Methacton handles Phoenixville for third win in three days
WORCESTER >> Methacton finished a busy week with a 56-36 Pioneer Athletic Conference win over Phoenixville Wednesday night at Methacton High School.
It was the Warriors third home win in as many days. They beat Upper Merion Monday as they celebrated Senior Night and Pope John Paul II Tuesday as junior Nicole Timko scored her 1,000th point.
“It’s a great stretch,” Methacton coach Craig Kaminski said. “We knew it was going to be a tough stretch and then you’re throwing Senior Night in, throwing Nicole Timko’s milestone in there. We knew the Pope John Paul and Phoenixville games would be really tough back-to-back and three games. A lot on the plate but I think we responded well all three nights with all the emotional things going on. I’m very proud of the team.”
“We’re definitely tired,” Timko said. “Tomorrow at practice we will probably take it light and just work some basic stuff out.”
The Warriors (8-2, 3-2 PAC Liberty) certainly didn’t look tired against the PAC Frontier Division-leading Phantoms. Tori Bockrath made a three-pointer on Methacton’s second possession of the game and they led the rest of the way. Timko followed with another three and they were six points into an 18-1 run to take an early 18-3 lead.
Phoenixville (7-3, 6-0 PAC Frontier) trimmed their deficit to nine points in the second quarter, but that’s as close as they’d get. The Warriors finished the first half strong, capped by Timko hitting a three-pointer and a buzzer-beating runner, to take a 39-19 advantage into the locker room.
“The beginning of the game was our question mark,” Kaminski said. “How would we respond with our legs from playing almost five quarters (Tuesday) night with the overtime. We jumped out early and we took some of the air out of them and never let them feel comfortable getting in. Then that couple minute stretch there (at the end of the second quarter) I think that got us to that next level.”
“Our defense needed to be better,” Phoenixville coach Brian Grashof said. “Our effort was there. We needed to rebound better and we needed to play better defense as a team. It’s something we can correct and we will.”
Timko had 17 of her team-high 20 points in the first half, which was a change from her scoring 10 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter and overtime against PJP Tuesday.
“I’ve been in a slump shooting threes the past few games,” Timko, who drained four from beyond the arc, said, “but last game and this game I’ve definitely gotten back in my rhythm.”
In the second half, Methacton’s lead dipped below 20 for just two possessions when Phoenixville made it 54-36. After the teams traded empty possessions, Kayla Kaufman scored a basket for the Warriors to make it 56-36, which turned out to be the final score.
Mairi Smith and Bockrath joined Timko in double figures. Smith totaled 12 points and nine rebounds while Bockrath scored 10 points.
Aubrie Breisblatt scored a game-high 25 points for the Phantoms. She had an 11-point second quarter to help her side get within single digits and hit four three-pointers overall.
Methacton gets a break after three straight days of games. They return to the court Wednesday against Upper Perk.
“It’s a good thing and a bad thing,” Kaminski said. “I’d rather it just be four days, not seven days, but we’re going to get back into the gym and get good solid practice work in and continue to develop some other people so we become a more explosive team going forward.”
Phoenixville sets its sights on a massive PAC Frontier matchup with PJP Friday. The Phantoms hold a one-game lead over the Golden Panthers, thanks to a 27-20 win on Jan. 22, with four games to play.
“PJP at our place,” Grashof said. “Big rivalry between the schools, the girls get up for it on both sides. PJP has a great coach, great team. It’s going to be fun.”
Methacton 56, Phoenixville 36
Phoenixville 6 13 8 9 – 36
Methacton 19 20 8 9 – 56
PH: Michaud 1 0-0 2, McAteer 0 0-2 0, Green 2 0-0 4, Brown 0 0-0 0, Thaxton 2 0-0 5, Breisblatt 9 3-5 25, Flick 0 0-0 0. Total 14 3-7 36.
M: Kropp 2 2-2 6, Connolly 0 0-0 0, Martino 1 0-0 2, Kaufman 2 0-0 4, Timko 7 2-2 20, Bockrath 4 1-2 10, Woolbert 0 0-0 0, Deal 0 0-0 0, Newman 0 0-0 0, Smith 4 4-4 12, Hazlett 1 0-0 2. Total 21 9-10 56.
Three-point goals: PH: Thaxton, Breisblatt 4. M: Timko 4, Bockrath.
