WESTOVER – Harmony clinched at least a tie for the 2009 Moshannon Valley League girls basketball championship with a 64-39 Senior Night win over visiting Curwensville Thursday.
\”We played pretty hard,\” Lady Tide coach Vic Gearhart said. \”The final score doesn\’t reflect their effort.
\”We made them work for everything they got. There weren\’t any breakaways or easy drives like the last time we played them. Tonight, we jumped into the driving lanes. They scored, but they were contested.\”
The Lady Tide trailed only 11-10 after the first period, but Kierstyn Kruise and Lindsay Neff fueled a 25-point second quarter that propelled the Lady Owls to their sixth MVL win without defeat.
Kruise, one of four seniors honored before the tip-off, pumped in eight of her game-high 19 points and Neff contributed six of her 13 as Harmony opened a 36-17 gap at intermission.
Alyson Leyo and senior Megan Brink added 11 and 10 points, respectively for the Lady Owls (15-5), who can wrap up the title with a win against Glendale or West Branch. Moshannon Valley has completed its MVL slate at 6-2.
Fouls were a factor as the Lady Owls went to the free throw line 32 times, cashing 17. They were 9-for-14 in the second quarter.
Every Curwensville player scored, a first for this season, but Hannah Walls was the only one with more than five points. She netted 12.
The Lady Tide (0-18) will welcome Kane (15-5) to Patton Hall Friday night.
In the junior varsity game, Alaina Westover scored 11 points to lead Harmony to a 34-29 victory. All but four of Curwensville\’s points came from two players, Savannah Strickland with 15 and Courtney Bachelier with 10.
Moshannon Valley League Standings – Harmony 6-0, Moshannon Valley 6-2, West Branch 3-4, Glendale 2-4, Curwensville 0-7.
CURWENSVILLE — 39
Hannah Walls 4 4-6 12, Tess Bloom 1 0-3 2, Alesia Bressler 2 0-0 4, Jenessa Stiles 1 2-2 4, Taylor Bumbarger 2 0-0 5, Jenae Stiles 2 0-0 4, Savannah Strickland 1 0-0 2, Sara Sidelinger 1 0-0 2, Shayla Buzard 1 0-0 2, Courtney Bachelier 0 2-2 2. TOTALS: 15 8-13 39.
HARMONY — 64
Alyson Leyo 3 5-6 11, Megan Brink 5 0-3 10, Kierstyn Kruise 7 3-6 19, Megan Fox 0 0-0 0, Kerri Coble 0 0-0 0, Lindsay Neff 3 6-14 13, Makenzie Kruise 1 2-2 4, Alaina Westover 3 1-1 7, Shandell Clark 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 22 17-32 64.
Three-Point Field Goals: Curwensville 1 (Bumbarger); Harmony 3 (K. Kruise 2, Neff 1).
Score by Quarters
Curwensville 10 7 10 12 – 39
Harmony 11 25 15 13 – 64
