Lady Panthers end Ridgway's season
Northern Bedford's double-digit secondhalf rebounding edge proved crucial in the Lady Panthers' 4431 opening-round PIAA Class A playoff game in Ridgway on Saturday.
The District 6 runners-up held the Lady Elkers to eight second-half points after coming back from an 18-12 first-quarter deficit to tie the game at halftime.
Northern Bedford (17-9) advances to play defending state and WPIAL champ Union (205) on Wednesday at Hempfield Area High School in Greensburg. The Ridgway girls finished 20-7 and as District 9 runner-up to Elk County Catholic, which beat them four times, including 42-20 in the Mar. 2 district championship game at PennWest Clarion. ECC advanced to round two with a 4516 win over Monessen, the WPIAL fifthplace finisher.
Things started well for the Lady Elkers, who led 9-2 2:31 in after two three-pointers from senior Jenna Kasmierski, who was shut out in the district title game, and a three-point play from junior Grace Bon. After a three by Northern Bedford senior Mariah Hall, senior Kristen Ellenberger put Ridgway up 11-5. Hall scored again before freshman Sophia Fullem's two buckets made it 15-7. With 15 seconds left in the quarter, Kasmierski hit her third trey, upping the lead to 1810. Hall hit again before time expired.
Hall, who scored a game-high 22 points, hit a three, tying the game with 3:42 left in the half. Senior Gabby Amacher put the Lady Elkers back in front with a three. Hall banged a three with 1:14 left, sending the teams to the locker room tied at 23.
Hall opened the third by giving her team its first lead. Senior Lacy McIlnay scored the next four points before junior Emma Vargas broke a 5:46 Ridgway scoring drought that started in the second, making it 29-25. The lead was upped to 37-25 before Amacher hit a three at the buzzer.
Hall scored to open the fourth, and Ridgway could never reduce the lead to below 10 the rest of the way.
"For whatever reason, today wasn't our day," said Lady Elker head coach Jay Schreiber. “[Northern Bedford] was well prepared. We started well but didn't answer, fell off a bit, and couldn't get things going again."
The head coach discussed rebounding.
"One of our issues throughout the year has been teams getting second and third chances. It seemed like we'd get it fixed, and then it would fall apart. Today, there were times that the ball would go opposite from the shot, and they'd run it down, but we didn't have that same intensity. Rebounding is one of the biggest parts of basketball. The odds are always in your favor when you can grab them and get extra shots rather than going one and done."
Schreiber said Hall caught him a bit off guard.
"I knew she was a heck of a player, but she was much faster than I saw watching her on video. She had a nice touch, a nice shot, could drive, and was really solid."
The Ridgway coach felt the way the contest was being called affected his team offensively.
"We wanted to get some things going to the basket and I personally feel there were some questionable calls at times. I think every one of our fouls was a foul, but there were times when I didn't think we got a call our way. But, in the end, [Northern Bedford] played really well, took it to us in the second half, and that's the way the game goes."
Kasmierski, who finished her career with 1,149 points, scored 11, Fullem seven, Amacher six, Bon three, and Ellenberger and Vargas two points. McIlnay finished with nine points to go along with the 22 from Hall, a 1,000-pluspoint scorer; junior Addie Love added six, seniors Leah Swanseen four, and Lauren Heck three points.
"They are a good team, and I wish them the best," Schreiber said. "But I feel really bad for our three seniors. They've had the best season in 30-something years up here, and I thank them for everything they've done for the program."
Northern Bedford 44, Ridgway 31 1 2 3 4 T Individual:
FGFTM-FTA-Points
Northern Bedford:
Mariah Hall 8-3-422, Lacy McIlnay 4-3-4-9, Addie Love 2-0-2-6, Leah Swanseen 2-0-2-4, Lauren Heck 0-3-4-3, Halle Baker 0-0-0-0, 16-926-44.
Ridgway:
Jenna Kasmierski 4-0-0-11, Sophia Fullem 3-14-7, Gabby Amacher 2-0-0-6, Grace Bon 1-1-2-3, Kristen Ellenberger 1-0-2-2, Emma Vargas 1-00-2, Sara Zameroski 0-0-0-0, Maddy MacAfee 0-0-0-0, Izzi Lawrie 0-0-0-0, Neve Washburn 0-0-0-0, 12-2-8-31.
Three-pointers:
N. Bedford 5 – Hall (3), Love (2); Ridgway
5 – Kasmierski (3), Amacher (2).