HAZLE TWP. \u2014 A glance at the boxscore shows the McAdoo-Kelayres and Valley junior high girls\u2019 basketball teams played to a 17-all stalemate over the final three quarters of their Anthracite League championship game on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Sticking out, though, is the unbeaten Lady Eagles\u2019 9-0 start and later their 7-0 third-quarter run. Both keyed their eventual 26-17 victory and their third straight league title.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very important to get a good jump in this game,\u201d Deanna Shimko, Valley\u2019s first-year head coach, said afterward. \u201cMcAdoo plays an intense game. (Its) girls are quick, they\u2019re smart and they were a tough matchup for us. I told our girls that our defense was going to win the game for us today.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the Lady Mustangs didn\u2019t find the basket in 11 shot attempts and turned the ball over seven times in the first quarter, Valley was getting four points apiece from Olivia Rodgers and Piper Brutosky and a Hailey Spaide free throw to account for its early nine-point spurt. That proved to be the difference in the end.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t score as much as we wanted\u2026 so we had to focus on playing solid defense and committing no fouls,\u201d Shimko said.<\/p>\n
The Lady Eagles\u2019 lead eventually swelled to 11-0 following Kendall Maylath\u2019s short jumper, before Ysabela Marchetti\u2019s driving layup finally put McAdoo-Kelayres on the scoreboard at the 3:18 mark of the second quarter. Amberly Jaramillo\u2019s old-fashioned three-point play continued the Lady Mustangs\u2019 momentum and they managed to stay within 13-8 by halftime.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t shoot it in the ocean in the first quarter \u2026We\u2019re not used to not scoring any points in a quarter at all,\u201d McAdoo-Kelayres head coach Amy Roslevege said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to give it up to Valley for coming out and being ready early, but I\u2019m also very proud of our girls for not ever giving up. They played well and hard to the last second.\u201d<\/p>\n
Valley yo-yoed its lead back up to 20-8 by the end of the third quarter. Rodgers added four more of her game-high 12 points, including two free throw; Maylath connected from in close and Brutosky made 1-of-2 free throws.<\/p>\n
Defensively, the determined Lady Eagles often had enough hands in the paths of McAdoo-Kelayres shooters, who were either off the mark or had shots roll in and out to wind up 0-for-15 from the floor in the quarter. Five Lady Mustangs turnovers also didn\u2019t help their cause.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeeping our girls humble was something we struggled with over the course of the season,\u201d Shimko said. \u201cI kept reminding our girls that McAdoo wanted (the championship) as much as we did. Keeping a structure and working on things in practice really kept us humbled and focused.\u201d<\/p>\n
After two more Maylath baskets gave the Lady Eagles their biggest lead (24-8) early in the fourth quarter, McAdoo-Kelayres still showed its pluck with nine of the game\u2019s final 11 points. Marchetti knocked down a jump shot and then swished a 3-pointer from the corner, Scarlett Riccio recycled a teammate\u2019s miss into a deuce and reserve Jeniece Burgos scored on a layup to account for their team\u2019s late surge.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so proud of our girls even making to the championship game,\u201d Roslevege said. \u201cit\u2019s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them because you don\u2019t see this kind of crowd, even in high school games unless you get to the district finals or into the state playoffs. I\u2019m just so proud of them for the way they played and they kept fighting all year, even tonight after they got into an early hole.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maylath followed Rodgers on the Valley side of the scorebook with eight points. Brutosky pitched in five. But it took a total team effort for the Lady Eagles to repat as league champions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe kept reminding our girls that there\u2019s always room for improvement,\u201d Shimko said. \u201cEven though we were having an undefeated season, we kept telling them that, of course, there was always room for us to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the Lady Mustangs, Marchetti showed the way with nine point. Jaramillo chipped in four, all coming in the second quarter.<\/p>\n
Only one team, though, got to cut down the nets \u2014 the same team that did it the past two seasons. But with a new coach in charge.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still shaking. ..It\u2019s amazing,\u201d Shimko said. \u201cI hope they made as much a difference in their lives as they made in mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Game summary<\/p>\n
Anthracite Junior High Basketball League<\/p>\n
Girls\u2019 championship<\/p>\n
At Hazleton Area High School<\/p>\n
McADOO-KELAYRES (17)<\/p>\n
J. Burgos 1 0-0 2, Sanchez 0 0-2 0, M. Riccio 0 0-4 0, S. Riccio 1 0-0 2, Marchetti 3 2-4 9, R. Burgos 0 0-0 0, Jaramillo 1 2-3 4. Totals 6 4-13 17.<\/p>\n
VALLEY (26)<\/p>\n
Spaide 0 1-4 1, Rodgers 5 2-3 12, Maylath 4 0-2 8, Shults 0 0-0 0, Brutosky 2 1-2 5, Demko 0 0-0 0, DeLeon 0 0-0 0. Totals11 4-11 26.<\/p>\n
M-K\u2026\u20260 8 0 9 \u2014 17<\/p>\n
Valley ..9 4 7 6 \u2014 26<\/p>\n
3-FG: Marchetti.<\/p>\n
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