By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
DUKE CENTER, PA – In their inaugural game of the District 9 Class A postseason, the Otto-Eldred girls’ basketball team clobbered Northern Potter, winning 61-26 as they punched their ticket to the semifinals.
Coming into this matchup, O-E walked onto their home court as the favorites. Earning the No. 2 seed with a 20-4 record that included a sweep of NoPo during the regular season, the Lady Terrors were ready to bring playoff basketball to the Terror Dome.
“It’s great. It’s the best thing other than maybe going down and playing at Clarion on Super Saturday,” said Otto-Eldred head coach Shawn Gray on playing at home in the playoffs. “This is the best part of being a coach for sure.”
Although they missed their first shot, allowing NoPo to take what would become their only lead of the game, it wouldn’t take O-E long to find their stride. Ayla Van Scoter would break the seal with a made 3-pointer on their second trip down the court, sparking an 11-2 run to put the Lady Terrors firmly in the driver’s seat. They would continue to take and make shots from long distance, with Baylee Francis, Addie Bell and Carrie Drummond all finding the mark from beyond the arc.
After their initial score, NoPo would go cold, collecting the rest of their first-quarter points from split trips to the line. After the initial eight minutes of play, O-E held a 24-7 lead.
“It came down to just having the right attitude. We’re trying to instill some confidence. We’ve been doing a lot of stuff off the court with each other, trying to become a little bit closer,” said Gray. “I think it’s working a little bit. They came ready to go tonight and I’m very happy about that.”
Baylee Francis takes and makes a jump shot from long range during the Lady Terrors’ hot start to their Class A quarterfinals matchup against NoPo. Francis would knock down a pair of 3-pointers during the win, finishing with 15 points. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
While the game slowed down in the second quarter, the Lady Terrors still imposed their will. Shying away from the 3-pointer, O-E forced their way inside for close looks at the rim. Using solid screens that freed up passage into the paint or ripping down offensive rebounds for second chance scores, the Lady Terrors carved out NoPo’s interior.
In the meantime, NoPo would try to catch up quickly with the long ball. However, nothing was falling for the Lady Panthers early as they were withheld from the scoreboard for the first six and a half minutes. Once they saw the ball go in though, NoPo began to catch fire, hitting three consecutive triples in the final minute. Despite the surge, they still faced a 21-point deficit going into the break.
Entering the second half, the Lady Terrors looked to avoid a potential comeback with stellar defense. Despite how the second quarter ended, O-E backed off NoPo’s shooters and while the Lady Panthers tried to seize the opportunity, their jumpers rarely drew iron. Instead, their shots from long range frequently fell back to the hardwood without touching the backboard.
When not eyeing the 3-pointer, NoPo plotted routes into the paint but were met by a collapsing 1-3-1 defense that forced constant steals. Facing the dynamic and stifling Lady Terrors defense, NoPo was once again held scoreless for the majority of the quarter.
“I give the girls a lot of say, a lot of autonomy, and at halftime I asked what they wanted to run and they said 1-3-1,” said Gray. “We weren’t in the passing lanes like we were supposed to be in the first half, and I think they did crank it up a little bit. We did a little better job at anticipating, taking some chances here and there and then we kept them off the glass.”
While the Lady Panther were struggling to get anything, O-E was getting everything. Opening with seven unanswered points, the Lady Terrors offense was in full form. Scoring from pick-and-rolls, post ups, hard drives and long balls, O-E outscored NoPo 17-5 through the third quarter, amassing a 56-23 lead with just one quarter to go.
With the game all but decided, both teams accepted the outcome and in turn, started the final quarter with an all-reserve lineup. Playing for experience rather than production, O-E and NoPo ran through the motions as they awaited the final horn. When it came, one team sat just a game away from the finals while the other saw their season come to a close.
Three Lady Terrors ended in double-digit scoring throughout the win. Francis led the way with 15 points while Drummond followed closely behind with 11. Rayel Hakes finished with 10 points while Van Scoter ended with nine.
Rayel Hakes converts a steal into points on the other end during the Lady Terrors win over NoPo in the opening round of the District 9 Class A playoffs. Hakes ended as one of three Lady Terrors in double-digit scoring. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
Moving on to the semifinals, the Lady Terrors will face No. 6 Clarion-Limestone after they defeated No. 3 Elk County Catholic. That game will take place on Wednesday at a neutral site that has yet to be announced.
“I’ve watched a few (C-L) games and they’re young, they can run the floor really well, play great team defense,” said Gray. “They’re fast, they’re physical so we have our work cut out for us but I think we’ve got the right ingredients. We’re looking forward to the challenge on Wednesday.”
Sitting just another four quarters away from a return to the D9 championship and possible second championship in four years, Gray and Co. are aware of their momentum and are willing to ride it to the top.
“I think our confidence is really, really high. I just told them that we’ve got a chance. We’re one of the best teams in the district. On any night we can beat any team in Class A,,” said Gray, “we just have to be prepared for our next game, only worry about the next game instead of worrying about what’s down the road and take care of our business.
“I’m having a ton of fun with this group. I don’t know yet if they know how good they are and how good they can be, but I can see it a little bit,” said Gray. “I can see them start believing in each other a little bit and trust each other. That was the big word at the beginning of the year and right now is when you want to have them trusting each other to the fullest extent. I think I can see it coming.”
AT DUKE CENTER
Northern Potter (26)
Knowles 4 0-0 12, Steele 1 3-6 5, Hyde 1 2-4 4, Luce 1 0-0 3, Williams 1 0-0 2. Totals: 8 5-10 26
Otto-Eldred (61)
Francis 6 1-1 15, Drummond 3 3-4 11, Hakes 5 0-0 10, Van Scoter 3 2-4 9, Bell 3 0-0 7, Smith 2 0-0 4, Prince 1 0-0 3, Edminster 1 0-0 2. Totals: 24 6-9 61
Northern Potter 7 18 23 26
Otto-Eldred 24 39 56 61
Three-point goals: NoPo (5) Knowles 4, Luce, O-E (7) Drummond 2, Francis 2, Bell, Prince, Van Scoter; Total fouls: NoPo 12, O-E 7; fouled out: None.
