by Bud Hart Chad McDowell and his stable of Mules needed some rest following two overtime losses and a Saturday evening away win. On Tuesday, January 17, the Mules traveled to Manheim and lost to the Barons 54-45 in overtime. “It was an exciting game where both teams made runs,” McDowell said. Neither team lead by more than four or five the entire game. With Solanco down two with 10 seconds on the clock, Central fouled Nikki Boultinghouse who connected on both shots to give the Mules a 42-40 lead. But Manheim lucked out when a deflected pass fell into the wrong hands and a rim shot rolled into the net to tie it up. Solanco was challenged in the overtime period. "We just could not get anything positive going” said McDowell. “We turned the ball over on several possessions, we missed some defensive assignments, and we missed some easy shots that could have changed the flow of the overtime period.” In the end the Barons outscored the Mules 12-3 in OT to earn the win.
Aleska Burger led the Mules with 18 points, 10 rebounds, six steals, and two assists. “Aleska does a lot of little things in a game that make a big difference,” said the coach. “She has a great work ethic and she plays with a lot of heart.” Jess Cabrera ended with 11 points and three rebounds; Jess Dombach scored 10 points and pulled down five rebounds. Grace Kreider scored two points, but grabbed five loose balls and led the team in assists with six. Kara McClune had a trifecta with two points, rebounds and steals and Nikki Boultinghouse scored two points and was credited with three rebounds. Traveling to Denver on Friday, January 20, the Mules took the Cocalico Eagles to triple OT before losing 52-49. “This was one of the greatest games I have ever been a part of as a basketball coach,” said McDowell. “Both teams played their hearts out and left everything on the court.” With about six minutes left in the fourth quarter Solanco held a 35-30 lead, but Cocalico regained the lead 37-35 in the closing minutes. The Mules took a 4-2 scoring advantage in the closing seconds to send the game into the first OT knotted at 39. Both teams played tight defense, sending the game into the second OT tied at 42. Again, defense was the key and the four-minute period ended with the score at 44-all. The third quarter found the Eagles scoring on the opening tip and that deflated the young Mule team. Cocalico went on an 8-5 run to earn the victory. “I thought we played an outstanding game against a quality team,” said McDowell. “I told the girls after the game, we just went toe-to-toe with the Section leader and with a break here or there we win that game. I am extremely proud of the effort, heart and passion every girl played in the game.” Cabrera led the team with 16 points. She was followed by Burger (15), Kreider (11) and Boultinghouse (7). “Jen Eberly did not score, but her performance was huge in the game,” added McDowell. “She was all over the floor getting to loose balls and grabbing rebounds. She also did a great job on the defensive end of the court.” McDowell was also pleased with his bench as the team was hit with some illnesses and injuries. “I thought we had some key production from Dombach, Katie Sheaffer, Hanna Phillips and Kara McClune,” said McDowell. Saturday evening, January 21, found the Mules visiting the Kennard Dale Rams. This time they turned things around, winning 38-32. “We got off to a slow start,” said the coach, who suspected that possibility after an emotional loss the night prior. The Mules got their emotions under control and led after the first eight minutes 9-8 stretching that lead to 21-12 at the half. From there they never trailed. Cabrera led the way with 12 points followed by Kreider (6), Mowrer (6), Boultinghouse (5), Burger (5) and Dombach (4). “This was a character building week for our team,” said McDowell. “It should be a fun ride during the final few weeks of the regular season, as we are still in the mix for a district playoff spot.” The Mule junior varsity went 3-0 on the week with wins over Manheim Central (41-23), Cocalico (39-33) and Kennard Dale (37-21). They are now 11-2 overall. Nine players scored in the Central game led by Liz Mowrer who pumped in 11. She was followed by Kara McClune (6), Alana Yoder (6), Natalie Lasko (4), Hannah Walters (4), Hanna Phillips 4), Alyssa Henretty (2), Katie Sheaffer (2) and Montana Lockhart (2). At Denver, Phillips took scoring honors with 11. She was followed by McClune (7), Yoder (6), Lockhart (5), Lasko (4), Mackenzie Gladfelter (4) and Henretty (2). McClune and Phillips took scoring honors at Kennard Dale each with nine points on the night. Gladfelter followed with eight. Lasko (3), Sheaffer (2), Walters (2), Mowrer (2), and Gabi Dolan (2) closed out the scoring. Comments are closed.
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