Wheeling Park Girls Post Repeat Victory Over Morgantown
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MORGANTOWN -- The Morgantown girls' basketball team welcomed the No. 1-ranked Wheeling Park Patriots into the Rowdie Center at Morgantown High School Tuesday night.
Four different scorers reached double-digits for the Patriots (15-1) as a slow start to open the game (8 points in the first quarter) turned into a double-digit lead by halftime after a 23-point second quarter en route to a 59-48 repeat victory.
The Mohigans (10-4) also got off to a slow start offensively, shooting just 3 for 13 from the field in the opening frame and despite 14 points in the second on six field goals, the offensive effort by the visitors proved to be the difference for the rest of the game.
"I thought we did a really good job defensively for the most part in taking away Jordan and Wassick, especially in the first half," Wheeling Park head coach Ryan Young said. "Give them credit. They are hard to defend and (Mia) Henkins and (Janna) Hawkins were able to knock down some shots when they kicked it out."
"Defensively I thought we did what we wanted to do for the most part," MHS head coach Doug Goodwin said. "We wanted to make sure we managed the scoring from Lala (Woods) and Alexis (Bordas) and we did that to an extent. It was a couple others that got big buckets for them tonight that made the difference."
Bordas (16) and Woods (15) combined for 31 points, which ended up being over half of their team's points. But it could've easily been more as the pair shot 10 for 24 from the field. Woods did, however, make four of the eight triples in the game for Wheeling Park, possibly none bigger than in the third quarter when the Mohigans cut an 18-point, 40-22, deficit to just nine points with a 9-0 run, capped off by a Mia Henkins three that cut the lead to single-digits.
Woods, just a sophomore, came right down the floor, found her spot, and found the bottom of the net to extend the lead right back to 11 for the Patriots.
Sophie Abraham added 11 points and Seneca Heller finished with 10. Bordas also claimed six rebounds, one more than Woods, who handed out four assists.
"Jillian (Huffman) and Merritt were solid as always," Young noted. "It was a great team win. Any time you can get a win in Morgantown it's going to be hard-fought, and I thought we gutted it out. It's never going to be pretty down there, but this team is growing up fast and getting tougher physically. We aren't quite where we want to be yet but I like the run we are on, so hopefully, we can keep it going."
Lily Jordan and Lindsey Bechtel scored 12 each to pace the Mohigans.
"We got them turned over a few times but we have to finish shots from close range," Goodwin said. "Sometimes the bounces go your way and sometimes they don't."
The 8-point deficit around the middle of the third would be the closest MHS would get to the Wheeling Park lead for the rest of the game. Solid defense and free throw shooting helped the Patriots close out the game and travel home with a road victory.