Hill School girls basketball opens MAPL schedule with win over Peddie

POTTSTOWN >> After having played over a dozen games already this season, including a recent one against a perennial powerhouse opponent, experience is paying off for the Hill School girls basketball team.

The Blues came out playing well on offense and defense Saturday afternoon and opened their Mid-Atlantic Prep League schedule with a 57-20 win over Peddie School at Gillison Gymnasium.

Annabella Schafer scored 12 of her game-high 14 points in the first quarter for Hill (7-7), Kayleigh Ludwig followed with 12 points and Courtney Bodolus added nine. And as a bonus, all 13 Blues players got into the action. Marcela Nearing led the Falcons (2-7) with nine points.

“They’ve played hard this last week,” Hill coach Deanna Mayza said. “We went down to St. Benedict’s against a very tough team and we played one of our better games.”

In that contest against St. Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey on Wednesday, the Blues certainly put up a good battle in a 68-58 loss. That was their first game back after a long break following three games in a tournament in Maryland at Bullis School.

Against Peddie, Hill jumped out to a 9-0 lead as Schafer scored underneath off an inbounds pass from Karly Cabot (five points) and again off an offensive rebound. Then Bodolus knocked down her first of three 3-pointers from the right wing and Ludwig scored inside to finish the string of points.

Schaefer scored two straight baskets off a steal and another Peddie turnover later in the quarter and put in a pair of free throws and another bucket to finish off a 22-6 opening quarter.

Along the way, the Blues forced 10 turnovers by the Falcons.

“Our press worked really well,” Schafer said. “And when we get into a zone, we communicate really well.”

Another big quarter, including eight points from Ludwig and seven more forced turnovers, gave Hill a 41-11 advantage at the half after shooting 59% from the floor.

Also at the half, Mayza was among the former players inducted into the Hill Athletic Hall of Fame on the strength of school records in points scored (1,222), soccer goals scored (67) and as a member of the record-setting 4×400 relay team.

The Blues had already gotten a lot of substitutes into the game by that point and their bench players saw even more playing time the rest of the way.

“We really work well as a team,” Schafer said. “And once we click, there’s opportunities for everyone.”

“We got some of our younger kids into the game to see what they can do for us,” Mayza added. “Anytime we can get all 13 in the game, it’s a good game for us.”

The Blues ended up forcing 26 turnovers while committing only 11 of their own.

“I think that we’re just a hard-working team,” Schafer said. “We lost two players (from last year’s starting lineup), but everyone has stepped up. We’re progressing and working hard and learning our players and our coach.”

And games like the one against St. Benedict’s have helped the process.

“The mentality of knowing what we can do,” Schafer added. “And implementing what we do in practice.”

“They’re competing, working hard and getting better every game,” Mayza said. “We’ve played more games than last year. We’re coming ready to play whoever is on our schedule and Perkiomen School is next. Getting game experience for everyone is nice.”

Hill School 57, Peddie School 20
Peddie School: Nearing 4 1-4 9, Naddelman 0 0-0 0, Jordan 1 2-2 4, Ahmed 0 0-0 0, Chao 1 0-0 3, Loughran 0 0-0 0, Jefferson 1 0-0 2, Olds 0 0-1 0, Salapatas 1 0-0 2, Totals 8 3-7 20
Hill School: Cabot 1 3-4 5, Farella 2 0-0 4, Bodolus 3 0-0 9, Moser 0 0-2 0, Krafczek 1 0-0 2, Jacobs 2 0-0 5, Neiswender 1 1-2 4, Eilberg 0 0-1 0, Schafer 6 2-7 14, Ludwig 5 0-0 12, Schindler 0 0-0 0, Herbert 0 0-0 0, Bressi 1 0-0 2, Totals 22 6-16 57
Peddie School 6 5 2 7 – 20
Hill School 22 19 12 4 – 57
3-point goals: Chao, Bodous 3, Jacobs, Neiswender, Ludwig 2