Blade
01-10-2010, 11:16 AM
High school girls basketball: Shamokin routs Shikellamy in HAC-I showdown
COAL TOWNSHIP -- Coach Bill Callahan has been searching for about two weeks for the Shamokin basketball team that opened the season 3-1 and seemed to be clicking on all cylinders.
The past few games the Indians seemed to be lacking that chemistry, and despite notching a holiday tournament championship, the team was upset by Milton and then had to entertain a healthy Shikellamy squad Saturday, with first place on the line in Division I of the Heartland Athletic Conference.
What happened was an almost perfect performance by the home team, as Shamokin dominated Shikellamy in all aspects en route to an impressive 57-28 triumph that has the Indians back in the title hunt.
"This was a must-win' game for our team in January because another loss and we'd be two games back in the loss column, and they are too good of a team to suddenly forget how to win," Callahan said. "We came out right from the opening tap and never let them get comfortable in their offense, while we attacked their defense and played aggressively all over the court."
Summer Reigle's three points and a Hannah Martin deuce gave the Indians a 5-0 lead before Dana Reed scored twice to cut the Braves' deficit to 5-4. After Tara Sabotchick converted one of two attempts from the foul line, Alexis Angstadt hit a jumper to tie the score at 6-6. That was as close as it wpuld be the rest of the contest.
Sabotchick collected four consecutive points to allow the Indians to finish the opening stanza with a 10-6 advantage. However, the next four minutes allowed fans from both teams to see just how explosive the Indians can be when they are playing up to their capabilities. Mary Kate Kelley (5), Amanda Cole (2) and Sabotchick (2) helped ignite a 9-0 run to open the second quarter, and after Megan Slonaker broke a 3:18 scoring drought for the Braves, Martin went on a seven-point run and Summer Reigle added a layup that had Shikellamy looking up at a 26-10 deficit.
"I can't begin to figure out where our basketball minds were today, but it wasn't on this game," Braves coach Lew Dellegrotti said. "We had no focu,s and give credit to Shamokin, because they never let us get into any kind of rhythm whether it was on offense or defense. Our shooting was atrocious in the second quarter (3-for-20), and they took advantage to turn what should have been a great game to watch into a laugher."
The Indians, led by Martin's seven points, outscored the Braves 18-6 in the stanza to take a 28-12 lead at the intermission.
"I knew we would have to play solid defense and not let Shikellamy set up in their press," Callahan said. "If we make them play our brand of basketball I was confident we'd be OK, but we still had to play a second half."
The Braves made a mild push to open the second half, with Emily Daddario and Kelly Bickel both scoring twice to trim the Shamokin lead to 28-17. However, with Shikellamy getting into foul trouble and the Shamokin offense beating the defense down the floor, Martin tallied four points and Sabotchick drilled a 3-pointer and followed with a pair of layups that ballooned the margin to 39-20. The Braves could not find an answer to slow down their opponents, who aided themselves by keeping several loose balls alive and battling their taller opponents on the boards, limiting Shikellamy on most trips down the floor to one shot.
"We could not find the basket today and when we had open shots we passed them up," Dellegrotti said. "Our focus was not there, and Shamokin made us pay for it."
The final period the Indians spread the floor, forcing the Braves to chase them all over the court and allowing some easy baskets.
"This was round one and we let them back into it," Dellegrotti said. "It's my job to get us back on track and refocused, and that we will do. They have to come down to our place to play, and let's see what happens then. Kudos to them today. No doubt they were the better team and deserved to win."
Sabotchick finished with 16 points and Martin had 13 and six rebounds. Reigle contributed eight points and took down 10 caroms, and Amanda Cole, with five points and six boards, battled 6-foot Shikellamy senior Megan Slonaker, holding her to four points.
Reed paced the Braves with eight points and seven rebpounds, followed by Bickel and Angstadt each with six points apiece.
By Marion Valanoski
For The Daily Item
COAL TOWNSHIP -- Coach Bill Callahan has been searching for about two weeks for the Shamokin basketball team that opened the season 3-1 and seemed to be clicking on all cylinders.
The past few games the Indians seemed to be lacking that chemistry, and despite notching a holiday tournament championship, the team was upset by Milton and then had to entertain a healthy Shikellamy squad Saturday, with first place on the line in Division I of the Heartland Athletic Conference.
What happened was an almost perfect performance by the home team, as Shamokin dominated Shikellamy in all aspects en route to an impressive 57-28 triumph that has the Indians back in the title hunt.
"This was a must-win' game for our team in January because another loss and we'd be two games back in the loss column, and they are too good of a team to suddenly forget how to win," Callahan said. "We came out right from the opening tap and never let them get comfortable in their offense, while we attacked their defense and played aggressively all over the court."
Summer Reigle's three points and a Hannah Martin deuce gave the Indians a 5-0 lead before Dana Reed scored twice to cut the Braves' deficit to 5-4. After Tara Sabotchick converted one of two attempts from the foul line, Alexis Angstadt hit a jumper to tie the score at 6-6. That was as close as it wpuld be the rest of the contest.
Sabotchick collected four consecutive points to allow the Indians to finish the opening stanza with a 10-6 advantage. However, the next four minutes allowed fans from both teams to see just how explosive the Indians can be when they are playing up to their capabilities. Mary Kate Kelley (5), Amanda Cole (2) and Sabotchick (2) helped ignite a 9-0 run to open the second quarter, and after Megan Slonaker broke a 3:18 scoring drought for the Braves, Martin went on a seven-point run and Summer Reigle added a layup that had Shikellamy looking up at a 26-10 deficit.
"I can't begin to figure out where our basketball minds were today, but it wasn't on this game," Braves coach Lew Dellegrotti said. "We had no focu,s and give credit to Shamokin, because they never let us get into any kind of rhythm whether it was on offense or defense. Our shooting was atrocious in the second quarter (3-for-20), and they took advantage to turn what should have been a great game to watch into a laugher."
The Indians, led by Martin's seven points, outscored the Braves 18-6 in the stanza to take a 28-12 lead at the intermission.
"I knew we would have to play solid defense and not let Shikellamy set up in their press," Callahan said. "If we make them play our brand of basketball I was confident we'd be OK, but we still had to play a second half."
The Braves made a mild push to open the second half, with Emily Daddario and Kelly Bickel both scoring twice to trim the Shamokin lead to 28-17. However, with Shikellamy getting into foul trouble and the Shamokin offense beating the defense down the floor, Martin tallied four points and Sabotchick drilled a 3-pointer and followed with a pair of layups that ballooned the margin to 39-20. The Braves could not find an answer to slow down their opponents, who aided themselves by keeping several loose balls alive and battling their taller opponents on the boards, limiting Shikellamy on most trips down the floor to one shot.
"We could not find the basket today and when we had open shots we passed them up," Dellegrotti said. "Our focus was not there, and Shamokin made us pay for it."
The final period the Indians spread the floor, forcing the Braves to chase them all over the court and allowing some easy baskets.
"This was round one and we let them back into it," Dellegrotti said. "It's my job to get us back on track and refocused, and that we will do. They have to come down to our place to play, and let's see what happens then. Kudos to them today. No doubt they were the better team and deserved to win."
Sabotchick finished with 16 points and Martin had 13 and six rebounds. Reigle contributed eight points and took down 10 caroms, and Amanda Cole, with five points and six boards, battled 6-foot Shikellamy senior Megan Slonaker, holding her to four points.
Reed paced the Braves with eight points and seven rebpounds, followed by Bickel and Angstadt each with six points apiece.
By Marion Valanoski
For The Daily Item