- Log in to post comments
By: Kate Harman
Kate Connolly looked up at the big screen of Temple’s Liacouras Center to see less than a minute remaining.
What else did she see? That her team was down after leading for all but 1 ½ minutes of the District 1 Class 6A championship game.
“Seconds are long in basketball,” the Souderton forward said. “But we only had so many left.”
Somebody had to do something, the 6-foot-1 Drexel recruit thought at the time.
Turns out, that somebody, was her.
With less than 17 seconds to play, Connolly took just one dribble after a pass from Tori Dowd and knocked down a contested three to tie it.
Connolly’s clutch shot sent the game into a second overtime period and provided the spark her team needed, as Souderton beat Central Bucks South, 52-48, in three overtimes Saturday night.
“Someone had to shoot it,” Connolly, who scored 18 points, registered six blocks, grabbed four steals, and had six rebounds, said. “And it had to be a three. I just took it and it worked out. She [Tori Dowd] drove and kicked it. The shot had to be taken. As the ball was coming, I knew I had to figure out a way to do this.”
What happened when the ball went in?
“I don’t even think I had words – I just yelled,” senior Alana Cardona said. “I was just yelling out. I was right under the basket and I saw it spin around and go in. It went in and it was like, ‘okay we got this’ - that put it into perspective.”
In the fourth meeting between the two squads this year, the largest lead for either side was just seven points, with Souderton (26-2) never trailing in regulation. But the Titans (24-4) bounced back, due to some big shots from junior point guard, Alexa Brodie, who hit three late-game three-pointers to give her team a chance.
And then it was Cardona’s turn, as the forward, who struggled early on, turned it on late, scoring all 13 of her points in the third quarter or later. She also grabbed 14 boards.
“I think it is that you are more tired in your head,” Cardona said. “It is a back and forth game. The energy in there, I honestly don’t even think anyone felt tired. You just feed off of it. The atmosphere was insane. I didn’t even – my body wasn’t tired at all.”
How could you get tired when you capture the program’s first ever district title?
“It’s an awesome feeling,” Dowd said. “Coming in as a freshman, winning five games a season, I never dreamed of this. Now it’s reality. I cannot even put it into words.”
@Ka_Harman
Central Bucks South 7 7 11 10 4 5 4 – 48
Souderton 9 12 7 7 4 5 8 – 52
CBS: Alexa Brodie 23, Haley Meinel 11, Maddie McShane 4, Lindsay Scott 2, Sofia Sonnett 2, Caroline McSorley 2, Natalie DiSandro 2, Mackenzie Ehresman 2
S: Kate Connolly 18, Alana Cardona 13, Tori Dowd 12, Megan Walbrandt 5, Megan Bealer 4