Wednesday,
March 2, 2016
By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director
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Junior Kelly Lohr scored 8 of her game-high 19 points in the first quarter to get Glen Rock off and running on the way to a 51-35 win over Lakeland in the first round of the North 1, Group 2 state sectional tournament on Tuesday night. |
GLEN ROCK – As far as state tournament playoff problems go, Glen Rock’s was relatively easy to solve. After taking a huge early lead and dominating for three-plus quarters, the Panthers last bit of crisis management came early in the fourth when visiting Lakeland finally got some shots to fall. There were a few times when Glen Rock left the floor unbalanced and picked up the ball in trap zones and it almost got to the point where Lakeland could start to think that a comeback might be possible.
Glen Rock only needed a basket or two to close out the game, but made none through the first 3:42 of the final period. A 3-pointer and a steal and a layup by Lakeland’s Annie Yost had the Lancers creeping closer.
“We knew they were going to press us, we went over the press break, but for a couple of minutes there we were lost,” said Glen Rock head coach Steve Grenz. “But other than that our girls did a great job today. They built up a 20-point lead and we had some room to work with.”
By establishing junior Kelly Lohr in the low post early and then taking advantage of the open space created by a defense forced to collapse, Glen Rock showed its full array of offensive abilities as it moved the ball quickly to open shooters and reaped the rewards. The Panthers went up 13-3 after the first quarter, went up by as many as 20 in the second quarter, led 30-12 at halftime and wound up with a 51-35 victory that sends the 8th-seeded Panthers on to the North 1, Group 2 state sectional quarterfinals where they will visit top-seeded High Point on Thursday night.
“We just came out strong and we had the mentality that we were going to work hard every minute we were out there,” said Fiona Higgins, one of Glen Rock’s two senior starters. “Especially as a senior I did not want this to be might last game and we were all in.”
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Lakeland senior Annie Yost scored 12 of her team-high 13 points in the second half. |
Lakeland’s only lead of the game came at 3-2 after Yost hit a free throw 1:52 in, but Lohr got it going soon after that and the rest of the Panthers followed her lead. Lohr scored on the fastbreak off a lead pass by Julia Gaffey to give Glen Rock the lead for good. Lohr went on a personal 6-0 run to put the Panthers up 8-3 and then assisted from the high post on a Cate McLoughlin bucket. Lizzie Alba then canned a 3-pointer to make it 13-3 Glen Rock after the first quarter and it was 18-3 1:44 into the second when Lohr rolled to the basket and converted a pass from Kaitlyn Arcede.
“We thought we might have an advantage down low so early in the game we made it a point to throw the ball inside and it worked because we got the lead and later in the game you saw the 3-pointers going in because the defense was collapsing,” said Lohr, a junior, who scored 8 of her game-high 19 points in the first quarter. “I was nervous all day looking forward to this game, but once we got on the court and started playing we settled right down. We had a good crowd supporting us and that really helped.”
McLoughlin nailed a 3-pointer from the corner to put Glen Rock up 30-10 late in the second quarter before Jess Catalioto scored inside for Lakeland to close the half. The Panthers had the Lancers doubled up at 36-18 after Annaliese Kehm scored inside and they led 41-22 when Lohr again scored in the paint to close the third quarter scoring.
With nothing to lose and with fouls to give, Lakeland turned up its defensive pressure to start the final quarter and Yost made the first two baskets, a 3 and a layup, to give the Lancers some hope. They were within 14 points twice, 13 points once and got as close as 46-35 on Allison McBride’s putback with 1:45 to go, but Lohr made both ends of a one-and-one on Glen Rock’s next offensive possession and the comeback was extinguished.
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Lizzie Alba finished with 9 points for Glen Rock, the No. 8 seed which will visit No. 1 High Point in the quarterfinals on Thursday. |
It was the second straight year that Lakeland has had its season end on Glen Rock’s home floor, last season it was in the sectional quarterfinals. Yost, a senior, scored 12 of her 13 points in the second half and McBride scored all 8 of hers after halftime. Sarah Diegan (4 points) was the only other Lancer to make more than one field goal.
Lohr was Glen Rock’s only double digit scorer, but that was by design as Glen Rock spaces the floor well and the open shooter gets the ball, whoever it might be. Alba (9 points) and Gaffey (6 points) each made two 3-pointers and Higgins also had 6 points, all from inside the paint. McLoughlin added 5 and Tara Szawaluk, Kehm and Allie Denenberg all made field goals for Glen Rock, which will take its 21-5 record on the road to High Point against the brackets top seed and favorite.
“We have scouted them and we know they are an excellent team. They are the top seed for a reason and they have a lot of good scorers,” said Grenz. “We have to make sure we tighten up our defense and hitting some shots like we did tonight would help, too.”
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