Huntingdon girls top young BEA squad

By rscaife
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Updated: January 14, 2018

By Kenny Varner
WINGATE – The growing process continues for the Bald Eagles girls basketball team.
Another chapter in the maturation process of the young team was showing on Saturday as they went up against a feisty Huntingdon team, falling 39-14 at home. Despite losing to Huntington the group continues to learn and improve despite the young age of most of the roster.
“It’s going to be a challenge for us just because we have some kids that just haven’t been playing a whole lot of basketball. We talked about it and we have a lot of kids playing basketball in season but don’t in the off season,” Bald Eagle coach Darin Hazel said. “ so we are behind in the skill and development side. I think that is why you are seeing a lot of low scores. I think for us we missed five or six easy shots at the basket and you have to admit at the varsity level, you have to make those and we didn’t make them tonight.”
Leading the scoring on the night was Huntingdon’s Maddie Gearhart who netted a game-High 12-point effort.
Teammate Tiomoni Easter was next with an 8-point performance.
In the first quarter, the Bald Eagle defense was tough on the boards and in the paint allowing Huntingdon only five points.
However, its offense, which struggled for much of the night, could only manage four.
The Bearcats struck first in the contest on an offensive rebound shot down under by Maddie Gearhart.
On their next possession, Bald Eagle Area tied the contest at two when Mariah Veneziano hit both free throws after being fouled in the act of shooting.
Minutes later, the Bearcats took back the lead as Gearhart made her way to the line after being fouled in the act, hitting 1-of-2.
With time dwindling in the opening period, the Eagles went back to the inside and got it to their center Cat Miller. Miller went up strong in traffic and was fouled but made the shot anyway, upping the lead to 5-2. Miller missed the free throw.
Alexis Bucha finished off the first quarter scoring, bringing her team to within one of Huntingdon, taking it strong to the hole and hitting it.
As the period ended, the Bearcats led by one, 5-4.
Offensively, the Eagles shooting went ice cold in the second as Huntingdon was just warming up.
What was a close game started to slowly go out of reach with each Huntingdon possession.
Gearhart spearheaded the 16-0 blanking of the Eagles, in the period as the Bearcats took the 21-4 lead into the intermission.
But Bald Eagle came out of the half trying to get back into the game.
Sarah Holler, who finished 10 rebounds, got the second half started with a runner in the lane at 7:47, making it 21-6.
Huntingdon extended the lead back to 17 when Emily Kurtz hit 2-of-2 from the line.
After holding the Eagles from scoring, Huntingdon’s Lexi Skipek hit a runner in the lane, upping the lead to 25-8.
From there the Bearcats outscored Bald Eagle 8-6.
When the fourth quarter got under way, Huntingdon held a 33-14 lead.
Like in the second period, Huntingdon’s defense kept the Bald Eagle offense scoreless while it posted six en route to the 39-14 victory.
Bald Eagle is back in action Monday as it plays St.Joseph.