Conestoga girls’ basketball squad upsets Nazareth in district opener

Central League Most Valuable Player Ellie Mack scored 26 points – including the winning score with 12 seconds left – and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead Conestoga to a huge 57-54 upset win against District 11 champion Nazareth Friday evening at Pleasant Valley High School in the opening round of the PIAA Class AAAA girls’ basketball state tournament.

The Pioneers, the No. 8 seed in District One, bolted to a 14-6 first quarter lead and went into the locker room at halftime ahead 32-21. At one point in the first half, the visiting Pioneers led by 15 points.

“We really defended well,” said Conestoga girls’ basketball head coach Chris Jeffries. “We were concerned about [Nazareth’s] size and their rebounding.”

Another key for Conestoga was junior forward Liz Scott, who had been sidelined the past three games with an ankle injury. Scott battled the Nazareth squad for nine rebounds.

In the second quarter, Conestoga scored 18 points, boosted by a trio of treys from Maria Koblish, who finished with 18 points.

In the third quarter, Nazareth stormed back, scoring 22 points to tie the score at 43-43 at the end of the third quarter.

“Nazareth shot well in the third quarter, they really got hot from the floor,” said Jeffries. “I told the girls at halftime that [Nazareth] would be coming out in the third quarter trying to close that 11-point gap.

“At the end of the third quarter, I told the team that we needed to calm down and just play our game, and our defense really stepped up in the fourth quarter – and so did Ellie.”

The Pioneers limited Nazareth to 11 points in the fourth quarter. Conestoga senior Sondra Dickey helped the Pioneers’ cause by drawing three fouls on Nazareth leading scorer Jessica Durnin, who fouled out with 4:29 left in the game. Durnin finished with 18 points, and Tessa Brugler led Nazareth with 19 points.

With 29 seconds left, the score was tied 54-54 and Conestoga had the ball. The Pioneers brought the ball downcourt, and after a missed shot, Mack grabbed an offensive rebound under the basket, scored a putback while getting fouled and made the free throw. Nazareth tried an inside drive, missed, and Mack grabbed the defensive rebound to ice the game.

The Pioneers (21-7), who had to travel nearly two hours to Pleasant Valley, will be playing closer to home in the second round of the PIAA Class AAAA state tournament, as they will face Central League foe Garnet Valley, the No. 6 seed in District One. Garnet Valley (23-5) beat Governor Mifflin, the second seed in District Three, 53-45, Friday, in its state opener.