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By: Kate Harman
You think you’re in the game.
You are keeping it close.
You get a few key baskets, a stop or two, go on a run. The numbers on the scoreboard start to get closer, the deficit seems within reach. Things are looking up, but there’s a problem.
The problem being the opponent: it’s Souderton
And Souderton doesn’t let challengers all the way back. Souderton doesn’t make game changing mistakes.
Instead, with the contest in single digits, Big Red gets a steal from point guard Tori Dowd, followed by a solid drive from Alana Cardona. Then Kate Connolly gets a decisive block and a lead that was once only seven points becomes 14.
That’s exactly what happened Wednesday night at Bensalem, as Souderton defeated Garnet Valley, 47-30, in a District 1 Class 6A semifinal. The victory earns them a date with Central Bucks South on Saturday, at Temple, to play for the district championship.
“It is so surreal for us,” Cardona, a senior, said. “This has never happen before for us. We’ve never gotten to a championship this big. I think we are in awe of everything and not really celebrating because there’s still one game that’s really important and we want to play hard in that one, too.”
Souderton (25-2) dominated early, jumping out to an 11-2 lead after the first eight minutes of play, but the Jaguars (23-4) charged back, getting timely contributions from Emily McAteer. Cold shooting from the field hurt Souderton but, as usual, it was the tough team defense that provided a cushion, as the group recorded 14 steals.
“[The steals] were really helpful especially in taking that possession away from them and getting ourselves an extra possession,” Connolly, who filled the stat sheet with 8 points, 5 blocks, 7 rebounds, five steals, and four assists, said. “It really kind of built of our momentum. Once one person gets a steal, another person, we are all growing off of that and trying to get another steal and another steal.”
“We missed a few shots but our defense was just insane, as it has been,” Cardona, who scored a game-high of 15, said. “I think we really frustrated them, in a way, even though we were missing our shots it was okay because we weren’t letting them get shots on offense.”
And that’s how it went for 32 minutes, with the smothering defense leading the way.
“If you would have told me that we were going to shoot 2-for-16 from three and we were going to win by 17, I would have told you that you were crazy,” Souderton coach, Lynn Carroll said. “We knew they were going to sit back in a zone and I thought we were going to have to shoot well in order to play well. I was wrong.”
But that what happens when you play Souderton.
Just when it seems like a comeback is possible, they pull away.
@Ka_Harman
Garnet Valley 2 11 8 9 – 30
Souderton 11 11 11 15 – 47
GV: Emily McAteer 12, Brianne Borcky 5, Madi McKee 4, Liesl Dentinger 4, Nicole Barnes 3, Jillian Nagy 2
S: Alana Cardona 15, Megan Walbrandt 11, Kate Connolly 8, Megan Bealer 8, Sami Falencki 3, Tori Dowd 2