Host Scotties beat Pennsauken in final
BORDENTOWN >> The focus of the Bordentown High girls’ basketball team this season has been to keep improving.
That mission has not changed, but as of Saturday, the Scotties learned they might have a chance to be even better than expected after beating Pennsauken, 47-30, in the championship game of the Bordentown Holiday Tournament.
Not only was it the third win in as many games for 12th-year head coach Bill Lloyd’s squad, but it was their first holiday title in seven seasons.
After winning nine games in 2018-19, the Scotties find themselves of the way back to that total before we have even reached 2020.
Making that accomplishment more special was knowledge that the championship game win came over an Indians club which is two divisions above B’town in the Burlington County Scholastic League. Pennsauken is in the Patriot Division, while the Scotties, who haven’t won a league title since 2004, went down to the Independence this year.
“Last year, we were laying the foundations and getting some of our younger players acclimated to varsity,” Lloyd said. “This year, the girls are finding out how to win as a team. It’s fun for all of us when they play as a team.”
Bordentown started having fun from the get-go when it ran off the game’s first six points. After the Indians drew as close as three points, Scotties 5-foot-6 junior guard Ciara Conover helped the home team stretch its lead to 12-5 in the final 38 seconds of the quarter with a scoop layup and a lead pass to Gillian Baker.
It was just the beginning of big things to come for Conover, who scored 14 of her game-high 18 points in the second half to help B’town stretch a 19-15 halftime lead.
“We moved the ball well. We kept up our intensity, and we didn’t let the other team outwork or intimidate us,” Conover said of her squad’s ability to hold on in its first relatively close contest.
Conover helped the Scotties finish the game strong when she was fouled with 2:07 to play and the home team up, 36-27. A technical on the same play gave Conover four free throws (of which she made three) and the ball, which led to a 13foot jump shot from senior Marissa Drew. In the span of 19 seconds, Bordentown expanded its lead to 41-27.
Pennsauken had kept the game close up until then behind nine points from sophomore forward Ebony Johnson and seven more from freshman guard Angela Carrasquillo.
But Conover with her sophomore backcourt mate Oshynn Cosom (12 points) and senior forward Aja Reeves (eight points) proved a little too much for the visitors.
“Last year, we were all new to varsity,” Conover said. “This year, we know each other, and our chemistry has gotten a lot better.”
That’s good news for the improving Scotties on the road that lies ahead.
PENNSAUKEN (30)
Cortorreal 2-0-5, EJohnson 4-1-9, Truitt 0-0-0, Perry 2-0-5, Carrasquillo 3-1-7, Mosley 0-0-0, Singleton 2-0-4, Bowles 0-0-0.
Totals — 13-2-30.
BORDENTOWN (47)
Drew 1-0-2, Reeves 2-4-8, Baker 1-0-2, Scranton 1-0-2, Reed 0-0-0, Conover 7-318, Cosom 4-3-12, Peterson 1-1-3. Totals — 17-11-47. Pennsauken(1-3) 5 10 7 8 — 30 Bordentown(3-0) 12 7 11 17 — 47 3-point goals: Cortorreal, Perry (P), Conover, Cosom (B).
NOTTINGHAM 42, LINDENWOLD 15
The Northstars picked up their first win in the consolation game of the Bordentown Holiday Tournament by holding the Lions to single-digit scoring in each quarter.
Meanwhile, second-year head coach Matt Paglione’s team hit for double digits in all but one quarter as senior Ashanti Myles put in a game-high 14 points, while freshman Yaeto Prall added 12 points. Prall’s classmate, Miyae Williams, chipped in nine points as Nottingham’s scoring total rose for a third straight game.
LINDENWOLD (15)
JJackson 2-2-6, Walden 0-0-0, Knight 1-2-5, Parker 0-1-1, Johnson-Cook 1-1-3, Morales 0-0-0, Lopez 0-0-0, Hill 0-0-0, HBrown 0-0-0, Bonilla 0-0-0. Totals — 4-6-15.
NOTTINGHAM (42)
Myles 7-0-14, Alers 1-0-2, Bolon 0-0-0, SJohnson 0-0-0, DMeneus 0-0-0, DeLeon 1-0-2, Flowers 0-0-0, CMeneus 1-1-3, Seidl 0-0-0, Prall 6-0-12, MWilliams 3-2-9, Wylie 0-0-0.
Totals — 19-3-42.
Lindenwold (1-3) 4 6 3 2 — 15 Nottingham (1-2) 9 10 10 13 — 42 3-point goals: Knight (L), MWilliams (N).