Perkiomen Valley downs Central Bucks South, stays perfect

COLLEGEVILLE >> A game with a quality non-conference opponent provided an interesting test for Perkiomen Valley Saturday afternoon. Dominating the PAC-10 with a 7-0 record, the Lady Vikings got a chance to measure themselves against a good Central Bucks South club, which is 5-1 in the Suburban One League/ Continental Division.

Led by Saint Joseph’s signee KT Armstrong, the host Lady Vikings were up to the challenge, dispatching the Lady Titans 63-55. PV remained perfect overall record-wise at 13-0. But it was a stiff challenge; notably, the eight-point margin marked only the second time this season that the Lady Vikings didn’t win by double-digits (the other time was a seven-point win over PAC-10 foe Boyertown).

PV had to fight off some foul trouble and deal with a flock of good shooters and quick guards to keep its record unblemished. And in the process, as the Lady Vikings head into the stretch run of league play with high hopes and goals, grinding out the non-league victory added a shot of confidence.

“It definitely boosts our confidence beating teams we know are good,” said PV forward Megan Jonassen.

“It was a struggle for us,” Armstrong said. “They set good ball screens and they move the ball well. They’re really quick and have good guards. It was hard to match up but we played tough.”

PV never built a double-digit lead until late (as high as 12 with about a minute left to play). Armstrong, a 6-2 point guard with all the skills, was terrific and too much for the Lady Titans, as was the Lady Vikings’ size and toughness inside. Armstrong scored 24 points and was perfect from the foul line — 8-of-8 in the fourth quarter. Jonassen had 15 points and frontcourt partner Taylor Hamm finished with 11. A big boost off the bench came from PV forward McKenna Kohler, who was especially vital in the third quarter with a bucket, free throw and solid overall play while filling in for the then-foul-plagued Jonassen.

“McKenna Kohler did an outstanding job today,” PV coach John Strawoet said. “McKenna works hard every day, and it showed. When we needed her she stepped up.”

“McKenna’s a really hard worker, and when she gets off the bench she really proves herself,” Jonassen said.

Hanan Richmond added eight points for PV with some impressive slashing to the hoop.

“KT makes the people around her better, and it helps that we have other scorers,” Strawoet said. “People can’t just box-and-one KT Armstrong. They have to play us pretty straight up, and if they play us pretty straight up we feel like we’re going to have the advantage because of our size.”

CB South (9-3 overall) got 16 points from guard Taylor Dunn (11 in the fourth) and a matching number from guard Jordan Vitelli, a three-point sniper who hit four of them. Vitelli drilled three treys in the first quarter as PV held a slim 18-17 lead.

The Lady Titans took their last lead at 21-20. From there, a drive-and-one by Richmond, an Armstrong putback, and buckets from Jonassen and Hamm pushed the lead to seven, but back came CB South to within four at halftime, 34-30.

“We never got comfortable because they were always right there,” Armstrong said.

But there are long-term benefits from being forced out of your comfort zone, and PV would reveal those plusses with grit, defense, rebounding and team play.

Both offenses were pretty quiet most of the third quarter until PV created some distance late in the period. Kohler and Hamm kept the offensive boards alive in one flurry to set up an Armstrong basket, and then Armstrong hit a beautiful turnaround three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer to give the Lady Vikings a seven-point edge again, 46-39.

A bam-bam surge including a bucket from Hamm and another from Jonassen seconds later on a nice drive-and-dish from Armstrong kept CB South at bay midway through the fourth quarter. It was enough of a cushion, along with the coming free throws from Armstrong, to withstand a seven-point flurry from Dunn.

Even with a perfect record, PV is striving to improve in all areas, and did so again Saturday against a solid club.

“We’ve got to keep stepping up and working on things, keep improving on the boards, moving the ball better, working on our offense, taking more time and getting a good shot,” Armstrong said.

“We’re real happy,” Strawoet said. “I don’t focus on 13-0; I focus on what we need to improve on. I heard the girls say a couple of times that sometimes our decision-making isn’t the best, but as far as team play, we’re getting a lot of good team play and contributions.

“The kids have been great, they’ve bought in. We stress rebounds and defense. I can’t give enough credit to our players, and not just the players on the floor during the game, but our practice players. They come every day and work hard and make those starters and subs work to get better.”