Dec 9, 2003 By Jim Downey 3 min read

It’s sure to be a pattern the Lady Red Raiders will see throughout the season with defenses stacked to stop, or at least slow down, Uniontown’s Jocelyn Chandler. That’s what visiting Canon-McMillan tried to do Tuesday night in the Section 2-AAAA opener, but Uniontown was up to the challenge for a 68-47 victory.

“I told the girls we’re better together, a collective of five people,” Uniontown head coach Jason Winfrey said. “The girls responded well.”

The defense employed by Canon-McMillan head coach Gary Popiolkowski did the job in the first quarter, holding Chandler to four points and the deficit steady in the second half of the period to trail, 20-15 after eight minutes. The team concept stressed by Winfrey came through though, with five other players scoring, including Jill Monahan and Sara Kovach with four points apiece.

“We wanted to make her work tonight,” Popiolkowski said. “We didn’t expect the other girls to step up. We played into their hands.”

The game began to slip away from the visitors in the second quarter when Uniontown (1-0, 4-2) stepped up the pressure. The closest Canon-McMillan (0-1, 1-2) would be was 20-17 after Erica Patterson’s field goal in the first minute of the quarter. The Lady Red Raiders steadily pulled away as the game neared the half, outscoring the visitors, 14-5 in the final seven minutes.

Chandler stepped up her offensive pressure by scoring 12 of Uniontown’s 14 points.

“The pressure bothered them,” Winfrey said. “We’re progressing to be a better defensive team.”

The Uniontown lead jumped to double digits for good early in the third quarter when Chandler capped a 3-point play to give the Lady Red Raiders a 41-29 advantage. The scoring kept coming for Uniontown, finishing the quarter on an 11-3 run for a 52-32 lead after three quarters.

Chandler was once again the go-to player, scoring 12 of 18 points.

According to Popiolkowski, the Lady Big Macs are a work in progress because of their youth.

“That’s what happens with young ‘uns,” Popiolkowski said of the runs and inconsistencies his youthful squad had to endure. “There’s going to be peaks and valleys. I have to live with it. It will pay off when they get their feet under them (later in the season).”

The Lady Big Macs played to a draw in the fourth quarter, losing another point to the lead with Uniontown closing, 16-15. The fourth quarter play drew Popiolkowski’s praise.

“That’s the cool thing. Even when their down by 20, they play like they’re up by 20. They keep pushing. We preach that if they’re not on the floor, they’re on the bench. Players 1-15 are close skill wise. It pushes one another.”

J.P. Polenski, a senior, and sophomore Jessica Schreffler led the Canon-McMillan attack with 12 points apiece.

According to Winfrey, it was a busy week of games and a strong practice that spurred Uniontown’s strong performance in the section opener.

“We had a good practice Saturday and it carried over to tonight’s game. I think the three games in one week helped us come out of our shell,” Winfrey said. “After the Brownsville game, we went back to fundamentals with more detail. We’re trying to get better every game.”

Kovach chipped in with 13 points for the Lady Red Raiders.