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Lady Eagles hold off Rams in final seconds to capture clutch victory

By Kenny Varner

SPRING MILLS – In a game that had a post season feel to it, the Bald Eagle Area girls basketball team picked up its third win in-a-row in an exciting 42-39 Mountain League contest against Penns Valley.

Maddie Perry led the way with a game-high 15 points.

Teammate Kierra Serb finished with nine.

Penns Valley’s Ann-Marie McMurtrie was high scorer for her team with 12 points.

Kailen Winkelblech followed with eight points.

Rounding things out for the Lady Rams was Skylar Fleshman with six points.

“Those girls were awesome tonight. They played hard for four quarters straight,” said Bald Eagle Area coach   Shawn Thompson. “I can’t be more proud of those girls in that locker room.”

Going into the final stanza, the contest was just a bucket lead for the Eagles.

Penns Valley’s Skylar Fleshman put the team within a bucket of tying thanks to a triple at the third quarter buzzer.

“We didn’t come out and play like we should have. Point blank we did not play Lady Ram basketball,” said Penns Valley coach Terrance Green. “We know that. We talked about it and we are preparing for Philipsburg Friday.

Bald Eagle picked up the first bucket of the fourth as she went strong to the hole and in with the shot.

Minutes later the Eagles would add four more points to its lead on two free throws by Abby Hoover and a steal and a basket by Perry, making it a 37-29 lead with 5:53.

The run forced the Rams to call a time out to regroup.

And regroup they did as they worked at the lead and riddled it away on an 8-2 Penns Valley run.

McMurtrie was the main reason for the run as she posted six of those.

With both teams using full court presses to their advantage, Penns Valley’s Winkleblech stole the ball and drove all the way in after breaking the press.

Bald Eagle’s Olivia Boone put the Eagles up 1-of-2 from the charity stripe upping the Eagles’ lead to a 40-37 advantage with 2:04 left.

McMurtrie cut the lead to a point after a jumper with just 40 ticks left.

In a frenzy for the ball, both teams had looks at putting more points on the board but it wouldn’t be until the five second mark when Bald Eagle’s Perry hit a clutch leaner in the lane and was fouled on the way in.

That would be the final icing on the cake for the Eagles.

Bald Eagle Area opened the game on a strong note posting an early 8-5 advantage.

Things started to heat up in the second as the Rams cut into the lead, trailing just by two at 19-17 while the two teams went into the intermission.

The second half both teams continued to turn up the heat as both teams scored 12 in the period.

That would set up the thrilling final stanza that the Eagles would hold onto the win.

Bald Eagle Area 42, Penns Valley 39

BEA 8 11  12 11 – 42

PV   5  12 12 10 – 39

Scoring: Bald Eagle – Maddie Perry 3 9-14 15, Charlotte Cingle 2 0-0 5, Abby Hoover 3 4-6 10, Kierra Serb 3 3-6 9, Olivia Boone 1 1-2 3, Khloe Cunningham 0 0-2 0. Totals 12 17-30 42.

Penns Valley – Julia Emel 1 0-0 2, Ann-Marie McMurtrie 3 6-7 12, Sammie Snider 2 0-1 2, Kailen Winkleblech 3 1-5 8, Paige Dobson 2 0-1 5, Skylar Fleshman 2 0-0 6, Kayla Hopkins 1 0-0 2. Totals – 14 7-14 39.

Three-point shots: Bald Eagle – Cingle. Penns Valley – Winkleblech,Dobson, Fleshman

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