Kapp, Boyertown start in style with 47-42 win over Owen J. Roberts
BOYERTOWN >> The Boyertown girls basketball team could have felt behind the ball.
It began its preseason preparation a week later than its Pioneer Athletic Conference counterparts due to COVID-related concerns in the already-delayed winter season. It was also playing its first game while Friday’s opponent, Owen J. Roberts, was playing its third.
Though the Bears did find themselves literally behind the ball early – they trailed by seven late in the first quarter – they didn’t finish that way.
Senior Ashley Kapp grew into the game and scored 13 of her 18 points in the second half to lift Boyertown to a season-opening 47-42 victory over Owen J. Roberts.
“It’s a great feeling,” Kapp said. “Coming into today we weren’t sure what was going to happen. We’re basically a whole new team except for a couple of us. It’s pretty great that we got to take care of the ‘W’ tonight.”
End 3Q: Ashley Kapp 3 on final possession gives Boyertown 36-31 lead on Owen J Roberts. pic.twitter.com/DuAeNcqdRT
— Austin Hertzog (@AustinHertzog) January 23, 2021
The Bears’ other key returner, senior Mikayla Moyer, also had a big imprint on the game with 11 points and nine rebounds. Madison Konnick chipped in with nine.
OJR (0-2, 1-2) got 20 points from junior guard Avery White and eight from sophomore Gabby Koury.
The Wildcats are even more of a new-look team than the Bears. They return only one starter (White) from last year’s team that reached the PIAA 6A second round.
Kapp felt the Bears’ lesser game preparation was offset by the home-court advantage Friday provided.
“Coach Bieber was saying, ‘We really need to work hard in practice. They’re going to have had two games to get their jitters out,’” Kapp said. “We got to play on our home court luckily and that helped our momentum, even though our fans weren’t here.”
Coach Jason Bieber was pleased by the Bears’ play after an offseason that lacked all of the traditional competition his team usually has.
“We usually play 50-60 games between April and the start of the season,” he said. “But I hadn’t seen them since we lost our district game to North Penn. I didn’t know how they were going to react. I thought we could do well, but I thought we could also go out and score like two points in a quarter. I had no idea.”
Boyertown had only eight varsity players eligible due to COVID-related delays to the practice time of a few individuals. They were down to seven after Moyer injured her right ankle in the fourth quarter and did not return.
Free-throw shooting was a factor in the Bears’ favor – Boyertown went 10-for-11 from the line while OJR was 4-for-11.
White starred in the early going, helping OJR to an 11-4 lead. A Moyer and-one ignited Boyertown at the 2:29 mark and a Kapp 3 in the final minute had it within 15-12 after one.
Boyertown took its first lead when junior guard Kyra Seyler assisted a Moyer layup for a 20-18 lead with 4:03 until halftime.
While the Wildcats would be within one multiple times the rest of the way, the Bears never again lost the lead.
Kapp’s shooting was the chief reason. Her 3-pointer with 6:52 to play gave Boyertown a 39-35 lead after OJR came out hot in the fourth quarter to close the deficit from five to one.
“I usually drive, so I know who to kick it to, that I can trust them to hit a shot when we need it. I feel like Ashley’s always been like that,” Moyer said. “Every game if we need a shot, Ashley makes it. It’s great to have a teammate like that.”
A Kapp knocking down shots for Boyertown basketball is a fixture of recent times. Sister Abby, a senior at Bucknell and preseason All-Patriot League selection, is Boyertown’s all-time leading scorer and led it to the 2016 PIAA Class 6A championship in 2016-17 while brother Jerry was a 1,000-point scorer for the boys’ team.
The Bears’ lack of game prep showed in some fourth-quarter turnovers, but the Wildcats weren’t able to generate enough quality shots over the final five minutes to stake a rally.
“It was the first game, so there were jitters, but we all play well together. We know what we all can do if we work together,” said Moyer. “I think there were moments when we did what we were supposed to do; there were moments where we were a little panicky but that’s going to happen. Towards the end of the season that’s going to calm down and we’ll be better.”
Most of life is different for Boyertown’s standout seniors – Kapp is an all-virtual student while Moyer is attending two days a week as part of Boyertown’s hybrid school model – except for basketball.
“Everything is the same: we come into practice, we work hard, we complete everything we need to get done,” Kapp said. “Honestly this year compared to other years, it might be even a little better working as a team. Coach has said to us, there’s not a single eye roll at practice. We’re all super-positive and happy to be in the gym.”
Boyertown 47, Owen J. Roberts 42
OWEN J ROBERTS: Price 2 3-5 7, White 9 0-0 20, Holmburg 0 0-0 0, Martins 0 0-0 0, Vogelman 0 1-2 1, Hannum 1 0-0 2, Koury 4 0-4 8, Wasson 1 0-0 2, Clemson 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 4-11 42.
BOYERTOWN: Konnick 2 5-6 9, Schweizer 2 2-2 6, Syler 0 0-0 0, Moyer 5 1-1 11, Smith 1 0-0 3, Kapp 6 2-2 18. Totals 16 10-11 47.
Owen J. Roberts 15 7 9 11-42
Boyertown 12 11 13 11-47
3-point goals: Kapp 4, Smith; White 2.
