Lady Rockets move to 2-0
Beth-Center’s Alli Trippy (10) drives the ball past Jefferson-Morgan’s Grace Haywood and Jamie Lawrence (13) during Saturday’s game at Jefferson-Morgan High School. (Photo by Holly Tonini)
Holly Tonini
Jefferson-Morgan’s Rachel Hildebrand (23) takes a shot over Beth-Center’s Madison Derey Saturday at Jefferson-Morgan High School.
Holly Tonini
Beth-Center’s Haley Woody (14) looks to make a pass around Jefferson-Morgan’s Rachel Hildebrand (23) and Ally Bogden Saturday at Jefferson-Morgan High School.
JEFFERSON — The Jefferson-Morgan girls’ basketball squad tallied 21 points in the third quarter after a cold shooting performance in the first half, en route to a 39-28 victory over Beth-Center Saturday in the Rocket Tip-off Tournament.
The Lady Rockets are 2-0 after wins over Beth-Center and Waynesburg Central (49-38 Friday night).
“We were a little flat in the first half and at halftime we emphasized that we have to be more aggressive and play as a team,” J-M coach Ellen Hildebrand said. “We went with the press in the third quarter and that turned things around for us. We got some quality minutes from our bench and I think our depth was key in the win tonight.”
The Lady Bulldogs (0-1) scored the first five points of the game, courtesy of a 3-pointer by Anna Bartman and a bucket by Hailey Woody. B-C led 9-2 at the end of one.
In the second stanza, B-C went on a 9-3 spree before J-M collected the final three points of the first half, and trailed 18-8 at halftime.
The Lady Rockets started the third period with six straight points and took their first lead of the game, 22-20, on a trey from Kayla Yorko. J-M ended the quarter on a 7-0 run and was up 29-20 going into the fourth.
“The third quarter was the difference maker tonight,” B-C coach Steve Beyer said. “We got into foul trouble and that hurts when you only have seven kids on your roster. We couldn’t handle their press and we turned the ball over way too much. They dictated the tempo.”
J-M was led by its press defense in the third quarter and forced several turnovers.
“We are still young and I think our press can get better,” Hildebrand said. “When you are speeding up the game and forcing your opponent to turn the ball over, it helps your offense and you can overcome a sluggish shooting night. We are still trying to figure out where our kids fit in our starting line-up and it’s a long journey to February.”
The Lady Bulldogs rallied at the start of the fourth and cut the lead to 31-25 after a mid-range jumper by Bartman.
With 4:19 left in the contest, the Lady Rockets secured the victory with a 6-1 run.
Yorko collected a team-high 13 points for J-M, while Erin Confortini (eight), Rachel Hildebrand (eight) and Nicole Venick (six) aided the Lady Rockets’ cause. Bartman compiled a game-high 14 points for the Lady Bulldogs.
“We are a little limited with our offensive skill and, obviously, Anna is going to be our go-to scorer,” Beyer said. “She has an excellent shot and has a nose for the ball. The other girls have to contribute for us, whether it is rebounding or points in the paint. For us to be successful this year, it has to be a total team effort.”
Both teams will continue non-section play on Monday, as B-C travels to Mapletown and J-M welcomes Charleroi.
“The girls have worked hard this off-season and it feels good to start the year off with two wins at home,” Hildebrand said. “We all know that we have a long way to go and there’s always room for improvement. These kids have come up from our feeder programs and we are finally building our depth and the kids are accepting new roles on the team.”