Solanco's girls basketball team put together its first winning streak of the season. The Mules mauled York Country Day Saturday, 48 hours after downing Garden Spot. Leading YCD 15-9 at halftime, Solanco blew the game open by outscoring the visitors 20-7 in the third quarter. "The key was our defensive pressure," Mules coach Chad McDowell said. "At halftime, we focused on picking up the intensity a little more. We forced them into turnovers, especially in the backcourt, and got some easy shots."
Solanco (6-14) also made some changes on offense. "They were playing zones so we made some adjustments and we were able to move the ball a lot better and had better shot selection." Overall, McDowell was pleased with his team's performance. "It was a good, solid defensive effort," he said. "We started a little slow on offense, but we woke up in the third quarter and did the little things correctly. I thought we played very well." Jess Cabrera paced Solanco with 10 points. Grace Kreider collected eight points, six rebounds, and two assists. Nikki Boultinghouse recorded eight points and six boards. Aleksa Burger provided seven points, five assists, and four rebounds. Gabby Rossi had five points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Jen Eberly posted one point and 13 rebounds, six of them on the offensive glass. "Jen did an outstanding job on the boards," said McDowell. "She was around the ball all night long. You need players who have a knack for being around the ball and Jen has the ability to find the ball. It is one of those intangible jobs within the game and Jen does the job well. Jen has great heart and hustle to get those loose balls whether off the rim or on the floor." Last Thursday, the Mules overcame a slow start to defeat Garden Spot, 49-40. "After the first few minutes we took a lead we didn't relinquish," said McDowell. Garden Spot led 2-1 midway through the first quarter before Rossi and Burger both hit a three-pointer on consecutive possessions. "That gave us the spark we needed," said McDowell. Solanco led 21-19 at halftime. "We got into a little foul trouble in the second quarter and Garden Spot was able to capitalize and get back into the game. We had to go to a zone, but once we were able to get through the second quarter, we started playing man-to-man again and created turnovers. We played a complete game and executed well." Burger registered 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals. "Aleksa came off the bench to play solid defense and got to the basket off the dribble," said McDowell. Rossi scored 10 points. Boultinghouse added nine points and 12 rebounds. Cabrera supplied six points. Kreider notched eight points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. "Grace did a good job all week," said McDowell. "It was good to see her play several good games in a row." Last Wednesday, Conestoga Valley dealt Solanco a 65-45 setback. Up 11-10 at the end of the first quarter, CV outscored the Mules 16-4 in the second quarter. "We did a nice job in the first quarter," McDowell said. "In the second quarter we struggled on the boards." CV outrebounded Solanco 39-24 for the game and had 14 offensive rebounds. "When you give up that many second and third opportunities, it's tough to win games," said McDowell. "They also got out in transition and dribble penetration hurt us." Boultinghouse had a huge game with 20 points, eight rebounds, and three steals. Rossi posted six points and five assists. Kreider added six points and three assists. Cabrera scored six points and Burger chipped in five points and six rebounds. "We played three quarters well," McDowell said. "We just didn't play well for all four quarters. I was happy with the way they bounced back against Garden Spot and York Country Day where we put together four good quarters. That was big for us and I'm proud of them. It's nice to see that we're finally putting all the pieces together. We've focused on being consistent for four quarters. We're well on our way to being successful." The Mules' JV squad also defeated Garden Spot and York Country Day. Liz Mowrer scored 21 points in a 47-38 triumph over Garden Spot. Katelyn Beal provided 10 points to help Solanco rout YCD 42-8. Comments are closed.
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