by Bud Hart With a 47-34 home win over Ephrata on Tuesday, January 31, the Solanco girls kept their hopes alive for a playoff spot. It was a tale of two halves as the Mules held the Mounts to single digits in each of the first half quarters, while the Mounts turned the favor in both second half quarters limiting the Mules to eight points in each eight minute quarter. “In the first minutes of the game we raced out to a 10-0 lead” wrote head coach Chad McDowell. “It is always important to get out to a quick start against a rivalry team.” The Mules held a healthy 31-12 lead at the half, but the Mounts were not to be totally denied. “In the second half Ephrata began to hit some shots and we became a little passive on the offensive end,” added McDowell. “It’s an area we need to improve on once we take the lead. We need to continue to attack and make good decisions.”
Solanco had five players score in this one with a couple of underclassmen leading the way. Sophomore Jess Cabrera led the team with 15 points, including three treys, and Aleska Burger, another sophomore, followed with 13 points. Senior Nikki Boultinghouse added nine, sophomore Grace Kreider eight and freshman Jenna Dombach, two. Senior Jen Eberly, led the team with 10 rebounds, followed by Burger (8), and Boultinghouse (3). Kreider was credited with five steals to lead the team; Cabrera, Burger, and Eberly each recorded two. The foul line was a challenge for the girls as they connected on only six of 11 (54.6 percent) from the stripe. “Overall, I thought we played a complete game from start to finish,” wrote McDowell. “We were able to execute our game plan and we played as a team. We continue to gain confidence and valuable experience each and every time we take the court.” The playoff bubble may have sprung a leak for the Mules at Mount Joy on Friday, February 3, as the Indians stuck them with a 77-46 loss. According to McDowell the Indians raced out to a 21-8 first quarter lead using an effective transition game. “They were able to get some easy baskets early on” said the coach. “And we got off to a slow start.” Solanco got to within nine at the half due to a big second quarter by Mule senior center Boultinghouse, who scored 11 of her, team leading, 14 points in that frame. Defensively keying in on the two big Donegal guns, (Rachel) Robinson and (Kiera) Baughman, who the Mules held to a combined 24 points, the Indians had another weapon holstered. “For Donegal that was (Carly) Diffenderfer,” wrote McDowell. “We knew she could score as well, and we gambled and she made us pay.” Diffenderfer took game honors with 24 points including a six for seven (85.7%) ratio from the charity stripe. In addition to Boultinghouse’s 14 points, the Mule contributors were Burger (7), Dombach (6), Cabrera (5), Mowrer (5), Kreider (4) and Elaina Daily (3). Burger and Kreider each pulled down five rebounds. Kreider also led the team in steals (5) and assists (3). “It was a tough loss, but I am not disappointed at all,” said McDowell. “I am even more motivated to get our team to that level and I’m confident we will get there. This is a process.” The Solanco junior varsity suffered the same fate as the varsity defeating Ephrata by a slim 27-24 margin, but losing to Donegal 45-28. Solanco had their work cut out for them against the Mountaineers. The defensive battle came down with five seconds to play, when with the scored tied at 24-all, Alana Yoder, the team’s leading scorer with 13, was fouled. The freshman guard hit both free throws to give the Mules a 26-24 advantage. On the ensuing inbounds play, Hanna Phillips intercepted Ephrata’s long pass and was fouled in the bargain. The sophomore guard hit one of the free throws with 1.9 seconds left to secure no less than a tie. Ephrata’s offensive strategy failed and the Mules earned win number 15. Kara McClune added five points to the scoring column, along with Phillips (5), Mackenzie Gladfelter (2), Katie Sheaffer (2) and Alyssa Henretty (2). Donegal ended the euphoria late in the week, handing Solanco’s junior varsity a 45-28 loss. It was only their third loss of the season. McClune led the team in points scored with 10. The sophomore forward was followed by Sheaffer (4), Montana Lockhart (4), Yoder (4), Mowrer (4) and Phillips (2). Both teams close out the regular season at home on February 7 against the Garden Spot Lady Spartans. Comments are closed.
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