Parkersburg Catholic’s Luke Anderson (15) blocks a shot from Wirt County’s Braxton Dennis during Wednesday’s game at Parkersburg Catholic High School. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

PARKERSBURG — After an inauspicious start, Parkersburg Catholic put the turnover bug under lock and key.

Wednesday night in the second meeting of the season between Parkersburg Catholic and Wirt County, the Crusaders committed a pair of turnovers in the first two minutes of the game and the Tigers knocked down their first four shots while taking a 9-2 lead.

In a matter of seconds, the script completely flipped as PCHS took care of the ball like it was gold, went on a 17-2 run to close out the quarter and rolled past the Tigers, 73-42, at Parkesburg Catholic High School.

The first meeting nearly three weeks ago in Elizabeth saw PCHS escape with a 48-46 victory.

“Wirt County gave us a little bit of wallpaper material with their broadcast from the last game – that’s what we put our hats on,” PCHS coach Jim McLean said.

Parkersburg Catholic’s Luke Anderson, left, gives a pep talk to teammate Branson Lott (0) for the start of the second half in Wednesday’s game against Wirt County. Lott scored 11 points in the third quarter during the Crusaders’ 73-42 win in Parkersburg. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Playing in the comforts of its own gym, PCHS committed just six turnovers for the game and received eye-opening halves from Luke Anderson and Branson Lott while improving to 8-1.

“This time around, we had more intensity – the crowd showed up and it was great all-around,” Anderson said. “When we were down 9-2, I told the guys we just needed to calm down and relax, and play our own game.”

Anderson knocked down a pair of threes as part of his nine-point, first-quarter output and Lott came out after halftime fired up while scoring 11 points as the Crusaders ambushed Wirt with a 13-0 run to open the third quarter.

PCHS outscored Wirt 9-4 over the next four-plus minutes to move comfortably in front, 52-21.

“There was a little bit of motivation for Branson coming from the other team,” McLean said. “When something gets to Branson, he is a whole different animal. He absolutely stepped on the gas and opened up the game.

Wirt County’s Alex Bevel, right, cradles the ball while being guarded by Parkersburg Catholic’s Leonardo DeAngelo during Wednesday’s game in Parkersburg. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“Honestly, if we rebound and take care of the ball we are really hard to guard. Against Warren and Fort Frye, we threw the ball to the other team way too much. We just had to get away from it and start focusing on taking care of the ball.”

Anderson finished with a double-double after pulling down 12 rebounds to go with 13 points. Lott also scored 13 points to go with nine boards and four assists.

A total of four PCHS starters scored in doubles. Carter Nelson, who reached 13 points as well, found his range from outside with back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as the lead swelled to as many as 42 points at 69-27. Leonardo DeAngelo contributed four assists to go with his 12 points.

Coming off the bench to lead PCHS with five assists was Andrew Francisco.

“We’re playing as a team,” McLean. “Their goal is Charleston and they understand we have seven or eight guys who can score the basketball. It doesn’t matter who it is night in, night out. It’s hard to guard all five of us. We will just take the win.”

Wirt County’s Jakob Moore (4) drives baseline against Parkersburg Catholic’s Carter Nelson during Wednesday’s game in Parkersburg. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Even after PCHS took a 2-0 lead, Wirt County responded with four straight makes to open the game, including two buckets from Braylan Dawson. Two PCHS turnovers also figured into the equation as the Tigers built a 9-2 lead two minutes into the first quarter.

A lid practically covered the Wirt basket for the rest of the half and the Tigers shot just 4-of-24 the rest of the half while falling behind, 34-17.

Wirt County (5-2), coming off a win over then-ranked Sherman last week, never latched onto any momentum once PCHS pulled away with the 13-point run to open the third quarter.

“We know we are a better team than this,” Wirt coach Chad Williams said. “The win against Sherman was a tough, tough game. I think having more than a week off kind of hurt us.

“Catholic is a very good team and that’s not the team I want to play after the break.”

Jakob Moore came off the bench to lead Wirt in scoring with 12 points. Another reserve, Trenton Watson, added nine points.

Going 0-for-7 from the free-throw line was indicative of what kind of night Wirt experienced.

“We didn’t play like we did (against Sherman), but we will learn from it,” Williams said. “The best thing we can do is regroup and learn from tonight. We will be shooting a lot of foul shots tomorrow.

“I just talked to the boys and held everybody accountable. Not myself nor the coaching staff, we don’t shoot the 3-pointers. I think we air-balled maybe four or five threes. It wasn’t good. This is not who we are.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com