Souderton rolls past Council Rock North in District 1-6A playbacks
FRANCONIA >> Souderton Area settled in rather nicely against Council Rock North’s matchup zone, so much so that Big Red went on a 17-0 run that began in the first quarter and spilled into the second.
“I think just keeping our composure, and just talking was key,” said Souderton junior forward Mikaela Reese, who scored a team-high 12 points in a balanced attack. “I think when we communicate, our offense just comes together a lot better. We just become one.”
Souderton is surging towards states, thanks to a 44-30 victory over Council Rock North in the District 1-6A Playbacks Tuesday night. Sixth-seeded Souderton will now play either No. 8 Downingtown East or No. 5 Upper Dublin in the fifth-place game, which would serve as the final tune-up for PIAA’s.
“In two weeks, we wanna be playing our best basketball,” Indians coach Lynn Carroll said. “We don’t have any time to waste in getting there.
“The big one is over — we already qualified for states (with the second-round win over Owen J. Roberts) — but these games are important in terms of forming good habits and getting ready so that two weeks from now, we’ll feel really good about how we’re playing.”
Sydney Blum’s two baskets, including a three, got Council Rock North out to a quick 5-0 lead.
And then came the run by Souderton.
Megan Walbrandt, Reese, Megan Bealer and Curran O’Donnell all hit threes to help Big Red go on their 17-0 run that put them in control for good.
Megan O’Donnell and Erica Stephens both made contributions off the bench, with Stephens coming up with a pair of blocked shots, the first one preserving Souderton’s 13-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Big Red led 17-5 before Camryn Polinsky scored to end the dry spell for Rock.
A three by Bealer put Souderton up 20-7 at the break and Big Red led by double digits the entire second half.
“They were without Dana Bandurick, who does everything for them,” Carroll said. “So that made things much more difficult for them. It would have been a different kind of game if she played.
“We don’t play against a matchup zone very often and our decision making was really good against it. We were really patient for the most part. We had a lot of layups against it and high-percentage shots.”
Walbrandt had eight points and four assists for Big Red, while Bealer had five points, seven rebounds and three steals.
Blum’s 13 points, including a trio of threes, paced No. 7 Rock North, which will face either Downingtown East or Upper Dublin in the seventh-place game.
Reese had back-to-back baskets for the Indians in the third to widen the gap to 15.
“We just wanna keep the hype going and build off each other,” Reese said. “We wanna build off each other’s energy and that’s what’s gonna help us going into states.”
