Second half run by Lady Eagles leads to nail biting win over rival Bellefonte

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: January 23, 2021

By Kenny Varner

WINGATE – Cool under pressure.

Going to the foul line with 34.9 seconds left and a 2-point lead, Bald Eagle’s Georgia Cingle went 2-for-2, upping her team’s lead.

Seconds later, she had yet another chance to add to the lead, Cingle again was perfect from the charity stripe to lead her team to a 45-39 contest over rival Bellefonte Saturday.

It would go down as a Centre County instant classic.

Bald Eagle’s Sara Holler finished with a double-double as she brought down 14 rebounds and 11 points.

Her teammate Maddy Perry, who got hot in the final stanza, posted nine of her 14 points in the fourth.

Rounding out the double-digit scorers with 12.

Bellefonte’s Maddy Tice posted 12 points while teammate Mia Johnson had 10.

Bella Corman just missed a double-double with eight points and 11 rebounds.

“These girls never quit. They do what we ask them to do,” said Bald Eagle coach Shawn Thompson. “ We were down at halftime and things weren’t going our way the only thing we said to them was to play as a team, play within our system and don’t do anything you normally wouldn’t do. They just did a phenomenal job.”

Despite the loss, the Lady Raiders took the Eagles down to the final seconds before Bald Eagle clinched the game with only seconds left in the contest.

“This was definitely a tough one to lose against them. We’ve had a good record against them. And not to get the victory is very very tough,” said Bellefonte coach Marcus Toomer. “The girls have worked very hard with everything that’s been going on. We have a good effort. Bald Eagle was a little more tougher than we were tonight. We have something’s to work on and we’ll be better for that.”

Going into the third quarter, the Lady Raiders held a 23-16 advantage.

Bald Eagle started its March at the lead.

Kristen Onder went right into the heart of the Bellefonte defense for the runner in the lane.

Bellefonte countered with a free throw by Lily Gardner and two points from the charity stripe from Corman, extending its lead to a 26-18 advantage.

The Red Raiders would continue to keep its lead and extended their advantage to nine on a triple by Tice, 32-23 with 3:31 left in the third.

But the lead would be a waddled down in the final minutes as the Eagles finished the stanza going on a 6-0 run to put them within striking distance as the two team’s headed into the fourth quarter.

Bald Eagle continued its offensive explosion in the final stanza.

The Lady Eagles pulled to within one as Perry got behind the defense and picked up the back door bucket.

Corman upped the lead back to three on two free throws.

Perry continued the quarter shooting with a triple that put her team in the lead for the first time since the first half.

Bellefonte sharpshooter Tice returned the favor, hitting a triple of her own, taking back the lead at 37-36.

Onder tied the contest with 4:11 left as she hit one-of-two from the line.

Perry hit consecutive buckets while the Bald Eagle defense clamped down, extending the lead to 41-37.

Emalee Neff cut things to two as she hit a long jumper with 3:19 left.

With the score still at 41-39, Holler pulled down a clutch rebound to give her team the ball with the lead.

She got the ball to Perry who was fouled with 34.9 left. She was perfect on both as she was seconds later as she was fouled once again.

Bald Eagle Area scored one last basket with seven ticks left, rounding out the scoring at 45-39.

The game opened the contest battling from the beginning.