The visiting Morganton Patton girls basketball team attempted a 12-player rotation to wear down Tuscola senior Shelby Tricoli with intense defensive pressure.
But the Panthers neglected another Tuscola standout — senior Taylor Gibson.
Gibson (10 rebounds) turned in a game-high 25 points, including her 1,000th point in the fourth quarter, and led the Mountaineers past Morganton Patton,  71-55, in a second round NCHSAA Class 3-A West playoff game.
No. 4 seed Tuscola, which improved to 21-7 overall, will travel to play No. 1 seed Hickory (26-2) in the 3-A West Sectional III championship game tonight.
In 2012, the Mountaineers were knocked out of the playoffs in the third round by Hickory.
Patton inched out to as much as a 10-point lead on a couple of occasions in the first quarter before ...