BROOKVILLE – For the third time in four days, the Clearfield Area High School girls basketball team couldn\’t turn a halftime lead into a win Monday night.
Trailing 17-12, Brookville rode a 16-point third quarter to a 38-35 victory in the District 9 League game in what coach Mark Powell termed the Lady Raiders\’ best game of the season.
The disappointing setback left the Lady Bisons 2-4 in the league and 4-8 overall.
\”It\’s been the little things, but they multiply into big things,\” Clearfield coach Joey Castagnolo said.
The Lady Bisons shot only 29.5 percent (13-for-44) and were outrebounded 38-25 despite having a size advantage.
\”We didn\’t get any long rebounds, and that was the difference,\” Castagnolo noted.
Point guard Gwenn Porter, the shortest Clearfield starter, led the team for the second game with seven rebounds.
Jayme Ryan, who had a trio of three-pointers, and Madison Sopic provided the bulk of the offense with 11 points apiece.
Ryan\’s treys came in the first half as the Lady Bisons jumped in front 11-4 by the end of the first quarter and went to intermission ahead by five.
The Lady Raiders stormed back in the third period, taking the lead for keeps at 22-21 and widening the gap when the Lady Bisons mustered only two points in 7:02.
Down 36-26 with less than five minutes remaining, Clearfield rallied behind Sopic, who scored nine points in the fourth quarter, and got off two shots in that last 12 seconds that would have tied the game.
\”We played well down the stretch,\” Castagnolo said. \”I was proud of our full-court press. We missed some crucial free throws, and we\’re better than that.\”
Kate Reinsel and Brynna Hetrick had 12 and 10 points, respectively, and Janelle Mescall snared 15 rebounds for Brookville, which balanced its league record at 3-3 and improved to 8-4 with its third consecutive win.
Castagnolo hopes his Lady Bisons soon begin to sustain performances and finish what they start.
\”We have to get out of this, because I\’m not going to the playoffs with a sub-par record,\” he said. \”There\’s still time. We have 10 games left, and they\’re all winnable.\”
CLEARFIELD — 35
Annie Janocko 1 1-2 3, Sarah Kovalick 1 2-2 4, Jayme Ryan 4 0-0 11, Madison Sopic 5 1-2 11, Gwenn Porter 1 2-4 4, Amber Byerly 1 0-0 2, Elizabeth Peters 0 0-0 0, Lori Zalno 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 13 6-10 35.
BROOKVILLE — 38
Jessica Byerly 4 0-0 9, Morgan Castle 2 0-2 5, Brynna Hetrick 3 1-2 10, Kate Reinsel 2 8-10 12, Janelle Mescall 0 2-2 2, Amanda Liebman 0 0-0 0, Amber Cook 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Byerly 0 0-2 0. TOTALS: 11 11-18 38.
Three-Point Field Goals: Clearfield 3 (Ryan 3); Brookville 5 (J. Byerly 1, Castle 1, Hetrick 3).
Score by Quarters:
Clearfield 11 6 6 12 – 35
Brookville 4 8 16 10 – 38
