Carroll scores 1,000th point, CB West advances to District 1-AAAA quarters
DOYLESTOWN — Central Bucks West’s Mackenzie Carroll had plenty of reasons to celebrate Wednesday night.
A thousand of them, actually.
Carroll scored her 1,000th career point, three CB West players scored in double-figures and the Bucks fought their way to a 55-38 victory over Council Rock North at home in the second round of the District One AAAA Playoffs.
The Bucks advanced to face No. 7 Upper Dublin — a 36-33 overtime winner over No. 10 Perkiomen Valley — at home on Saturday at 1:30.
“We have some great senior leadership,’ West coach Terry Rakowsky said. “We’ve got kids who have been around for a few years and show up when they need to. That’s what you need this time of year.’
The West players certainly needed to show up. No. 15-seeded Indians played hard all game, pressuring the Bucks with an aggressive, tough defense up and down the floor. It was obvious right away that the Bucks, fresh off a 44-point first-round win over Owen J. Roberts, weren’t going to hit the 70s again.
The game was tighter in the first half, and the Indians stuck with it the whole way, forcing West to earn claw, dive and fight for every point as the Indians played high-pressure, tight defense.
“They made us earn everything today,’ said Rakowsky said of the CR North effort. “I thought they played a very tough game.’
Tough as the Indians were, the Bucks had plenty of answers, and the Indians’ offense couldn’t keep up.
Bucks senior Nicole Munger — also a 1,000-point scorer — dropped in a game-high 16 points and did just about everything else that doesn’t show up in a box score. She fought through screens, tapped away passes and hit the ground at least a half-dozen times for loose balls.
Fellow senior Corrinne Godshall, meanwhile, added a spark of her own. After picking up two early fouls and barely touching the floor in the first quarter, Godshall scored 10 second-quarter points to help the Bucks to a 10-point halftime lead. She finished the game with 15 points.
Whenever the Indians made a run and began chipping away at the score, West continued to keep separation. The Bucks led by double-digits the entire second half.
With a minute remaining, Carroll stole the show. She hit her 1,000th point on a free throw and exited the game seconds later to a standing ovation from teammates, coaches and the packed-gym of CB West Supporters.
She described the 1,000th point with one word.
“Relief,’ she said.
In her eyes, the game was much bigger than her accomplishment.
“States are the real goal,’ she added. “We needed to get this win more than anything.’
