Second Half Comeback Leads Magnolia To 57-45 Victory
After losing its last game of the season in the regional semi-finals, the Blue Eagles opened this season with three straight losses, while their counter parts were undefeated in their first three outings.
Magnolia opened up with a 9-0 run to start the game and added runs of 9-1, and 5-0, while holding off a determined Valley Lumberjill squad to win, 57-45 Dec. 14 in Pine Grove.
Magnolia opened up the game with a 9-0 run with the help of some down in your face defensive pressure, before the Lumberjills Sophie Palmer connected with a basket from well beyond the arch with three minutes run off the clock.
Palmer sank a pair of free throws before the Eagles’ freshman power forward Kendra Pilant took a pass from teammate Jordan Delaney and sank a nifty two-pointer in the paint.
Kaitlyn Underwood connected from downtown for the Lumberjills from the top of the key, before Kelsi Chapman picked off a Valley pass and raced the full length of the court for a conventional three point play, to put Magnolia up, 16-8 with two minutes remaining in the opening period.
Chapman scored once more off a Delaney assist, while Palmer took one in between the Eagles’ Pilant and Autumn Cecil for a kiss off the glass, before Delaney answered with a deuce.
Underwood raced down the court for a bucket, while Delaney finished off the quarter with a three-pointer to end the games opening period with the Eagles on top, 23-12.
Baskets by Chapman, Pilant and Logan Riggs opened up a 29-12 advantage for Magnolia to open the second quarter of play. Underwood sank one of two charity tosses before the Eagles ended a 9-1 run with coast to-coast bucket from Taylor Ludewig and a Riggs free-throw. For a 32-13 lead midway through the second period.
However, the Valley girls went on a 15-2 run, starting with a Rachel Baker deuce and ending it with a Palmer three-ball to close the gap to, 34-28 with 3:24 run off the second period clock.
Palmer, then sank a pair of charity tosses, before the Eagles’ Cecil stopped the bleeding with a two pointer off an assist from Pilant. Baker fought off a screen for a jumper, while Cecil sinking the back-end of a two shot foul shot.
Ludewig would start a 10-2 run that ended with a Chapman deuce to head into the locker room up, 47-34.
Cecil opened the fourth period with a steal, while Ludewig ended a fast break with a basket. Baker then tickled the twine twice on a pair of charity tosses Pilant scored twice in between an Underwood basket.
Emma Ueltschy scored her lone basket for the Lumberjills, before Chapman and Palmer each sank a pair of freebies at the charity line. Chapman kissed one off the backboard for deuce with two minutes showing on the clock, with Baker quickly answering with a jumper.
After a 30 second time-out, Palmer sank the back-end, but the Eagles front court of Ludewig, Chapman and Delaney ran out the clock with their ball handling and speed.
Chapman, paced the Blue Eagles with 15 points, while Pilant followed with 14 points and collected 12 rebounds, and blocked six shots. Delaney added nine points, including the Eagles only bonus bomb, and dished out a half dozen assists, while Ludewig posted eight markers, and also passed out six assists.
Cecil recorded six points, while grabbing 11 rebounds, and rejecting six Lumberjill shots. Riggs ended the Magnolia scoring with five markers.
Palmer led all-scorers with 19 points, including two baskets from beyond the arch, while grabbing three rebounds, making two steals, and dishing out eight assists. Underwood followed with 14 points, that included three bonus bombs, while making one steal and grabbing five rebounds.
In addition, Baker record 10 points and hauled in eight rebounds, while Ueltschy end the Lumberjill scoring, with two points.