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Mount Savage, MD 21545
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Falcons recover from PVC loss to Berkeley, drub BW
* Bishop Walsh leads 19-8 after first quarter
* The Falcons forces 21 turnovers, holds Spartans to 32 percent shooting, including just 21 percent (4 of 19) in the second half
* Maddie Shambaugh adds 6 points, 7 assists and 4 steals for Falcons
By The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
CUMBERLAND, Dec. 22 - Bishop Walsh finally played up to the expectations of coach John Steiner on Wednesday night as the No. 9 Spartans hosted No. 6 Frankfort.
In fact, after eight minutes of play, it seemed as if Bishop Walsh was putting ina bid for an upset.
Then, like the rest of the year, the second quarter started. In the next eight minutes, the Falcons (3-4) turned a 19-8 deficit into a 36-25 halftime lead. Frankfort went on to dribble over Bishop Walsh, 79-39, in an Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference contest.
The Spartans scored 19 points in the first quarter. They scored 20 points in the final three periods.
Bishop Walsh took advantage of Frankfort's zone defense early on.
"We moved the ball well against the zone," said Spartans coach John Steiner. "We made the open shot when we had it."
Saydi Whiteman 15 points, 9 rebounds
Mikala Miller 15 points
Savannah Hose 11 points
Ashley Turnbull 15 points, 17 rebounds
L
No. 6 Frankfort 79
No. 9 Bishop Walsh 39
FRANKFORT (3-4, 2-2 AMAC)
Shambaugh 2 2-3 6, Jan 3 2-2 8, Miller 5 0-0 15, Bush 2 2-4 6, Vonhagel 1 0-0 2, Whiteman 7 1-1 15, Hose 5 0-0 11, Ghidesi 1 0-0 2, Bills 2 3-5 7, Blankenship 2 3-6 7. Totals 30 13-21 79.
BISHOP WALSH (1-7, 0-3 AMAC)
Buser 4 5-9 14, Ruppenkamp 0 0-2 0, Matthews 4 1-2 9, Turnbull 6 3-7 15. Totals 14 9-20 39.
Frankfort 8 28 24 19 -- 79
Bishop Walsh 19 6 8 6 -- 39
3-pointers -- Frankfort 6 (Miller 5, Hose). Bishop Walsh 1 (Buser).
JV--Frankfort, 28-17.
Highlights from throughout the game.
Today's scoreboard
Boys
No. 4 Southern Garrett 76
No. 3 Allegany 49
No. 7 Northern 67
Moorefield 45
Girls
No. 6 Frankfort 79
No. 9 Bishop Walsh 39
University 50
No. 1 Allegany 41
We know right now we're still building. Some of the girls are getting frustrated. Heck, our fans and parents may be getting frustrated. But what we're trying to do is build something, and they just need to be patient.
-- Frankfort girls coach Erin McKenzie
Unfortunately, the ability to do so didn't last beyond the opening period. One day earlier, Frankfort had led Potomac Valley Conference rival Berkeley Springs open the game with a 16-0 run. The Falcons lost, 62-55.
Frankforth coach Erin McKenzie said that wasn't about to happen for the second straight game.
"I've told these girls, anytime we come out against a team like BW, not to take them lightly," McKenzie said. "That's exactly what happened. That was a lesson learned from us. We can't take any team lightly."
From the opening tipoff, that's exactly what it seemed was happening. Junior Kelsey scored three of her eight first-quarter points with a 3-pointer just 26 seconds into the game. Senior Abbie Matthews followed up with a bucket 59 seconds later for a quick 5-0 lead.
Two field goals by senior Ashley Turnbull gave Bishop Walsh a 9-3 lead just 2 minutes and 52 seconds into the game. And the route, it seemed, was on.
Falcons junior Saydi Whiteman hit a jumper, then a layup to pull Frankfort within 9-7 and it appeared as if the road team had finally woken up. That wasn't the case. Turnbull hit another bucket for a 11-7 lead, then the Spartans finished the quarter with an 8-1 run.
For Frankfort, however, the game didn't get started until the second quarter. And once the momentum shifted, the Falcons ensured there was no chance for a Spartans upset - and for them to lose two in a row.
Frankfort limited Bishop Walsh to a measly six points in the second quarter. The blue-and-white clad team gave up two buckets - both to Matthews - in the first one minute and 42 seconds of the third period.
Then Frankfort got serious. Or, rather, the Falcons began taking the Spartans seriously. Bishop Walsh led 23-15 with 6:18 left in the third quarter. Senior Maddie Shambaugh hit a jumper, and, two field goals later - including one by sophomore Katie Jan - Frankfort trailed just 23-21.
Less than two minutes had ticked off the clock. Plenty of time. Bishop Walsh called a timeout after Jan's layup. It didn't matter. The Falcons couldn't be stopped by a tiring Spartans squad.
Savannah Hose's layup tied the game at 23 points apiece with 3:42 to play in the second period. Shambaugh hit the second of two free throws for a 24-23 lead just 24 seconds later. Frankfort never trailed again.
Buser, who had scored eight points in the first quarter, hit two free throws 58 seconds apart but wasn't nearly enough. In the same span, Shambaugh had a layup, Jan hit a short jumper and Stephanie Bills hit two foul shots. The Falcons led 32-25.
"We took them lightly," Shambaugh said. "We came out and at that point, down by 15 points, we knew we had to step it up."
Everyone did. Whiteman scored another two points and Jan hit two foul shots to close out the first half. Frankfort led, 36-25.
Bishop Walsh, meanwhile, struggled mightily. The Spartans hit just 32 percent of their field goals for the game. In the second half, they hit only four of 19 - a paltry 21 percent.
"We don't have enough players," said Steiner of his young Spartans squad, which features two starting seniors, five freshmen, one sophomore and three juniors. "I don't expect six varsity players" to contend against a team like Frankfort, with a deep bench.
It's only going to get worse - or, better, in the case of the Falcons by the time they play BW again. That rematch is scheduled for Jan. 6 at Frankfort. McKenzie said her team is going through major changes and that include looking for more from the post position. It's why Mikala Miller, normally a starter at guard, wasn't on the court to open the game at Bishop Walsh.
"We're building a different program this year," McKenzie said. "We have a lot of changes. We're trying to play a lot more of our bench. We're playing eight to nine (players) deep. In the past, we'd play five to six at most. That's a huge change."
"We know right now we're still building. Some of the girls are getting frustrated. Heck our fans and parents may be getting frustrated. But what we're trying to do is build something, and they just need to be patient."