Seifert’s 15 points help Hatboro-Horsham hold off Lower Moreland

HORSHAM >> It took a while for Hatboro-Horsham and Lower Moreland girls basketball teams to get a feel for the game Monday night, but once they did a good game broke out.

The Hatters took control in the second quarter and held on tight and survived a late swarm from the Lions to earn a 44-39 non-league home court win.

“I think it was just an early season game,” said Hatboro-Horsham coach Kathie Sims of the slow start. “We played them last year so we’re a little familiar with them.”

Defensively, Hatboro-Horsham (2-1) knew it had to have eyes on Lower Moreland guard Lauren Killion as she is one of the top offensive threats for the Lions.  Bergen Sims was tasked most of the night with defending the talented senior as the Hatters limited Killion to only nine points, which is a modest scoring night for her.

“She was so frustrated,” said Sims of the defense on Killion. “Bergen was all over her.”

With their top scorer stifled, the Lions went to Racheal Milan. The junior did not have her best night shooting, nor did the Lions as a team, but she got good looks and cashed it in for a game-high 17 points. Milan played a key role for Lower Moreland (1-2) last year but looks like she is taking her game to another level this year.

“She realizes she has the potential to have this be her team,” said Lower Moreland coach Rich Beaker of Milan.

Hatboro-Horsham also got only nine points from its top scorer Cassidy Quattro, but the Hatters’ offense was lifted by senior Haley Seifert as she dropped a team high 15 points including six points in a pivotal second-quarter run.

“She played the way I know she’s capable of,” said Sims of Seifert. “I think she’s even better than we saw tonight.”

As the fourth hit, the Lions trailed by five points. But just more than a minute and a half into the quarter, the Hatters lead turned into 10. The Lions opted to go with a full press defensively after their deficit grew to double digits again.

“We couldn’t put them away,” Sims said. “We kept letting them back in the game.”

“We panicked,” she said of the pressure defense. “But they still held on, they still kept their heads and they stilled played through.”

While the defensive strategy worked, Lower Moreland could not reward its defensive success into points on the offensive end.

Both teams used Monday night’s contest a bit of a measuring stick game and the Hatters were happy to be the team to get the win.

“This was a very big game for us,” Sims said. “Because we keep saying we have to win the games that we can win.”