Yellowjackets a 14-10 lead, but Powell had a three-point play and Brynnley Bulluck assisted on Davis’ 3 to give the Blue Devils a 16-14 cushion.

Freshman Laney Watkins canned a trifecta to open the second and it was 22-14 after Davis had a steal and layup while also hitting 1 of 2 from the charity stripe.

Williamstown, which plays Monday at Wahama, scored eight straight and tied it up at 22 with 1:58 to go when Bunch hit from downtown thanks to a feed from Arissa Burt, who chipped in four points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Davis’ 17-foot jumper just 22 seconds later helped the visitors, who play Wednesday at Wheeling Central, maintain a 24-23 edge at the break.

Williamstown's Faith Pickens, who put up game-highs of 22 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Yellowjackets' 51-44 victory Friday night versus St. Marys, is fouled by Anna Bennett (rear) as Blue Devil teammate Callie Powell just missed stealing the entry pass. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Gracie Montgomery, who had a game-high five assists, opened the second half with a trey, but SMHS was able to forge ahead 34-30 after Anna Bennett scored inside at the 3:07 mark. Despite leading 36-32, Pickens scored twice to get the hosts even going into the fourth.

“They kicked our butt. They outplayed us. They outdid everything,” admitted Blue Devil head man Fred King, whose team lost the rebounding battle 29-19 and shot 40.5% (17 of 42) compared to Williamstown’s 47.4% (18 of 38). “They outrebounded us. They outscored us. They outhustled us and they shut us down.

“They deserved to win tonight because they outplayed us. We didn’t play bad. They just played a heckuva lot better. We’re going to give them a day off and come back on Monday and Tuesday and get ready for Wheeling Central. We’ve had a heckuva run. That team is a good team. We got beat by a team that was better than us tonight period.”

After the break, Williamstown knocked down 9 of 15 from the field, which included making 3 of 4 from distance.

“If they go beat Wheeling Central next week they will basically have that tiebreak, but we really just wanted to get it more for a pride reason,” coach Bunch said of trying to keep pace in the LKC West. “It’s still a regional win. We are sort of out of the picture for the one seed.

St. Marys' Callie Powell shoots a 3 over the outstretched arm of Williamstown's Gracie Montgomery during the Yellowjackets' 51-44 victory Friday night. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“This sort of leaves us the possibility still, 50-50, depends what happens next week with Central and St. Marys, but it still leaves us that option to maybe get the two seed. You always want to play at home.”

Despite the victory, the Yellowjackets will be back at it on Saturday.

“We’re going to get in the gym for a little practice just because we got a game Monday,” Bunch added.

“I’m not going to go long, but I don’t want them to celebrate it all weekend and then turn around and not be ready for Monday.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com