FLINTON – There was great improvement for the Curwensville Lady Tide basketball team on Wednesday night in a road game at Glendale. Unfortunately the Lady Tide couldn’t hang on in the final five minutes to pull out their first victory of the year.
The Lady Vikings came back from as many as ten points down to pull out a 44-42 squeaker over Curwensville in Moshannon Valley League (MVL) play. The loss leaves the Tide still looking for their first win as they drop to 0-3 overall and 0-1 in MVL action. Glendale won its third straight to improve to 3-1 on the year and move to 1-1 in the MVL.
Curwensville jumped out to a 14 to 8 lead after the first eight minutes and at one time had a ten point bulge. Sophomore Taylor Bumbarger paced the Tide in the first period with six points. Bumbarger ended up being the Tide’s leading scorer with 12 for the night.
The Lady Tide maintained their six point margin at the half as they were up 23-17 with two periods left to play.
Glendale came out of the locker room after the break and picked up their tempo as they outscored Curwensville 13-9 in the third frame and 14-10 in the final period to secure the come from behind win.
The Lady Vikings didn’t take their first lead until about five minutes were remaining in the game when Brooke Legrand hit a three giving the Vikings a 38-37 margin.
Glendale coach John Matchock got some terrific free throw shooting from a pair of underclassmen in the second half. Sophomore Morgan Biddle was 6 for 8 in the second half while freshman Kelli McGarvey was a perfect 6 for 6 over the final sixteen minutes. In the final stanza the two combined for 5 of 6 from the line to keep the Lady Vikings in front.
Biddle led her squad with 12 points while Legrand and McGarvey chipped in with 8 each. Besides Bumbarger for the Lady Tide, Tess Bloom and Hannah Walls each added 9.
Vic Gearhart, Curwensville head coach, was still pleased even after the tough loss, “That was our best effort in a long, long time. Without a doubt the best in the last two seasons. Everyone gave a good effort including the girls off of the bench.”
Gearhart added, “ We put ourselves in a position to win the ballgame but it just didn’t work out that way. We took some things away from what they wanted to do but a couple other girls stepped up for them.”
On the night, Glendale took 29 free throws, making 16, while the Tide took just 12, hitting on 7 from the charity stripe.
Glendale won the junior varsity contest going away 51-16.
The Lady Tide return to action Friday when they travel to Westover to play the Lady Owls of Harmony.
CURWENSVILLE -Hannah Walls 3 3-4 9, Tess Bloom 4 0-1 9, Alesia Bressler 0 2-2 2, Jenessa Stiles 1 1-3 3, Taylor Bumbarger 6 0-0 12, Sara Sidelinger 0 0-0 0, Shayla Buzard 1 1-2 3, Savannah Strickland 2 0-0 4. TOTALS – 17 7-12 42
GLENDALE – Morgan Biddle 3 6-8 12, Brooke Legrand 3 0-1 8, Samantha Noel 1 0-2 3, Whitney Strong 0 0-4 0, Sara Tarr 2 3-4 7, Brianna Dick 1 1-2 3, Kelli McGarvey 1 6-6 8, Cassie Spangle 0 0-0 0, Brooke Wilson 1 0-2 3.
TOTALS – 12 16-29 44
THREE-POINTERS – CURWENSVILLE – 1 Bloom. GLENDALE – 4 Legrand 2, Noel 1, Wilson 1.
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
CURWENSVILLE 14 9 9 10 42
GLENDALE 8 9 13 14 44