Lady Mounts advance to Semis
- 11 February 2009
Ephrata's performance Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Lancaster-Lebanon League girls' playoffs was not a thing of beauty, but the most important part of the game was the Mounts headed home from Elizabethtown with a victory.The Mounts (14-9) never trailed in a 33-29 win against Northern Lebanon, but repeatedly saw large leads slip away against a scrappy Vikings team.
The game was tied 6-6 in the first quarter, but the Vikings (14-10) never could overcome their poor outside shooting and the foul trouble that sent two starters to the bench for part of the first and second half.
The Ephrata defense held the Vikings to one basket the last five minutes of the game to escape with the win.
"We had great hustle and effort out there (tonight),'' Ephrata head coach Mike Garman said. "Our defense was outstanding in shutting down a high-powered offense that came in averaging 48 points per game. But we just don't make the best decisions at times. As far as hustle and effort, it's there, but we do not like to make a win look easy."
Ephrata, the Section Two champion, scored the first six points on baskets from Claire Woolley, Mel Andrew and Aly Goodman. The Vikings, Section Three runner-up, bounced right back on a 3-pointer from Shelly Erb and a three-point play from point guard Liz Houser.
The Vikings did not hit another shot from beyond the arc until the last minute of the game despite many open looks. Houser picked up three fouls in the first quarter and a fourth early in the second, forcing her to the bench for nearly ten minutes.
The Mounts finished the first quarter on a 4-0 run to lead 10-6. Their lead then dwindled to one before the team heated up on both ends of the floor, going on a 7-2 run to end the half.
Goodman and Andrew each had six points, but foul shooting and missed open layups were a problem that prevented the team from leading by more. The Mounts missed their first seven foul shots and only converted three of 10 for the game.
"I do not know why we struggle with foul shots as we work on them so much in practice," Garman said.
Northern Lebanon chipped away at the lead in the third quarter, making three straight baskets the last two minutes to only trail by two, 25-23. The Vikes did this with Weaver on the bench in foul trouble for the Mounts.
Garman asked his team to calm down and get the last shot of the quarter, but the team turned the ball over twice in the last minute.
"I was not concerned of any hangover from the last game,'' Garman said. "It was a whole different environment here with a great fan base. They were not nervous. Offensively, we just didn't play anywhere near as we need to.''
The Mounts controlled the offensive boards behind the strong rebounding of Weaver, Andrew and Kat Andriani. The team struggled to turn those rebounds into points, though, missing easy put-backs in the process.
"I am happy to see Kat playing so well as a sophomore. She can make good things happen," said Garman.
Despite errant passes and poor shots, the Mounts found a way to extend the lead in the final quarter and held on at the end. They led by three, 29-26, when Weaver hit two late baskets for a seven-point edge.
Next up for Ephrata is Lancaster Mennonite, a team that beat the Mounts by 17 on Dec. 8.
"Defensively, we are not going to stop Katelyn Vanderhoff,'' Garman said. "She's just too good, so we must slow her down. We also must take care of the ball and look for the best shot.
"We are going to have to play smart and control the tempo to the best of our ability. We will give it our best."
Goodman led the Mounts with 10 points, while Andrew added 8.
We here at www.ephratamounts.com are proud sponsors of the Dodgeball for Diabetes tournament.