PUNXSUTAWNEY — The postseason, the second season, the playoffs. Whatever it is called, when teams reach this moment, it is a proud accomplishment. This time of year is special because it means as a unit, the team has a chance to do something special. On a blustery and snowy Wednesday night, it was the beginning of the second season for both the Lady Bison of Clearfield and the Lady Chucks of Punxsutawney.
It was the semifinal round of the District IX Class AAA playoffs, and for the visiting Lady Bison, the task at hand was going to be a challenge. Taking on a team that had already beaten them once, on their home court no less, was a daunting task. Punxsutawney entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the bracket, with Clearfield as the No. 4 seed.
In the early going the up-tempo style of Clearfield caught the Lady Chucks by surprise, getting the opening lead mere seconds into the game. But as the contest wore on, it was slowly leaning back in the favor of the home squad.
Using a combination of outside passing, inside penetration, and taking advantage of a clear height difference, Punxsutawney showed why they were the No. 1 seed as they would cruise to the 55-38 victory.
“I wanted to get off to a good, fast start, and we did. They (Punxsutawney) just took their time, passed the ball around the perimeter, then hit their posts. I think they just wore us out, and they never missed,” Bison Head coach Joey Castagnolo said afterwards. “When we played them at home, they didn’t miss. With our height, and our up-tempo offense, we have a few turnovers and they come down and score. It just starts multiplying really fast.
“I’m proud of the way we battled. I know we were under sized, but you wouldn’t know it until the fourth quarter.”
The opening tip went in the favor of Clearfield, and quickly would see a basket as senior Emily Ryan burst down the right court for the opening layup. Clearfield would push the lead to five points at one point in the quarter, and held the lead for most of the opening eight minutes. But the Lady Chucks began their methodical play soon afterwards, as the quick passes and work in the paint would bring the first quarter to a close all tied at 14.
After the first quarter, the height advantage for Punxsutawney became apparent. The combination of Leah Miller and Hope Bridge under the basket were too much to defend on either end of the court. Combined, they would account for 21 of the Lady Chucks’ 33 rebounds, with Miller accounting for a double-double as she added 13 points.
Bridge would take advantage of some put-back shots, leading her to a game-high 18 points.
“I have one rebound player; they have three. The thing is, every time they put a shot up, they never missed,” Castagnolo said. “That’s a sign of a good team…you can’t coach height.
“They knew our weaknesses, and exploited them.”
Punxsutawney would hold a 10-point advantage at halftime, but would not let the gap get any closer than nine points from that moment on. By the end of the third quarter, with a 46-27 advantage, the Lady Bison were showing they were tired, despite having some fight left in them.
Ryan would continue to play hard throughout the final quarter, getting six of her 13 points in the final eight minutes. At the same time, Rachel Glenny would find herself running up and down the court for a majority of the game, seeming as if she was on the track at the Bison Sports Complex instead of on the hardwood. She would finish her final game in a Lady Bison uniform with 18 points, 13 boards, plus three blocks and an assist.
When the game came to a close, it began sinking in for the team that there would be no more practices, nor another bus ride to a game, nor another pre-game discussion to go through. The season was over, and for Castagnolo, he couldn’t speak any more highly of his team, especially his seniors and all they have given to the program.
“My daughter (Margo) is soft spoken, but the girls respect her for the way she can shoot. Rachel scraps; she runs twice as many times up and down the court as anyone, and that speed leads to easy baskets. Emily has been my point guard for three and a half years, and the game’s in her control.
“Overall, I am happy. They knew this was going to be a tough assignment coming up here.”
Castagnolo’s team ends the 2015-2016 season with a record of 10-13, their best record in the last three seasons, and made the playoffs for the first time in four years. Castagnolo was smiling at all the accomplishments that his team saw this year. He pointed out how the team matured on the court as the season progressed, and overcame adversity such as when Sam Rockmore went out for the year with a knee injury. He was happy with what his team did, and when asked what he said to the team in the locker room, the message was clear.
“Overall, it was a great season. I told them to walk out here with our heads held high. We played hard,” he said.
Punxsutawney will face the Lady Owls of Bradford, who shocked the Lady Dutch of St. Marys on their home court in a 47-46 stunner, for the Class AAA championship on Friday. The game will be played at Clarion University, with the tip-off time announced later this week.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Clearfield 14 6 7 11 – 38
Punxsutawney 14 16 16 9 – 55
Clearfield 38
Castagnolo 2 0-0 5, Cline 0 0-0 0, E. Ryan 6 1-4 13, Lindstrom 1 0-0 2, Brossard 0 0-0 0, A. Ryan 0 0-0 0, Glenny 4 10-16 18, Lansberry 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 13 11-20 38.
Punxsutawney 55
Lingenfelter 0 0-0 0, Lunger 4 0-0 8, White 0 0-0 0, Miller 5 3-4 13, Vanleer 4 2-2 12, Ferko 2 0-0 4, Horner 0 0-0 0, Bridge 9 0-0 18. TOTALS 24 5-6 55.
GAME STATISTICS
Clearfield/Punxsutawney
Rebounds: 20/33
Turnovers: 16/15
Fouls: 9/16
Shooting: 13-45/24-54
Three-Point Shots: Castagnolo/Vanleer (2)
Final Lady Bison Scoreboard:
Date Opponent Score Record
12/04&05 @ Brookville Tip-off Tourney
12/04 vs. North Clarion 45 – 50 0 – 1
12/05 vs. Clarion-Limestone 64 – 24 1 – 1
12/08 CENTRAL 41 – 52 1 – 2
12/11 @ Huntingdon 41 – 28 2 – 2
12/14 @ DuBois 40 – 51 2 – 3
12/16 @ Bellefonte 48 – 47 3 – 3
12/18 TYRONE 40 – 66 3 – 4
12/21 BROOKVILLE 50 – 59 3 – 5
12/29 @ Curwensville 63 – 24 4 – 5
01/04 PUNXSUTAWNEY 43 – 55 4 – 6
01/05 @ Bald Eagle Area 53 – 40 5 – 6
01/08 PENNS VALLEY 42 – 70 5 – 7
01/13 @ Philipsburg-Osceola 42 – 38 6 – 7
01/15 @ Central 26 – 51 6 – 8
01/18 @ St. Marys 30 – 32 6 – 9
01/19 HUNTINGDON 47 – 34 7 – 9
01/22 BELLEFONTE 52 – 43 8 – 9
01/27 @ Tyrone 48 – 62 8 – 10
01/29 BALD EAGLE AREA 60 – 30 9 – 10
02/02 @ Penns Valley 35 – 59 9 – 11
02/04 CURWENSVILLE 80 – 30 10 – 11
02/05 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA 49 – 51 10 – 12
02/16 District 9 Semifinals
02/16 @ Punxsutawney 38 – 55 10 – 13