GIRLS BASKETBALL

McConnellsburg 39, Windber 54.  On Tuesday, February 18^th, the Lady Spartans hosted the Windber Lady Ramblers in the first round of the PIAA District 5 Class 2A playoffs.  The Ramblers defense started to shut down the Spartans offense in the third quarter and by the fourth quarter had completely snuffed it out holding them scoreless to take the win.

In the first quarter, the Spartans got up early with eight unanswered points, but the Ramblers battled and at quarter’s end were down just two to the Spartans lead of 16-14. In the second quarter, both teams scored eleven apiece to go to halftime with the Spartans holding a slim lead 27-25.

In the third quarter, the Ramblers hit six field goals including two threes scoring 18 points to the Spartans’ 12 points and took the lead 43-39. In this quarter, Maggie Mellott got eight of her game high 14 points, besting her seasonal eight point per game average.

But it was the devastating fourth quarter that sunk the Spartans’ hopes of a semifinal round advance.  The Ramblers went on to score 11 more points (including making 9 of 12 free throws) and held the Spartans scoreless the entire quarter, the first this season. The Ramblers’ relentless full court defense forced more Spartan turnovers, and low percentage and missed shots that afforded them the 15-point win.  Their double teaming kept our top scorer Serenity Rengifo (12 ppg avg) and other starters from reaching their scoring averages and held the Spartans to just two total three-point goals. Their quick on defense drove us to take more pressured shots.

The Spartans were led in scoring by Mellott with a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds.

This loss ends what is an otherwise successful, winning Lady Spartans season (15-7 overall, 6-2 ICC South).  Most notably this season is a complete, positive flip of the script of last year’s record that was 5-15.  Windber advances to the semifinal round.

MCCONNELLSBURG
Maggie Mellott 5 4-6 14, Serenity Rengifo 2 1-2 6, Journie Jefferson 2 0-0 4, Janiah Lowery 0 2-2 2, Brookelynn Gelvin 2 0-0 5, Lucy Brun 2 0-0 4, Sydney Buterbaugh  2 0-2 4, Totals 15 7-12 39.  3-point goals = 2 (Rengifo 1, B. Gelvin 1).  Team totals:  23 rebounds, 2 blocks, 28 turnovers, fouls 19, FTM% 58.3%.  Team stats:  Mellott 12 rebounds, 1 block; Brun 5 rebounds, 1 block; B. Gelvin 3 rebounds; Buterbaugh 1 rebound; Jefferson 1 rebound; Lowery 1 rebound.

WINDBER
Manippo 3 2-2 9, K. Gaye 3 8-9 16, P. Roxby 5 0-0 10, E. Birkhimer 1 0-0 2, A. Walz 1 2-3 4, C. Jablon 3 2-4 10, A. James 3-4 3, Totals 19 17-22 54.  3-point goals = 5 (Gaye 2, Jablon 2, Manippo 1).  Other stat totals:  19 rebounds, 15 turnovers, 17 fouls, FTM% 77.3%.

Windber                 14   11   18   11  —  54
McConnellsburg  16   11   12      0  —  39