Bellefonte holds onto last minute victory over P-O
- By Kenny Varner
- Updated: December 20, 2014
BELLEFONTE – This one was good to the last buzzer.
Facing a late-game comeback by the Philipsburg-Osceola girls team, the Bellefonte basketball team took everything the Mounties could throw at them and then some, turning their opponent away in the final minute 50-46.
“We had a little lapse there. We were up by 10. I thought we could’ve put it away there but Philipsburg is a scrappy bunch and they came back,” Bellefonte coach Adam Gearhart said. “I am very proud of how the girls responded, not committing fouls at the end. They held it together. We are coming off two good practices. We are coming off a double overtime loss. When it counted we held it together.”
Leading the way offensively for the Bellefonte was the clutch shooting of center Jess Book. Book finished with a double-double collecting 19 points and 11 rebounds. Teammate Alexandra Steen was hot from the outside, posting a 10-point effort while collecting two triples.
Philipsburg-Osceola were led by Abby Showers and Cheyenne Cowfer, who finished with a 18-point and a 15-point performance, respectively.
Going into the final stanza, the Mounties turned an early third quarter 10-point Red Raiders lead into just a 5-point deficit with eight minutes left in the game.
In the starting minutes of the fourth, Philipsburg went on a 11-3 run to go ahead in the game for the first time since the first quarter, 45-43.
With the Red Raiders seemingly losing the momentum they had build up, they got the ball to Book who stopped the bleeding with a lay-in at the 4-minute mark, tying the game at 45.
From there the Bellefonte defense took over, forcing the Mounties to turn the ball over after sweating out a two and a half minute possession in Red Raiders territory.
Bellefonte forward Alexis Wetzler made her one and only field goal when her team needed the most, posting up and planting a faking once then up for the jumper, giving them back the lead with 1:33 left.
Philipsburg continued to pound the ball at the Bellefonte end but time after time it was denied a clear look at the hoop.
With 26.2 ticks left on the clock, Bellefonte had the ball and had a chance to ice the game.
But that didn’t happen as the Mounties were able to get the ball back with the Red Raiders still holding onto a 47-45 advantage.
Showers brought the ball up and was fouled off a Bellefonte free throw miss, giving her a chance to cut it to one. She was automatic, cutting the game to one point with 7.5 seconds left.
But on the following inbounds pass, Book was fouled and with the foul it sent her to the charity stripe. She was perfect on both shots, putting the Red Raiders ahead, 49-46.
Lauren Young came up with a clutch steal with four seconds left and sent the ball up the court to teammate Mara Dreibelbis where she was fouled with 2.7 seconds left.
Dreibelbis hit one-of-two to ice the game, 50-46.
In the first quarter, the Mounties got off to a strong start thanks to two three s from Cowfer and one from Showers, taking a 12-9 advantage going into the second quarter.
Bellefonte came up huge offensively in the second quarter, scoring 20 of their 50 points. Book led the way with a 6-point effort while teammates Dreibelbis and Steen followed closely with five.
Defensively in the quarter, the Red Raiders kept the Mounties to only 11.
Things got a little closer, scoring-wise in the third as Bellefonte outscored Philipsburg 12-11, setting up for the fourth quarter drama.