Lady Colonials run win streak to 15 games
YORK RUN – Albert Gallatin inched closer to regaining the Section 2-AAAA girls basketball crown that got away from it last season with a 63-36 victory over visiting Connellsville Monday. Senior star Loui Hall poured in 36 points to go along with 14 rebounds, four steals, two blocked shots and one assist as the first-place Lady Colonials (17-2, 11-0) extended their winning streak to 15 games.
Coach Shea Fleenor’s squad can regain the section title it held in 2000 and 2001 with a victory over visiting Trinity on Thursday.
“It was disappointing last year when we didn’t finish first, so we’re pretty determined to get that back this year,” said Lady Colonial senior point guard Rachel Karpency, who contributed five points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one blocked shot. “We’ve had a target on our backs for four years now, so it would be nice to win the section again as a senior.”
First, however, AG has a key non-section clash at Oakland Catholic on Wednesday.
“We’re aiming for the section championship, but then again we’re playing for playoff seeding, too, so the game at Oakland Catholic is a big one for us,” said Fleenor, who is in his first year as AG’s coach. “We’ll find out where we’re at and what we have to work on real quick when we play them.”
Where the Lady Colonials are at right now is flying high and hitting on all cylinders.
“Everything is clicking for us now,” said senior center Ashley Davis, who totaled 12 points, four rebounds, three steals, one blocked shot and one assist.
Albert Gallatin scored the first 12 points of the game and never looked back. Hall had 10 of those first 12, including two of her three 3-pointers on the night, and Davis accounted for the other two points. The Lady Colonials led 19-6, 39-17 and 52-26 at the breaks.
The slow start was a familiar tune to first-year Lady Falcons coach Bobby Renzie.
“The storyline was told in the first couple minutes,” Renzie said. “It seems like we fall behind 7-0 or 8-1 every game. Tonight it was 12-0. We play two or three good quarters, but that first quarter always comes back to haunt us. We played a lot of girls and I like what we did defensively, but we missed too many easy shots on offense.
“I want to wish AG well in the playoffs. They’ve got a nice basketball team. Loui Hall is great, but they’ve got some other good players, too.”
Christine Salandra led Connellsville (9-11, 4-7) with seven points, three assists and two steals. Three other starters tallied six points in Shannon Kovack, Billie Jo Haas (with two 3-pointers) and Ashley Benzio, who also had three rebounds.
Jamie Domer (four points, seven rebounds, one steal) and Alexis Metros (four rebounds, two points, one assist) turned in some quality minutes off the bench as Renzie rotated several girls in and out of the lineup.
Shane Guerriere had a game-high four assists for Albert Gallatin.
Hall was a dominating force as usual.
“It’s not just the points that impress me with Loui, but it’s also her work ethic,” Fleenor said. “People think we just feed her the ball, but she works hard for her points.
“We have some other good players, too. Ashley was injured and missed our first four games, and we haven’t lost since she’s been back in the lineup. She’s really come along big time and is playing with a lot of confidence right now.
“Another player that is so invaluable to this team is Rachel. She does all of those things that never show up in a box score.”