When you turn the ball over 20 times, shoot 30 percent from the floor and still win by 13, you\’re normally pretty happy to come away with a victory. What the statistical discrepancy means is that either you did something else very right, or your opponent did something very wrong.
Tyrone did several things right last night in its 53-40 win over Juniata Valley, like forcing 39 turnovers. And the Lady Hornets did some things wrong, like waiting a quarter-and-a-half to try attacking the middle of the Lady Eagles\’ 2-2-1 press.
But none of that seemed to make Tyrone coach Luke Rhoades or his Lady Eagle basketball team particularly happy, despite the fact that it was the squad\’s first win this season, and despite it being Rhoades\’ first win as a varsity coach.
“I don\’t think they were happy at all,” said Rhoades of his team\’s reaction following the game. “I think they realize they didn\’t play well down the stretch and they didn\’t put them away when they could have. We didn\’t play as well as we needed to get ready for the upcoming week.”
It\’s a week dotted with games against some of the toughest teams in central Pennsylvania, including Hollidaysburg, Bishop Guilfoyle and Lewistown – three teams Rhoades feels the Lady Eagles can compete with, providing there are few extended periods of game time like last night\’s fourth quarter.
Tyrone entered the period leading 34-19 and in control. The Lady Eagles held Valley scoreless for the last 2:48 of the third while forcing 10 turnovers.
The lead grew to 20 one minute into the fourth after Liz Tepsic converted on a traditional three-point play, but that\’s when things started to unravel for the Lady Eagles. First, Lady Hornet center Desiree Reed got loose to lead JV on a 6-0 run that cut it to 14, 39-25.
Then, Brittany Borst found her shooting touch and open space in Tyrone\’s defense. She hit back-to-back three-pointers and scored 10 straight points during a 14-4 run that allowed the Lady Hornets to trim Tyrone\’s lead to 47-40 with 57 seconds left.
That was when rediscovered what made it so successful early in the game. Tepsic scored on a feed from Brooke Garbinsky against Valley pressure. Kayla Corle went to the hoop and earned two foul shots, which she drained. And Kassie Faretta finished it with a steal and layup that kept the Lady Hornets at bay.
“We started to become satisfied with just running up and down the floor,” said Rhoades. “I give a lot of credit to Juniata Valley. They came out in the second half and really wanted it more than we did.\”
That couldn\’t be said over the first two quarters, when Tyrone\’s intensity had Lady Eagles flying to the ball in both the half-court – when the Lady Eagles 2-3 matchup had Valley looking confused – and in the full court – where the Lady Hornets had no answer against Tyrone\’s 2-2-1 press.
In the first quarter alone, the Lady Eagles forced 12 turnovers and limited Valley to 1-for-7 shooting while building a 15-3 lead. Tepsic and Faretta had five in the quarter and Corle had four.
A 6-0 run to start the second quarter had Tyrone ahead 21-3 when Rhoades began sprinkling sophomores and freshmen in with his starters. It changed the tempo of the game, which didn\’t please Rhoades.
“The intensity level we started with is what we need to compete against the top teams in our conference,” said Rhoades. “When we went deep into our bench, we lost our intensity level, which can\’t happen.”
Tepsic finished the game with 16 points and 15 rebounds, while Corle netted 12 points with 10 rebounds as Tyrone improved to 1-2. Meg Turiano and Faretta chipped in nine each.
Reed\’s game-high 20 led JV, while Borst\’s big fourth quarter gave her 10.
TYRONE 53 JUNIATA VALLEY 40
JUNIATA VALLEY 3 6 10 21 – 40
TYRONE 15 9 10 19 – 53
JUNIATA VALLEY – Borst 3 2-2 10; Gildea 3 1-2 7; Reed 6 4-8 17; Boyd 2 0-2 4; Morgan 1 0-0 2; Taylor 0 0-1 0; Stallman 0 0-2 0; McAllister 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 14 7-17 40.
TYRONE – Tepsic 6 4-5 16; Turiano 2 4-6 9; Christine 0 1-2 1; Corle 6 5-7 17; Garbinsky 0 1-2 1; Faretta 4 0-2 9; Emigh 0 0-0 0; Kobuck 0 0-0 0; Hunter 0 0-0 0; Harden 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 18 15-24 53.
THREE-POINT GOALS: Juniata Valley 3 (Borst 2, Reed).
Tyrone 2 (Turiano, Faretta).
JUNIOR VARSITY
JUNIATA VALLEY 10 5 2 2 – 19
TYRONE 6 9 11 8 – 34
JUNIATA VALLEY – Taylor 1 1-4 3; Briggs 1 0-0 2; Stallman 1 0-0 2; Brenneman 3 0-2 6; Corn 1 0-0 2; Morgan 1 0-0 2; Boyd 1 0-0 2; McAllister 0 0-2 0. TOTALS: 9 1-8 19.
TYRONE – Fogel 0 0-0 0; Kobuck 3 1-2 7; Waite 0 0-0 0; Dutrow 0 0-0 0; Emigh 6 0-0 12; Harden 1 0-0 2; Hunter 2 0-0 4; Zimmerman 2 0-0 4; Faretta 2 0-0 5. TOTALS: 16 1-2 34.
THREE-POINT GOALS: Tyrone 1 (Faretta).
