CB West earned a trip to the state title game in Hershey with Tuesday’s 61-55 win over District 3 runner-up Palmyra. To view photos of the action, please click on the following link: http://photos.suburbanonesports.com/g/031715_cb_west_vs_palmyra_dl
By Mary Jane Souder
READING – Early in the third quarter of Tuesday night’s PIAA Class AAAA contest against Palmyra, Nicole Munger – diving on the floor after a loose ball the Cougars had deflected away – got her fingertips on the ball just enough to send it Mackenzie Carroll’s way. Seconds later, Carroll found Munger, who buried a foul line jumper off the dribble to give West a 36-29 lead.
And on a night when nothing seemed to be going the Bucks’ way, order had been restored with that one play. Munger, saddled with early fouls in the first half, was back in business, and the Bucks would not be denied, going on to open up a 10-point lead after three quarters on their way to a 61-55 win over the Cougars that vaulted them into Saturday’s state title game in Hershey.
“I don’t think I’m going to realize it completely for a couple months or years, but I realized some of it yesterday,” said Munger of her team’s remarkable postseason run. “I was walking into Nat’s, walking into CVS, walking everywhere – people you don’t know saying, ‘Hey, congrats and good luck tomorrow.’
“That’s the coolest part. I feel like we’re having an impact on the community. You could hear it today – we’re an hour and 45 minutes away, and we still got the same loud roar (from the crowd). It’s just really special being part of it.”
The Bucks (32-1, 14-0 SOL) will face defending state champion Cumberland Valley in the title game at the Giant Center (6 p.m.). The District 3 champions defeated Norwin 56-40 in the other state semifinal.
“(This) is just an awesome accomplishment,” said coach Terry Rakowsky. “Last year and even the year before, we felt we were one of the top teams in the state and were good enough to be in consideration to be here. This is a stamp on the fact that we are. We have some great kids that play hard, and they’re wonderful kids.”
The third quarter – which saw the Bucks outscore the Cougars 18-11 - featured a whole lot of Munger’s magic. The senior guard scored 12 of her game-high 21 points in the frame. She opened the quarter with a floater in the paint and then buried the foul line jumper.
After a Palmyra turnover, Corrinne Godshall scored on a drive to the hole, and the Bucks led 38-29. Back-to-back Palmyra three’s by Molly Gundermann and Katie Dembrowski made it a 38-35 game. Godshall answered with a three-pointer of her own to give the Bucks a six-point advantage.
Munger, however, was just getting started.
The Michigan-bound guard buried a pair from the foul line, but Kristen Smoluk answered with a bucket for the Cougars. Another Munger floater – this one drawing oohs and aahs from the crowd at Reading High School’s Geigle Complex – made it a 46-37 game. Josie Stovall sank one-of-two from the charity stripe, and Munger answered with a driving bucket. After Maria Tukis buried a pair at the line, Munger scored on a baseline drive to give the Bucks a 50-40 lead at the end of three quarters.
“They weren’t double teaming (Munger) as much or triple teaming her as much as they were in the first half,” coach Rakowsky said. “It was awesome. It was fun to watch the stuff she was doing out there.
“They’re tough. I thought their defense was real, real good.”
In the first half, the Bucks – who were whistled for 13 fouls – bore no resemblance to the team that had rolled through district and state tournament play.
“We didn’t really respond very well in the first half to the fouls that were being called,” senior Mackenzie Carroll said. “That kind of got us off our game a little.
“The fact that we had that many fouls – we weren’t as aggressive, so that really hurt us.”
Munger took a seat on the bench with 4:35 remaining in the opening quarter after picking up her second foul. West had four team fouls midway through the quarter, and the Cougars were in the bonus with 23 seconds remaining in the opening frame.
Forced to pull in the reins on defense because of foul trouble, the Bucks had to score out of their half court offense.
All of this could have spelled disaster for a squad that relies on its defense to create its offense, but Carroll – whose three on the heels of a Maggie Rakowsky trey gave the Bucks a 6-4 lead – came to the rescue. Her three-pointer at the buzzer turned a 14-12 deficit into a 15-14 West lead. Carroll had 11 of her team’s points in the quarter.
“I was just trying to stay composed,” Carroll said. “Everyone was pretty nervous coming into the game.
“I knew I was hitting some shots, so take advantage of it while they’re going in because sometimes they don’t. I knew I had to step up because Munger got two fouls.”
The second quarter was a seesaw affair. The Cougars went on top 19-15, but Makenzie Mason scored on back-to-back possessions to knot the score. It was a 25-25 game after Carroll connected from just inside the arc, and the two teams were still deadlocked 29-29 after Stovall buried one-of-two from the line for the Cougars.
Again, Carroll had an answer, this time burying a three pointer – her fourth of the half – with five seconds remaining to send West into the intermission with a 32-29 lead. The senior captain, who finished with 19, had 16 of her points in the opening 16 minutes of the game.
“She completely kept us in it,” Munger said, nodding in the direction of Carroll. “As a team we were frustrated, but we really tried to get back to our standards and what we key on, which is our defense and our transition.
“I think we came out in the third quarter controlling the pace better. We really controlled the first three minutes of the second half, which is really key. Thankfully Kenz kept us in it in the first half, and in the second half, we started firing on all cylinders.”
The Cougars were 9-of-12 from the foul line in the first half while the Bucks were 1-of-2.
“We knew in the second half – and we told them – if they get to the foul line like they did in the first half, we were losing,” coach Rakowsky said. “The way we play – we can’t have teams going to the foul line and slowing us down.
“We need to get up and down the floor. Even if they make it and we go up and down on a transition play, we’ll take that over a foul. I thought they did a really good job.”
After first round state exits in each of the last two season, the Bucks are going to Hershey.
“I don’t know – this is insane,” said Godshall. “It’s actually surreal. It probably won’t be real until I’m on the bus Friday and actually walk onto the court.”
EXTRA SHOTS: Godshall had herself a day under the backboards, pulling down 11 rebounds to go along with 11 points and six assists. Munger added seven rebounds…Falling under the category of the game’s strangest stat is the fact that the Bucks were whistled for six charges…Junior guard Molly Gundermann, who connected on three of her team’s six three-pointers, led a balanced Palmyra attack with 15 points.
Palmyra 14-15-11-15 55
Central Bucks West 15-17-18-11 61
Palmyra (55) – Katie Dembrowski 2 0-0 5; Maria Tukis 4 2-2 10; Kristen Smoluk 3 3-4 10; Molly Gundermann 5 2-2 15; Katy McClellan 1 3-5 6; Josie Stovall 2 5-8 9; Kailey Werkheiser 0 0-0 0; TOTALS 17 15-21 55.
Central Bucks West (61) – Mackenzie Carroll 6 3-4 19; Peyton Traina 0 1-2 1; Makenzie Mason 3 0-0 6; Corrinne Godshall 4 2-2 11; Nicole Munger 8 5-7 21; Maggie Rakowsky 1 0-0 3; Meghan Tillger 0 0-0 0; Abby Spratt 0 0-0 0; TOTALS 22 11-15 61.
Three-point goals: Palmyra – Molly Gundermann 3, Katie Dembrowski, Katy McClellan, Kristen Smoluk; CB West – Mackenzie Carroll 4, Corrinne Godshall, Maggie Rakowsky.
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