BELLEFONTE — Under first-year coach Marissa Ward, the Bellefonte Area High School girls basketball team picked up its first win of the season — and the Lady Raiders did it against one of their archrivals, upending visiting Philipsburg-Osceola, 48-38, on Monday, Jan. 22.
Maria Cotter fired in 19 points as Bellefonte improved to 1-14. Keira Whitman came through with an additional 15 points.
It was the fewest points the Lady Raiders allowed this year and the most they’ve scored in a game.
P-O (1-12) received 15 points from Lily Warlow.
It wasn’t a given that the Lady Raiders would pull it off. The Lady Mounties battled back after being down by 9 heading into the second quarter to hold a 4-point advantage heading into the fourth.
However, Bellefonte held Philipsburg-Osceola to just 6 points over the last eight minutes.
State College
LEWISTOWN — As with several teams last week, the weather played havoc with State College’s schedule, but the Lady Little Lions made the most of the one time they got on the court, using balanced scoring to defeat Mifflin County on the road, 55-37, on Saturday, Jan. 20.
The Lady Little Lions entered this week 10-5.
Six Lady Little Lions scored at least a half-dozen in the victory. Lydia Tate and Sienna Wilson led the way with 10 apiece, followed by Carley Donnell with 9, McKenna Whitehurst with 8, Sheree Wilson with 7 and Jess Hawbaker with 6.
A 21-point third quarter had State College ahead 44-24.
Mifflin County’s Amelia Leister scored 11 points.
St. Joseph’s
MILLERSTOWN — Naomi Crispin scored 9 of her game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter as undefeated St. Joseph’s pulled away for a 62-53 Tri-Valley Athletic Association win over homestanding Greenwood on Jan. 20.
Aubrey Yartz tossed in 14 for the WolfPack. Jacee Cunningham and Lauren Himes each garnered 9 points.
St. Joseph’s only led 47-44 heading to the fourth quarter. With the win, the WolfPack remained perfect at 15-0 and continued to apply the pressure to Bishop Guilfoyle for the top seed in the District 6 Class 1A playoffs.
Greenwood’s Danica Zurenko scored 15 points.
Himes scored 21 and Yartz 19 as the WolfPack turned back visiting Millersburg, 63-51, on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
Again, it was the fourth quarter where St. Joseph’s put it away; the WolfPack was clinging to a 1-point lead through three periods.
Yartz scored 10 in the final frame.
Cunningham finished with 13 points, while Crispin had 9.
Four Millersburg players scored at least 8. Jana Strait led the way with 14.
Bald Eagle Area
WINGATE — Taylor Habovick’s 17 points and a big fourth quarter lifted Bald Eagle Area over visiting Somerset, 44-36, in Laurel Highlands Conference action on Jan. 20.
The Lady Eagles only led by 1 entering the fourth quarter but outscored the visitors 15-8 down the stretch to get some breathing room in improving to 6-8 this season.
Sybil Thompson added 11 points for BEA. Addisyn Burns finished with 8 points.
Somerset’s Eve Housley matched Habovick for scoring honors, also tossing in 17.
The Lady Eagles dropped a 62-41 decision at Clearfield on Jan. 22. No details were available at the Gazette’s press deadline.
Penns Valley
SPRING MILLS — Lilly Smith was too good in Penns Valley’s tough 47-46 loss to visiting Richland on Jan. 20.
Needing to miss her second free throw after an offensive rebound with 1.5 seconds left, Smith’s foul shot accidentally went in. Richland, holding a 1-point lead, was able to inbound and run out the clock.
Smith’s 13 points led Penns Valley, which slipped to 6-9. Kayla Hopkins added 11 and Ellie Romig 10 for the Lady Rams, who had a 5-point lead at halftime.
Sasha Garnett and Lanie Marshall netted 16 points each for Richland.
Bellefonte
BELLEFONTE — Before breaking into the win column versus P-O, Bellefonte dropped a couple of Laurel Highlands Conferences clashes, falling at home against Westmont Hilltop, 50-14, on Jan. 18, one day after dropping a 54-23 decision at undefeated Hollidaysburg.
The Lady Raiders fell behind 15-3 after one quarter and 32-8 by halftime against the 2023 District 6 Class 3A runner-up Lady Hilltoppers. No scorer from Bellefonte reached double figures.
Cotter finished with 14 points at Hollidaysburg, where the Lady Raiders outscored the hosts 10-5 in the fourth quarter. Hollidaysburg’s Bella Vent fronted all scorers with 16 points.
Westmont and Hollidaysburg entered this week a combined 26-1.
