COCOLAMUS — New coach Marcus Toomer got his head coaching career off to a fine start as his Bellefonte Area High School girls’ basketball team finished second in the Juniata County Tipoff Tournament.
The Lady Raiders held East Juniata to two points in their 49-40 first-round victory on Friday, Dec. 6. Juniata denied Bellefonte the tourney title, 50-32, on Dec. 7.
Maddie Steiner scored a game-high 16 points in the East Juniata game, while Mia Johnson chipped in with 11.
However, the contest turned on the other end of the floor. Trailing by three at halftime, Bellefonte outscored East Juniata 17-2 in the third quarter.
“A great defensive effort,” Toomer said. “We held Alyssa Robinson to two points in the second half (after she scored 12 in the first half).”
Mallorie Smith led the Lady Raiders with 11 points against Juniata. Mackenzie Bennett scored 14 and Olivia Clark 13 for Juniata.
STATE COLLEGE
Maya Bokunewicz was honored for reaching the 1,000-point club in the playoffs last season and then went out and fired in a game-high 22 points as the Lady Little Lions notched their first victory of the season, 61-38, over visiting Central Dauphin East on Dec. 10. The Rice-bound senior all-stater made 10 field goals, including a pair of 3-pointers. Isabelle Leazier added 15 points, and Jada Coleman scored 11. State dropped a pair of games to traditional Pittsburgh area powers in the North Allegheny Tipoff Tournament, falling to the host team, 70-20, on Friday, and then dropping the consolation game to Bethel Park, 54-35, on Dec.
7. Bokunewicz collected 19 points in the tournament. Coleman’s 11 points led the Lady Little Lions against Bethel Park, when State was within two at halftime but was outscored 32-15 over the final two quarters.
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA
Another first-year coach, Brandon Myers, got his tenure off to a positive start as Philipsburg-Osceola thumped visiting Moshannon Valley, 55-28, behind Lindsey Bordas’ 20-point outburst on Dec. 6. Bordas got plenty of help. Kyleigh Kennedy netted 14 points, and Samantha Bainey scored 13. The Lady Mounties scored 24 points in the third quarter. Sydney Bubb’s 20 points fronted Mo Valley. The Lady Mounties were unable to build on the momentum Dec. 7, however, falling at Central Mountain, 65-19, as the Lady Wildcats’ Quinlynn McCann fired in 32 points. Three other Central Mountain players reached double figures. Bainey led P-O with nine.
PENNS VALLEY
The Lady Rams got a rude awakening to the 2019-20 season, falling to a pair of teams that advanced to the PIAA playoffs last season in the Forest Hills Tipoff Classic. Hannah Montminy, who is closing in on 1,000 points for her career, scored 22 points in the consolation game, but it wasn’t enough as Penns Valley dropped a 57-32 decision to Central Cambria on Dec. 7. Liz Bopp and Cassidy Bezek combined for 29 points for Central Cambria. The game was a rematch of last year’s PIAA Class 3A semifinals, won by Penns Valley. Forest Hills downed the Lady Rams, 66-20, in the opening round on Dec. 6. Leah Beban and Katie Martell scored five points apiece to pace Penns Valley.
GRACE PREP
The Lady Storm dipped to 1-5, dropping a pair of games at Cambria County Christian’s Bobbi D. Tournament on Dec. 7. Sarah Zubler scored 19 points in the consolation game, but it wasn’t enough to avert a 47-30 setback to Bedford CIA. CIA’s Beth Fisher topped all scorers with 21 points. In the first round, Grace Prep was held to five points combined in the first, third and fourth quarters of a 45-15 defeat at the hands of Cambria County Christian. Saran Ashley-Douglas and Eilisabeth Ciolkosz scored four points each to lead the Lady Storm, while the hosts got 20 from Hope Fenchak and 16 from Macie Poleorski. On Dec. 6 at C3, Great Commission dealt Grace Prep a 21-19 defeat, outpointing the Lady Storm 6-4 in the fourth quarter. Ashley-Douglas led Grace with 10, and Maddi Boyer added five points. Julia Willett of Great Commission led all scorers with 12 points. The Lady Storm also fell to visiting Juniata Mennonite, 40-12, on Tuesday. Zubler paced Grace Prep with nine points, while Juniata Mennonite’s Grace Sheaffer led all scorers with 15. Juniata Mennonite forged an 11-0 lead after one quarter increased it to 27-1 by halftime.
ST. JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC ACADEMY
The Lady Wolves won two out of three games in the first week after posting a 60-48 victory at Saltsburg on Dec. 9. Bridgid Scanlan netted 19 to lead St. Joseph’s, while Kathleen Simander scored 15 and Kate Youngmark 13. St. Joseph’s took third at the WAABA Tournament in Windber, defeating Everett and its St. Francis University recruit, Kaitlyn Maxwell, 42-37, in the consolation round on Dec. 7. Simander led all scorers with 20 points, outdueling Maxwell, who finished with 18. The Lady Wolves carried the fourth quarter, 19-11, to come back and win. St. Joseph’s dropped a tough, 45-39 decision to Windber in the opening round. No other details were available.
