CURWENSVILLE — A first-half shooting percentage by the Curwensville Area High School girls basketball team that was almost as cold as the outside temperature enabled Ridgway to build a lead that was too much to overcome as the Lady Elkers exited Patton Hall with a 46-33 win Wednesday night.
Lady Tide coach Bob Desmett took some of the blame for allowing the visitors to get away to a 28-12 cushion by intermission of the Allegheny Mountain League Southern Division opener for both teams.
“We stayed in the man defense too long, and I told the girls it was my fault,” the first-year coach said.
Shooting was another matter.
Hannah Condon’s putback with 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter was the Lady Tide’s lone field goal in 13 shots. By then, the Lady Elkers had tallied 12 points, eight by Emily Fullem and four by Casey Woodford.
“We’ve been coming out cold about every game,” Desmett said. “We just can’t get going.”
Four field goals, two by Madi Weber, in the second period did improve Curwensville’s percentage to 16.1, but Ridgway (6-3) padded its advantage by seven points with four of its five returning starters getting into the scoring act.
“We always seem to find one or two quarters that we can’t get things together,” Desmett said.
The Lady Tide did outscore the Lady Elkers 21-18 in the second half, but they never got their deficit under 14 points in the third quarter and 15 in the final period.
Weber posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
“We’re trying to work on when teams are double- or triple-teaming Madi,” Desmett said. “We need the other girls to step up. They have to be open, and we have to see that.
“We’ve said that from the beginning, but we just don’t seem to be getting it done.
“But we’re going to come in the gym tomorrow (Thursday) and work hard and try to get it going the right way.”
Fullem, who averaged a double-double last season when she was named to the D9Sports.com All-District Third Team, paced Ridgway with 18 points and a dozen rebounds, while Woodford chimed in with 10 points. Lady Elker stats credited Fullem with four assists, four steals and three blocked shots.
The Lady Elker junior varsity won the prelim 34-19. Jordan Witherite’s seven points were high for the Lady Tide.
Curwensville (1-5) will go to Brockway Friday for another A ML-South game.
RIDGWAY — 46
Casey Woodford 5 0-2 10, Emily Fullem 8 2-2 18, Karley LaBenne 0 0-0 0, Josie Benninger 2 0-0 4, Alyssa Kasmierski 3 0-0 6, Christina Fullem 3 0-0 6, Claudia Yates 0 0-0 0, Evie Cobaugh 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 22 2-4 46.
CURWENSVILLE — 33
Sabrina Spencer 3 1-2 7, Madison Olson 1 0-0 2, Mikayla Warren 1 0-0 2, Madi Weber 3 4-4 12, Tara Jacobson 3 0-0 6, Hannah Condon 2 0-0 4, Kaitlyn McCracken 0 0-0 0, Jordan Witherite 0 0-0 0, Keisha Maines 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 13 5-6 33.
Three-Point Field Goals — Curwensville 2 (Weber 2).
Score by Quarters
Ridgway 12 16 10 8 – 46
Curwensville 3 9 8 13 – 33
Lady Tide Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 12/08 | @ West Branch | 31 – 62 | 0 – 1 |
| 12/12 | MO VALLEY | 32 – 62 | 0 – 2 |
| 12/19 | HARMONY | 41 – 35 | 1 – 2 |
| 12/21 | @ St. Marys | 24 – 37 | 1 – 3 |
| 12/28 | CLEARFIELD | 15 – 45 | 1 – 4 |
| 01/03 | RIDGWAY | 33 – 46 | 1 – 5 |
| 01/05 | @ Brockway | ||
| 01/09 | @ DuBois Central Catholic | ||
| 01/10 | WEST BRANCH | ||
| 01/16 | ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC | ||
| 01/17 | @ Glendale | ||
| 01/19 | @ Kane | ||
| 01/22 | @ Brookville | ||
| 01/23 | @ Ridgway | ||
| 01/25 | BROCKWAY | ||
| 01/30 | @ Mo Valley | ||
| 01/31 | GLENDALE | ||
| 02/02 | @ Johnsonburg | ||
| 02/05 | @ Harmony | ||
| 02/06 | DUBOIS CENTRAL CATH | ||
| 02/09 | SHEFFIELD | ||
| 02/13 | @ Clearfield |
