Cheltenham senior Ciara ‘CC’ Andrews surpassed the 1,000-point plateau in Wednesday’s non-league game against Central Bucks South.
WYNCOTE – The play was vintage ‘CC.’
Midway through the fourth quarter of Wednesday night’s non-league game against Central Bucks South, Ciara ‘CC’ Andrews glided into the paint and – ignoring the defenders in her path - softly kissed the ball off the glass and into the net on one of her patented runners.
The partisan crowd erupted. Andrews, barely allowing herself a smile, was mobbed by teammates and presented the game ball by coach Bob Schaefer.
The historic basket vaulted the Lady Panthers’ star over the magical 1,000-point plateau.
“It means a lot because I’ve always said – wherever I go, I want to leave my mark,” Andrews said after the Lady Panthers' 56-46 win. “I think I definitely did that. I always looked up to Shayla (Felder), and now I get to be right next to her. I think it’s a great accomplishment.”
Andrews’ portrait will be placed next to Felder’s on the Lady Panthers’ wall of fame. She is the 15th female basketball player in Cheltenham’s storied history to score a thousand points. The 5-9 senior guard can do it all on the basketball court. She can break down her defender, score off the dribble and is the owner of a textbook jump shot.
“CC is just a great kid, and she has a very supportive family,” Schaefer said. “She tries to do what she’s told and is a player you can count on to get it done out there when you need it.”
It was an unusual night for Andrews, who uncharacteristically found herself on the bench with three fouls midway through the second quarter. She picked up her fourth at the 4:49 mark of the third quarter and once again took a seat on the bench.
“I have never felt like that before,” Andrews said. “It must have been out of frustration. They were playing a box-and-one, and I was frustrated, and I ended up fouling.
“I never want to be in that situation again. It’s horrible, it really is.”
Andrews’ frustration was eased somewhat by the fact that her teammates stepped up in her absence. The Lady Panthers led 17-13 when she went to the bench in the second quarter and stretched that lead to eight before the Titans rallied to make it a 26-21 game at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Panthers led 35-24 when Andrews took a seat on the bench and still led 42-30 when she returned to start the fourth quarter.
“We were doing good, so I didn’t mind,” Andrews said of her stint on the bench. “We did pick it up, but it’s much better on the floor, so much better.”
Andrews, who is bound for St. Joseph’s University on a basketball scholarship, knows she is a marked person every time she steps onto the court.
“Schaef told me that I have to go at them – I can’t run 
away from contact because obviously they’re not going to call everything,” Andrews said. “I know from the beginning teams are going to know who I am, so I have to go out there and be aggressive and not be intimidated when I play.”
In the game’s final minutes, Andrews, who scored a game-high 22 points, had the ball in her hands, and she was a near-perfect 7-for-8 from the foul line down the stretch.
“She does what she has to do,” Schaefer said. “If I were on the other team, I certainly wouldn’t want to be guarding her with three minutes remaining in the game and the ball in her hands. It’s awfully hard.”
Central Bucks South coach Beth Mattern acknowledged the Andrews is a special talent.
“She’s just incredible,” the Titans’ coach said. “Just her athleticism, but she’s also a team player. She’s overall an impressive package because she’s in great shape, she understands the game, and she controls the game.”
Andrews was the center of attention during and after the game. Posters exhorting the soft-spoken senior star were everywhere in the stands at Wednesday’s game, and when it was over, Andrews – clutching the game ball in her hands - found herself posing for photos with one eager fan after another.
The senior standout isn’t quite sure where the historic game ball signed by her teammates will find a home.
“I think I might put it in inside the front door on a stand or – I don’t know – hang it from the ceiling,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t know.”
No matter where the game ball may end up, Andrews is relieved the milestone basket is behind her.
“It feels so good,” she said. “Now I can focus on playing. Now I can just play.”
***
The game itself was an interesting one – if for no other reason than the fact that everyone had to evacuate the gym when the fire alarm went off between the first and second quarters due to a fire in the trash can in the men’s restroom. Forty minutes later, after the firemen on the scene gave the green light, everyone returned to the gym and play resumed.
The Titans kept things interesting in a contest that saw both teams plagued with foul woes. CB South trailed by just two (11-9) at the end of one quarter but took a 13-11 lead after back-to-back baskets by Alysha Lofton, who had a team-high 15 points.
A bucket by Andrews knotted the score, and when Shayla Peoples scored at the 5:30 mark of the second quarter, the Lady Panthers had a lead they would not lose. They led 26-21 at halftime and stretched that lead to 42-28. The Titans refused to go away, trimming Cheltenham’s lead to 51-46 after a pair of Lofton foul shots with 1:54 remaining. They had a chance to get closer after a Lady Panther turnover but misfired. Andrews sank a pair from the foul line at the other end to all but seal the Titans’ fate.
“I thought we executed pretty well,” Mattern said. “I wish we could have hit a couple more shots, but they’re a good team. CC is a great player, and congratulations to her. That’s a big accomplishment, but I’m proud of the way we played.
“Not rebounding a couple of times and not shooting well from the field and they’re a good team - that combination together doesn’t bring a good result, but if I can get this kind of effort every night, I’ll be happy.”
Tori Steinberg added eight points for the Titans.
On the other side of the court, Schaefer was pleased to see players besides Andrews contribute in a big way. Ming Seawright had a huge game under the basket, collecting 13 rebounds to go along with eight points. Christina Coleman added 11 points while Jiana Clark had eight points.
“Ming dominated the boards,” Schaefer said. “She really did a nice job.
“Christina Coleman played an all-around good defensive and offensive game. She had nine points in the first half, but we went a different way in the second half. Jiana Clark also made some big plays for us.
“Despite the fire drill, the fire and everything else, the kids did a pretty nice job. When CC was out of the game, the other kids stepped up real nice – Coleman, Clark, Ming and Shayla. They did a good job.”
The Lady Panthers will host Upper Dublin in a key American Conference showdown on Friday night while CB South will travel to Pennridge for the SOL opener for both squads.
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