Sometimes the pomp and circumstance of Senior Recognition Night can have an adverse effect on a team.
The Bradford High girls’ basketball squad suffered no such dilemma as the Lady Owls jumped out to a 37-10 halftime lead en route to a 58-29 District 9 League victory over Elk County Catholic at the BAHS gym on Wednesday.
“We talked all week that it was going to be a very emotional night,” said Bob Hannon, Bradford head coach. “I told them to let all the emotions out, but then come back into the locker room and be focused and ready to play. I thought the girls came out and played a tremendous game. That first half was as good a half as we’ve played all year.”
Hannon started seniors Ali Rinfrette, Liz Coppella, Haley Vinelli and Payton Ambrose along with junior Rylee Lundgren and the quintet responded with a 70 percent accuracy from the field and seven steals in the first quarter.
After a driving layup by Julia Sweeney 41 seconds into the contest gave the Lady Crusaders (17-5, 6-4) their only lead, Bradford answered with a 9-0 run.
Lundgren converted a layin and a 3-pointer from the right side, and then Rinfrette and Coppella followed with layups on steals off their full court press for a 9-2 advantage at the 4:43 mark.
After Lundgren drained another triple from the left corner, steals resulted in buckets by Ambrose, Rinfrette, Lundgren and Coppella as the margin mushroomed to 20-3 with 1:13 left in the period.
“We get so much offense from our press,” Hannon stated.
ECC’s Macy Neurieter and Coppella then swapped trifectas from the top of the key as the hosts benefited from Lundgren’s 10 points to savor a 23-6 discrepancy after one.
“She (Lundgren) shoots the ball well,” Hannon noted. “She needs to do that if we’re going to be successful going forward.”
The second stanza also contained some mini runs as Vinelli contributed two buckets in a 6-0 spurt and later Ambrose had a pair in an eight-point streak as the Lady Owls owned a 27-point advantage at the intermission.
After the break Bradford equaled its biggest lead at 43-16 on a 50-foot pass from Rinfrette to Vinelli for the layin and then finalized a 12-0 run with a 18-footer by Lundgren to lead 51-16 at the 1:54 juncture.
With the second team on the floor at the outset of the fourth quarter, the only order of business left for Hannon was to insert the four seniors with just over three minutes left and then remove the quartet to a standing ovation with 1:53 remaining.
“I put the seniors back in so they could get a round of applause,” Hannon recalled. “That’s a great group of girls. I wish I had them four more years.”
The underclassman Lundgren led all scorers with 14 points on 5-for-8 from the floor; Rinfrette amassed 10 points, three steals and six assists with no turnovers; Coppella added 13 points on a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, three assists and steals; Vinelli had 10 points and four rebounds, and Ambrose registered five boards, five thefts and four helpers as Bradford captured its 13th straight triumph.
Next on the docket for the Lady Owls (19-2, 9-0) is their third consecutive outright D-9 League title at Punxsutawney (14-7, 8-1) on Friday.
“That’s our goal,” Hannon said. “I like our chances if we come out with focus and intensity. Punxsy is a tough place to play and win. That will be a good battle down there.”
ELK CATHOLIC (29)
Sweeney 3-1-6-7, M. Schneider 1-2-3-4, Petroski 1-1-2-3, Neurieter 1-0-0-3, Wheler 2-0-0-4, N. Schneider 1-0-0-2, Gahr 2-2-6-6, Totals 11-6-17-29
BRADFORD (58)
Yohe 1-0-0-2, Rinfrette 4-2-2-10, Coppella 6-0-0-13, Vinelli 4-2-4-10, Hennigan 1-0-0-2, Wells 0-1-2-1, Ambrose 3-0-0-6, Lundgren 6-0-0-14, Totals 25-5-8-58
By Quarters
ECC 6 4 8 11—29
Bradford 23 14 18 3—58
Three-point FGs: ECC – Neurieter; BHS – Lundgren 2, Coppella
JV Score: Bradford 34-28 (Kassi Kloss 12)
