Vengeful-minded Avonworth girls basketball team eliminates Elderton
Avonworth High's Antelopes scored nine unanswered points in the second quarter and made it stand up in capturing a 38-21 victory over Elderton in a preliminary round game of the WPIAL Class AA girls basketball tournament on Friday night at North Hills High School.
The win puts the No. 10 seed Antelopes into the first round of the tournament against 18-3 Bentworth. That game will be played at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Canon-McMillan High School.
For Avonworth senior standout Lauren Mayernik, it was a chance to avenge a bitter defeat suffered in last fall's WPIAL Class AA volleyball championship.
"We wanted revenge," said Mayernik, who had written that word on her right thumb, and it was still visible after she personally outscored the Bobcats with a game-high 24 points. "The volleyball girls (four of the team's five starters also played for the volleyball team) were out to get sweet revenge, and that's what we accomplished."
Mayernik even brought the silver medal that she was awarded after the Antelopes had fallen to the Bobcats 3-1 in the WPIAL Class A volleyball finals last fall. It was hanging in her locker as a visible reminder of the disappointment she and her teammates had undergone last fall.
Mayernik also was pleased that the Antelopes were able to shut down Jill Glover, the Bobcats' leading scorer, who was held to two points, 13 points below her season average.
"I didn't know how we'd handle the big girls, but everyone stepped up to the challenge and everyone contributed on defense stealing the ball and working hard. That's how we were able to create our offense on fast breaks."
While not pleased with some aspects of his team's offense, Avonworth coach Bob Schulz had no complaints with a defense that is now giving up just 29.3 points a game.
"I think our 1-3-1 shook them up a little bit, I really do," he said. "We got in their passing lanes and did a nice job off the boards against a big team. Most of the time, they only got one shot."
Sometimes, the Elderton offense didn't get a shot at the basket as the Antelopes' defense forced 27 turnovers.
"We led the WPIAL in defense in all four (classes)," Schulz said. "I think it bothered them quite a bit. We felt that if we put pressure on their guards and didn't allow them to get good looks, we'd be in good shape. I thought we did a pretty good job on these kids. But I didn't expect us to not score a lot of points."
It didn't hurt either that Glover picked up her fourth personal foul with 31.5 seconds left in the third quarter and could not be as effective as she normally is in the fourth quarter. She eventually fouled out of the game with 15.7 seconds left in the game.
"We did a great job on Glover," he said. "She's a great player, and she stayed outside, and we were happy that she stayed outside. We did a great job (defending) her."
Elderton cut the deficit to under 10 points several times in the second half, slicing it to a six-point margin at 20-14 on a 3-point goal by sophomore guard Bethany Meyer with 3:05 left in the third quarter. Meyer, the Bobcats' leading scorer with nine points, hit another 3-point goal with 5:38 left in the game to cut the Avonworth lead to seven points at 26-19. But successive baskets by Mackenzie Mayernik (Lauren's younger sister) and Mayernik pushed Avonworth's lead to 30-19. Elderton cut the deficit under 10 points on a basket by reserve guard Morgan Hollabaugh, but that was the closest Elderton could get for the rest of the game.
Schultz believed his team's youth had much to do with the team's sluggish offense.
"We started three sophomores (Mackenzie Mayernik, Montee'a Hunter and Ericka Thomas), and they're not really playoff tested," he said. "This is the first time in the playoffs (for some of them)."
The win puts the No. 10 seed Antelopes into the first round of the tournament against 18-3 Bentworth. That game will be played at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Canon-McMillan High School.
For Avonworth senior standout Lauren Mayernik, it was a chance to avenge a bitter defeat suffered in last fall's WPIAL Class AA volleyball championship.
"We wanted revenge," said Mayernik, who had written that word on her right thumb, and it was still visible after she personally outscored the Bobcats with a game-high 24 points. "The volleyball girls (four of the team's five starters also played for the volleyball team) were out to get sweet revenge, and that's what we accomplished."
Mayernik even brought the silver medal that she was awarded after the Antelopes had fallen to the Bobcats 3-1 in the WPIAL Class A volleyball finals last fall. It was hanging in her locker as a visible reminder of the disappointment she and her teammates had undergone last fall.
Mayernik also was pleased that the Antelopes were able to shut down Jill Glover, the Bobcats' leading scorer, who was held to two points, 13 points below her season average.
"I didn't know how we'd handle the big girls, but everyone stepped up to the challenge and everyone contributed on defense stealing the ball and working hard. That's how we were able to create our offense on fast breaks."
While not pleased with some aspects of his team's offense, Avonworth coach Bob Schulz had no complaints with a defense that is now giving up just 29.3 points a game.
"I think our 1-3-1 shook them up a little bit, I really do," he said. "We got in their passing lanes and did a nice job off the boards against a big team. Most of the time, they only got one shot."
Sometimes, the Elderton offense didn't get a shot at the basket as the Antelopes' defense forced 27 turnovers.
"We led the WPIAL in defense in all four (classes)," Schulz said. "I think it bothered them quite a bit. We felt that if we put pressure on their guards and didn't allow them to get good looks, we'd be in good shape. I thought we did a pretty good job on these kids. But I didn't expect us to not score a lot of points."
It didn't hurt either that Glover picked up her fourth personal foul with 31.5 seconds left in the third quarter and could not be as effective as she normally is in the fourth quarter. She eventually fouled out of the game with 15.7 seconds left in the game.
"We did a great job on Glover," he said. "She's a great player, and she stayed outside, and we were happy that she stayed outside. We did a great job (defending) her."
Elderton cut the deficit to under 10 points several times in the second half, slicing it to a six-point margin at 20-14 on a 3-point goal by sophomore guard Bethany Meyer with 3:05 left in the third quarter. Meyer, the Bobcats' leading scorer with nine points, hit another 3-point goal with 5:38 left in the game to cut the Avonworth lead to seven points at 26-19. But successive baskets by Mackenzie Mayernik (Lauren's younger sister) and Mayernik pushed Avonworth's lead to 30-19. Elderton cut the deficit under 10 points on a basket by reserve guard Morgan Hollabaugh, but that was the closest Elderton could get for the rest of the game.
Schultz believed his team's youth had much to do with the team's sluggish offense.
"We started three sophomores (Mackenzie Mayernik, Montee'a Hunter and Ericka Thomas), and they're not really playoff tested," he said. "This is the first time in the playoffs (for some of them)."
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