Season comes to an end for Towanda girls
Balance has been the mantra that Dunmore's girls have lived by this season, and the watchword that will have them living a little longer in the PIAA Class AA playoffs.
With Corinna Palko pouring in 22 points and Alexa Gerchman adding 13, the Bucks extended their winning streak to 19, bouncing Towanda from the state playoffs, 54-43, Friday night at Marywood University.
"If you look, at some point of the season, each one of our five starters has been our leading scorer," Dunmore coach Ben O'Brien said. "Certainly Alexa and Corinna have stepped up for us all year."
Thast was especially evident in the second quarter when the duo combined for all 14 Dunmore points, including a 10-0 run to start the second quarter.
"I checked the boxscores on them all season and every game someone else is scoring," Towanda coach Shawna Wygrala said. "They're a good program and no one has extreme numbers, so I figured they could all score."
What Palko and Gerchman did, scoring seven apiece, was give the Bucks a cushion for the rest of the night.
"It may look like it's up to us, but it's not," Palko said. "It's the entire team. We're busting our butts on defense at one end, then you look for the open player and have to work the ball.
"Once you start moving the ball and get the defense moving, you can score."
Especially Gerchman, who displayed a soft touch on several floaters in the paint after she had broken down Towanda's defense.
"It was just something that was there and we took advantage of it," Gerchman said of her drives down the lane. "They weren't really helping so the middle was wide open. I've been working on that shot and trying to improve it."
Towanda was saddled by foul trouble for second-leading scorer Alison Wickwire, but Kylee Sutton did whjat she could, scoring 19. Dunmore, however, was able to limit the points from other contributors.
"I thought it was a real team effort against a real good Towanda team, and they were as good as advertised," O'Brien said. "Our players came up with some big plays at the right time."
Especially in the second half. Ashley Murray scored nine of her 11 and the Bucks posted a 9-0 run after Sutton's 3 cut the Dunmore lead to 42-37 with 5:52 remaining in the game.
Cayla Boland took a feed from Nicole Korgeski for a layup, Murray scored the next four and Gerchman added another driving bucket for a 50-37 lead with 3:51 left.
"Our kids focus on the next play, not the previous play, and I think that helps them keep their poise," O'Brien said. "I can't say enough about the job they did out there tonight.
"We think we're a pretty good defensive team and we're going to come and play you. Sutton is going to get her points, but I think we did a good job containing their other role players. That was important because their other role players are very good."
Dunmore will meet Pen Argyl, a 51-30 winner over Kennedy-Kenrick in Tuesday's second round at a site and time to be determined.
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