Third quarter run helps Christopher Dock hold off Pennsbury

EAST ROCKHILL >> Back-to-back buckets from Lanae Hunsberger put the Christopher Dock girls basketball team up 8-1 on Pennsbury in the first quarter Friday night.

And then, except for a trio of foul shots, nothing the Pioneers sent towards the hoop found its way in the rest of the first half.

“We scored three points and missed 10 shots within five feet,” Dock coach Al Grenfell said. “So, it’s just nerves, I think. Being in a hurry, I try to get them to slow down. If we just take our time and run the plays, we got a couple shots.”

The Falcons could not take advantage of Christopher Dock’s offensive woes and in the third, the shots finally began to drop. The Pioneers (1-0) used an 11-0 run to surge to a 10-point lead then held off Pennsbury to claim a 34-30 in the second game of the Pennridge Tip-Off Tournament.

“At halftime, our coach Al was telling us we’re forcing a lot,” Hunsberger said. “We just need to take our time. And then he gave us a lot of time to just shoot around and I think that helped.”

Hunsberger finished with a game-high 18 points – collecting nine in each half – while also frustrating Pennsbury (0-1) on the other end by creating a handful of steals playing at the top of Dock’s zone defense.

“It could just tell where they were passing, so I just went for it,” Hunsberger said.

Olyvia Longacre scored all 10 of her points after half for Dock, which takes on Pennridge in the tournament final 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The host Rams beat Bensalem 66-46 in Friday’s first game.

Niasia Boone paced Pennsbury with 12 points. Kate Mix chipped in nine points. The Falcons and Bensalem play in the consolation game at 7 p.m.

A Hunsberger steal and layup put Christopher Dock up 14-13 in the third before a Mackenzie McGill jumper put Pennsbury back up a point.

Longacre was fouled on a three attempt and converted all three from the foul line with Hunsberger draining a triple for a 20-15 advantage. A Megan Swintosky free throw, a Longacre bucket and a corner jumper from Emily Groarke pushed the lead to 10.

“They only thing different – we slowed down,” Grenfell said. “That was the whole thing, playing under control.”
Two from Boone ended the run, while Chante Jackson’s two free throws had the Falcons within six entering the fourth.

Pennsbury had the deficit down to four twice early in the final quarter before buckets from Longacre and Hunsberger made it 31-23. Boone’s layup off a steal cut, but a Swintosky free throw and Hunsberger layup off a turnover had the Pioneers ahead by nine at 34-25.

A Sydney Buell three made it 34-30, however the Falcons came up empty on a possession in the final seconds.

Pennsbury had just three points after the first eight minutes and trailed 9-3 after a Hunsberger free throw put Dock up 9-3 at 7:07 in the second quarter. As the Pioneers went cold from the field, the Falcons grabbed an 13-10 advantage after consecutive Mix corner jumpers. A Hunsberger foul shots with a second left in the half made it 13-11 at the break.