Souderton controls 4th quarter in win over North Penn

TOWAMENCIN >> Souderton scored eight straight points to start the fourth quarter against North Penn Monday evening to turn a three-point deficit into a five-point lead. The Indians allowed a Knights three-pointer to cut the margin to two with 3:50 left in the game, but those were the only points Big Red surrendered in the fourth.

Souderton’s defense overcame a poor free-throw shooting fourth quarter and led the Indians to a 38-33 Suburban One League Colonial Division win at North Penn High School.

“We were just playing our hearts out,” Souderton junior Teya McConnaha said. “We really wanted this win. We just came together as a team and played magnificently, just absolutely amazing.”

Souderton (4-2, 2-1 SOL Colonial) entered the fourth quarter trailing, 30-27. Erin Bohmueller hit a short jumper to get within one. McConnaha scored the next three points – splitting free throws to tie the game and grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring to put her side ahead, 32-30, with 5:27 to play.

Casey Harter split a pair of free throws and McConnaha made another layup to give Souderton its largest lead of the second half, 35-30, with 4:33 to go.

North Penn’s Cameron Crowley responded with a three with just under four minutes left to get the Knights (1-4, 0-3 SOL Colonial) within two.

Souderton didn’t shut the door from the free-throw line, shooting 3-for-8 from the charity stripe in the final three minutes, but they managed to grab a few rebounds on missed free throws and played lock down defense to secure the win.

“My mindset is just push them with your body,” McConnaha, who grabbed two of her nine rebounds on missed free throws during crunch time, said. “Get them out of my way and try to get the ball. That’s going to help my team. I want to get that ball. That ball is pretty much like candy to me – I want that.

“I always do feel like (I have an advantage rebounding). I’m different than everybody else, but I think (North Penn) is a really good boxing out team. I definitely could feel the body on me every time I went up for something. I think it was a good matchup, I just had the tallness over them so I could get it quicker.”

Harter made it a two-possession game when she knocked down a pair of free throws to make it 37-33 with 25 seconds left.

“Abby (Plaugher) fouling out never helps,” North Penn coach Brianna Cullen said of her team’s late offensive struggles. “That’s one of our leading scorers. We’re a young team. Being able to score at will is something we’re learning and progressing with. Souderton is a lockdown defensive team. Their coach has been there, she’s been working with this program, she’s been in these situations. With our youth, we’re learning and we’re getting there.”

Harter led the Indians with 15 points and McConnaha added nine.

Plaugher led North Penn with nine points and Caleigh Sperling added seven.

Souderton jumped out to a 10-1 lead in the first quarter. The Knights battled back to take their first lead, 19-18, late in the first half before the teams went to the locker room tied, 22-22.

“This is a team that never rolls over,” Cullen said. “They never give up. They’re always giving 100%. I know it’s tough to take losses like this one and move on, but I think that what we took away from tonight was that we are right there and the potential for success is in the future.”

Souderton 38, North Penn 33

Souderton 10 12 5 11 – 38

North Penn 4 18 8 3 – 33

S: Fenchel 2 0-2 5, Bohmueller 1 1-2 3, McGillian 3 0-0 6, Harter 4 6-11 15, Stefanowicz 0 0-0 0, McDonough 0 0-0 0, McConnaha 4 1-2 9. Total 14 8-17 38.

NP: Sperling 2 1-2 7, Plaugher 2 5-6 9, Stone 2 1-2 5, Orth 0 0-0 0, Donnelly 2 0-0 6, Crowley 2 0-0 6. Total 10 7-10 33.

3-point goals: S: Fenchel, Harter. NP: Sperling 2, Donnelly 2, Crowley 2.