The Wheeling Central Maroon Knights will play in the West Virginia Class A state girls basketball championship game for the first time since 2008 thanks to Friday's 57-53 win over Williamstown.

The Maroon Knights held a three point halftime lead, and extended it to as many as ten in the 3rd quarter before Williamstown made one last rally.

West Liberty-bound Liz Flowers tied the game at 50 for Williamstown with 2:02 to play.  Soon after, the Yellowjackets had the ball with a chance to take the lead, but Central's Cassie Sorge came up with a key steal.  She drove to the hoop and missed a lay up, but Bri Robbins kept the ball alive and Sorge retrieved it, and then hit a go-ahead three pointer with 1:36 to go.

The Maroon Knights hit four of six free throws to seal the deal.

Emily Bucon led Central with 23 points. Fellow junior Colleen McCormick added 19 points and 18 rebounds.

Wheeling Central will play at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Charleston against the winner of tonight's Huntington St. Joe-Morgantown Trinity semifinal.