CB West fell to Spring-Ford in Friday’s District One AAAA quarterfinals while Souderton won its playback game against Abington. To view photos of both games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
#1 SPRING-FORD 60, #8 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST
Spring-Ford is seeded number one for a reason.
The Bucks found out exactly what that reason was when they faced the top-seeded Rams in a district quarterfinal showdown. The Rams – with their suffocating, trapping defense – forced the usually sure-handed Bucks into 30 turnovers, and no one does a better job of turning those miscues into points than the Rams, who opened up a 17-4 lead and led 24-9 late in the first quarter before Nicole Munger buried a late three-pointer to make it a 24-12 game at the end of one quarter.
“(It’s) constant energy, constant trapping, and you constantly have to be making quick, tough decisions,” coach Terry Rakowsky said. “I thought today we didn’t get a lot of calls trying to cut through that trap where sometimes you’ll get a referee that’s calling those fouls, and all of a sudden, they’re not trapping as hard anymore.
“It made it a little bit harder for us, but that’s how it goes.”
In Spring-Ford’s game plan, the point guard is paramount, and junior Sammy Stipa is a good one, finishing Friday’s game with 19 points. Her performance was all but negated by Munger, who had 19 points of her own. The player that created all kinds of problems for the Bucks was Sarah Payonk. The 5-11 senior forward did it all for the Rams, finishing the game with 16 points, eight rebounds, seven steals, five blocked shots and four assists.
It was Payonk who established the early tone for the game, scoring the first six points for the Rams – three on a trey and three on a conventional three-point play. West senior Kat Bahner scored a basket in between those plays, but it would by the Bucks final basket in a deadly 90-second span that saw the Rams reel off nine straight points to go on top 15-2.
“They’re just fast,” Munger said. “They come out and hit you hard.”
A putback by sophomore Corrinne Godshall broke the Rams’ run. The Rams still led 31-16 midway through the second quarter after a three-point play by Stipa, but the Bucks battled back, closing out the half with a 9-5 run of their own. A Munger trey got things started, and the run was capped by four points from Cait Mautz, who scored all six of her points in the quarter. The Bucks trailed 36-25 at the half.
Payonk opened the third quarter with a bucket, but Munger answered with a three-pointer, and when Maggie Gratz scored on a putback, it was a 38-30 game with six minutes remaining in the third quarter.
The Bucks had several chances to get closer but couldn’t convert, and the Rams went back on top 47-32 after Payonk turned a steal into a basket. Back-to-back baskets by Godshall (after an offensive rebound of a missed foul shot) and Munger made it a 47-37 game heading into the final quarter.
“We beat them the second and third quarters,” Rakowsky said. “The first quarter killed us.”
The Rams scored the first four points of the fourth quarter, and the Bucks would get no closer than 12 the rest of the way.
“They’re the number one team, and I guess that was in our minds, and we were definitely a little bit nervous,” Munger said. “They’re number one, but if we got to play them again, we know we can hang with them.
“I felt like no matter what the point was in that game – if there was no scoreboard, you would have thought it would be a one or two-point game. That’s something to be proud of that you know you worked hard, and you never gave up.”
Things might have been different if the Bucks could have found their shooting touch in the second half. After connecting on 10-of-22 shots in the first half, they made just 5-of-19 shots in the second half. They were 3-for-11 from beyond the arc in the game with Munger connecting on all three three’s.
Credit Spring-Ford’s defense for some of West’s offensive woes as the Rams hounded the Bucks all over the court. The Rams had 15 steals on the night while the Bucks had seven, three by Munger.
Godshall had eight points and six rebounds off the bench for the Bucks while Bahner had six points and six rebounds. Mautz also had six points.
“Our kids never quit – never did and never will,” Rakowsky said. “You learn from (this). We’re young. We still have a couple of games left this season, hopefully five or six. Whatever it takes.”
The Bucks (18-6) will face the loser of Saturday’s Pennsbury/West Chester Rustin quarterfinal game in a playback on Wednesday night.
#11 SOUDERTON 43, #14 ABINGTON 34
The Indians – who saw assistant coach Tom Welch lose his battle with bone cancer on Wednesday - capped a difficult week by earning a big win over the Ghosts to keep their season alive.
“It was almost like a relief for them to know they were going to get some joy,” coach Lynn Carroll said. “It was just a relief.
“We played great at times, we played poorly at other times. Abington stepped up and made some big plays and wouldn’t go away. It felt like we really, really just needed to win for our own mental well-being.”
Allison Gallagher led the Indians with 16 points, which included a perfect 8-for-8 effort at the foul line. Junior Bianca Picard added 12 points, connecting on 6-of-8 from the foul line. Katie O’Connor (seven points) and Sarah Derstein (six points) also contributed offensively for the Indians, who were 18-of-22 from the charity stripe.
“Offensively, we had a lot of success driving to the basket and getting to the foul line,” Carroll said. “Allison and Bianca really stepped up offensively. Allison had some tough, tough finishes going to the basket.
“We shot great from the foul line. We have come a long way as far as that’s concerned. I was really happy with our discipline on both ends of the court.”
The Indians sprinted to an early 10-3 lead only to watch the Ghosts answer with a run of their own to go on top 13-12. The Indians closed out the half with a 13-2 tear to seize command of the game, going into halftime with a 26-15 lead.
Michael Harris led the Ghosts with 17 points while sophomore point guard Deja Rawls had 11. Freshman Sammy Lochner had six points.
“As with everyone, the game plan is to limit Deja Rawls’ touches, and when she gets it, make her get rid of the ball,” Carroll said. “When she drives to the basket, don’t bail her out with a foul.
“We did a really, really good job of that in the first half. In the second half, she started to find Harris under the basket for wide open layups. She probably had six points on uncontested layups, but the girls were trying to do what I asked them to do and help.
“Abington wouldn’t go away. They cut it to eight at one point.”
The Indians improved to 18-7 and extended their season with the big win.
“I personally am just exhausted, and there were moments when it seemed like some of our girls also were,” Carroll said. “For them to find a way to play as well as they did – their defense for almost 32 minutes was great, and I am really proud of them.
“I’m just really proud of how they’ve handled themselves all week long.”
Souderton will face the winner of Saturday’s Central Bucks East/Garnet Valley game in a playback for a state berth on Wednesday.
“It’s exciting,” Carroll said. “If we can win one more we qualify for states, and that’s great. I had high hopes for this team, but I’m not sure in November if you had asked me that I would have thought we’d be in this position right now, but I kind of feel like at this point – especially considering what they did tonight under the circumstances – I can’t ever underestimate this team again.
“They have certainly proven that they’re willing to fight as hard as they can and go out and do things the right way on the court and off the court. They did that tonight again, and I’m just really proud of them.”
Abington closed out its season with a 16-9 record.
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