Lady Huskies adjust faster to win | News, Sports, Vacancies

Nate Ritchie

EBENSBURG — The opening night of the high school basketball season is usually a night of uncertainty as teams often struggle to find their groove, or any kind of rhythm, early in the game.

During the second game of the Lady Huskies Tip-off Tournament on Friday night, it was Bishop Carroll who took over Central in the second quarter after both teams came out cold and timid in a first stanza filled with turnovers.

However, the Lady Dragons caught fire from deep after the half before BC quieted them with a run of their own en route to a 45-36 victory.

“In the second quarter we really started to take advantage of what we were given and were able to capitalize on it,” Bishop Carroll coach John Strittmatter said. “We’re a young team, but our girls played really hard.”

Central will play Cambria Heights in the consolation game on Saturday at 6 p.m., and BC will face Marion Center in the next championship.

“They (Bishop Carroll) had a little better mindset going into the game because I think our girls were a little nervous,” Central coach Blake Over said. “I think they (BC) have a little more experience than us and were able to come in and get the momentum going a little earlier than us.”

The Lady Huskies led 8-2 after one quarter and then steadied in the second as an 8-1 run early extended the lead to its largest of the night 13 (16-3) on Ava Public’s layup. a little more than half way left.

Trailing 18-6, Central got back-to-back deuces from Adison Poet and 3-pointers from Mara Dixon to pull within seven (18-11) with 1:57 left in the first half.

However, BC scored six in a row – a hoop and one free throw by Avery Myers and a triple from Madison DeLaughter, who led all scorers with 13 – to push the lead back to 13 with the score 24-11 at the half.

“They (Central) are a really hard-working group and they expect more than what they played in the first half,” Over said. “So they came out ready to prove it.”

Central regrouped in the locker room and came out ready as it began to break through Bishop Carroll’s press, resulting in a number of open looks.

While the Lady Dragons missed shots in the first two quarters, the third stanza was the opposite as they hit four from downtown in a 14-2 spurt.

“We came out in the second half and it happened — our shots went in,” Over said. “In the first half they just didn’t go down. They (Bishop Carroll) gathered in the box and we couldn’t get a single shot off.”

Madeline Benton, who connected on three 3s, forced Central to make a deep shot just 11 seconds into the third, while Dixon, who made four from behind the arc to lead the Dragon Lady with 12 points, capped the run with her third. evening at 3:58 to cut the deficit to one at 26-25.

Just as quickly as Bishop Carroll allowed Central to get back into the game, the Lady Huskies swung the momentum completely back in their favor, answering with 10 unanswered to end the quarter with a 36-25 lead.

“When they (Central) made the breakthrough in the third, we didn’t give up, we didn’t panic, but we stayed in the game,” Strittmatter said. “Then we got another 10-point lead. This is a good sign for a young team like ours.”

Publicich, who scored 12 points on the night, scored five straight points.

Both teams combined for seven turnovers to start the final quarter before Central got a hit from Lyla Imes at 5:46 for its first points.

While the Lady Dragons beat the Huskies 11-9 in the fourth, it was Carroll’s Sarah Miller who kept Central from running away.

Three different times, Miller responded to Lady Dragon’s basket with one of her own. The BC junior scored seven of her 11 points in the final stanza to keep her team ahead.

“She (Miller) is really becoming a good player and understanding what’s going on,” Strittmatter said. “We are so happy to have her as part of our team as she is contributing and smart.”

Central moved to within seven points when Alexis Rykerd hit her team’s ninth 3-pointer of the night with 52.2 left to make it 43-36.

Two Delauter penalties started the final with 47.6 to play.

CENTRAL (36): Poet 2 1-2 6, Boyles 0 0-2 0, Dixon 4 0-0 12, L. Imes 3 0-0 6, Benton 3 0-0 9, A. Imes 0 0-0 0 , Rykerd 1 0-0 3. Total: 13 1-4 36.

BISHOP CARROLL (45): Delawter 5 2-2 13, Miller 5 0-0 11, Hell. Myers 1 0-0 3, Golden 0 0-2 0, Public 4 3-4 12, Lib 0 0-0 0, Sirsikar 0 0-0 0, Av. Myers 2 1-2 5, Luchko 0 1-2 1, Dziabo 0 0-0 0. Total: 17 7-12 45.

ASSESSMENT BY QUARTERS

Central 2 9 14 11 — 36

Bishop Carroll 8 16 12 9 — 45

3-point field goals: Central 9 (Dixon 4, Benton 3, Poet, Rykerd); Bishop Carroll 4 (Delauter, Miller, Ad. Myers, Public).

Records: Central (0-1); Bishop Carroll (1-0).

Heights knocked down

Cambria Heights lost to Marion Center 50-24 in the first round of the Lady Huskies Tip-off Tournament.

Lydia Miller led a balanced attack, scoring 14 points for the Lady Stingers, who led 22-15 at halftime. Natalie Black added 11 points as MC used a 17-4 run in the third quarter to take the win.

Sienna Kirsch led the Heights with 15 points.

CAMBRIA HEIGHTS (24): Kirsch 5 4-4 15, K. Rogal 1 0-0 2, Bender 1 0-0 3, Dutko 0 2-4 2. Total – 7 6-8 24.

MARION CENTER (50): Ev Ruddock 2 2-2 6, Al Ruddock 3 0-0 6, W. Haggerty 3 1-2 9, Miller 6 0-0 14, Black 4 3-6 11, M. Shadle 2 0 -0 4. Totals – 20 6-10 50.

ASSESSMENT BY QUARTERS

Cambria Heights 7 8 4 5 — 24

Marion Center 6 16 17 11 – 50

3-point goals: Cambria Heights 2 (Kirsch, Bender); Marion Center 4 (Haggerty 2, Miller 2)

Records: Marion Center (1-0), Cambria Heights (0-1)