Pope John Paul II comes up big against Pottstown

POTTSTOWN >> Pottstown’s height advantage proved to be no match for Pope John Paul II’s speed and elusiveness on Friday night inside Strom Gymnasium.

Despite a size disadvantage, the Golden Panthers spread the Trojan defense out, worked their way into the paint and eventually left with a 45-35 Pioneer Athletic Conference win.

“We knew going in that their inside presence would be challenging for us,” said PJP head coach Liz Bernstein. “We knew what we had to do against them — that was to move the ball, be unselfish and really try to capitalize on that inside-outside balance.”

The Golden Panthers struck just the right balance.

Sophomore guard Elise Sylvester picked up a team-high 15 points alongside backcourt mate Rachel Yerger, who finished with nine. Down low, junior forward Monica Rapchinski had a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds while Shannon Mullen finished with nine points.

The result improves PJP to 4-2 in the PAC’s Frontier Division (7-10 overall) and puts them level with Pottsgrove (4-2) atop the division standings. Pottstown drops to 2-4 in the Liberty and 6-10 overall.

Perhaps their most impressive feat was the Golden Panthers keeping Pottstown guard Ebony Reddick in check during the fourth quarter. Leading by just five after the third, PJP held the league’s second leading scorer to zero points over the final eight minutes to preserve and seal the win.

“Every game we’re in from this point forward is critical,” added Bernstein. “It’s anybody’s ballgame right now, so for us to come in here and leave with a win is huge.”

With Yerger running the point, the Golden Panthers utilized their motion offense to create plenty of corner and mid-range jumpers. Mullen and Rapchinski reaped the benefits early, scoring six points apiece in the opening quarter. Sylvester finished 2-for-5 from beyond the 3-point line, knocking one down amid PJP’s nine-point run to end the first quarter, then adding a second on a feed from Yerger later in the half.

“We finally executed something on our offense,” said Rapchinski with a laugh. “They’re definitely bigger than us, so we were working the ball around and trying to create some open looks.”

“We were able to spread them out and that opened up some passing lanes,” added Yerger.

Reddick finished with a game-high 19 points — nine in the third quarter — ultimately keeping Pottstown afloat throughout. She crashed the glass for seven boards, controlled the transition and knocked down a 3-pointer to kick-start the second quarter.

“We go as Ebony goes,” Pottstown head coach Chris Jackson said afterward. “Sometimes there’s a lot of pressure on her — having to carry the team as a junior — but she does it. If she can score and make good passes, we go a long way. She left it out on the floor and did what she does for us.”

Behind Reddick, four Trojans scored three points apiece with Gianna Epps connecting on a 3-pointer and Alivia Lopez grabbing 15 rebounds.

Higher quality shots and less turnovers was the message from Jackson.

“We’ve got to take better care of the ball and make more out of our possessions,” he said. “We can’t turn the ball over like we did tonight and expect to beat quality teams, we just can’t. We knew this one was going to be tough.”

Go Figure

Of the seven games where Reddick has scored 20-plus points this season, the Trojans have won six. Her best showing of the season came December 28, where she scored 29 points in Pottstown’s 51-50 win over Conestoga Valley.

Making The Mark

With seven wins so far on the season, Pottstown is just one win away from matching its best overall win total since the 2011-2012 season where they finished at 8-11.

Where They Stand

The cream is starting to rise to the top in the Frontier Division. With Friday night’s win, the Golden Panthers currently sit with Pottsgrove and Upper Merion at four wins apiece.

History Shows

Since Pope John Paul II opened in 2010, the Golden Panthers are undefeated (14-0) against the Trojans. Pottstown’s last win against the program came during the Saint Pius X days — a 63-53 win over the Winged Lions early on in the 2007-2008 season.