The East Fairmont Bees pulled off a thrilling upset, edging defending champion Spring Valley 54-52 in the WVSSAC Class AAA Girls Basketball State Tournament Quarterfinals at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.

Spring Valley came out firing early as Gracie Edwards scored the first five points of the game and La Salle signee Sophie Hutchison added another basket during a 12-0 opening run for the Timberwolves. But East Fairmont quickly responded with a surge of its own. Emma Moore sparked the comeback with a three-pointer as the Bees rolled off a 17-0 run to take a 20-14 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The back-and-forth battle continued in the second quarter. Brooklyn Ellis helped Spring Valley regain the lead briefly, but East Fairmont closed the half strong with back-to-back three-pointers from Kailee Haymond, sending the Bees to the locker room ahead 30-26.

In the second half, both teams traded momentum. Edwards dominated inside for Spring Valley, finishing with 18 points and 15 rebounds, while Hutchison poured in a game-high 20 points to keep the Timberwolves within striking distance.

East Fairmont found its biggest shots late in the fourth quarter. Haymond knocked down a deep three to give the Bees breathing room before Ella Thompson buried consecutive three-pointers from the corner, pushing the lead to eight points in the closing minutes.

Spring Valley fought back to cut the deficit to two late, but East Fairmont held on to secure the 54-52 victory and advance to Semifinal Friday.

With the win, the No. 7 seeded Bees move on to face Nitro in the Class AAA semifinals.

Final Score: East Fairmont 54, Spring Valley 52
Event: WVSSAC Girls Basketball State Tournament – Class AAA Quarterfinal
Location: Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center