ORWIGSBURG — Blue Mountain was in perfect position to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in Tuesday night’s non-league game against Conrad Weiser.
Nine seconds to play, the Eagles trailing by one point and Blue Mountain’s ball in front of its own bench.
But the Eagles never got off a shot.
They turned the ball over, and a Conrad Weiser free throw sealed a 37-35 win for the Scouts.
“We actually had a look at the top of the key,” Blue Mountain coach Ruth Weidman said. “I did tell them to take it to the rim. We just discussed that whole situation. What was it that we really should’ve looked at and how can we make it better next time?”
At halftime, it looked as though the Eagles wouldn’t need to worry about a buzzer-beater.
Blue Mountain senior Abby Fanelli hit a 3-pointer with under a minute to play in the first quarter that spurred an 11-0 run that lasted until the Scouts scored on an inbounds pass with six seconds remaining in the half.
Both teams were sloppy in the second quarter. The frame featured a three-minute scoring drought that ended when Blue Mountain’s Julia Kutz layed in Angelica Kaledas’ arcing pass to put the Eagles ahead 20-13 with 1:45 until halftime.
Kutz, a sophomore, finished with a double-double on her team-high 12 points and 10 rebounds.
After the intermission was when things went awry for Blue Mountain.
Weiser outscored the Eagles 17-6 in the third quarter and forced nine Blue Mountain turnovers to take a 32-26 advantage into the final stanza.
The Scouts’ Hannah Racis had two of her six steals in the third and one of her two blocks. Gwyn Price had two steals and TaCari Talford had two steals and a block.
“Our shooting percentage went down and our shot selection was not as ... it probably wasn’t warranted,” Weidman said. “We
took a lot of long shots, outside shots which meant long rebounds. And they were down 2-on-1 against us in the blink of an eye.
“They’re really aggressive and they ran the floor nicely,” Weidman added. “It’s our hope that we’re able to do that at the end of the year.”
The Scouts’ aggressiveness showed mostly through their defense on inbounds plays. Blue Mountain struggled to get the ball into play on both ends of the court throughout much of the game, though it really stood out in the fourth quarter.
“We’re very early in our teaching,” Conrad Weiser coach Mark Owens said, noting the Scouts’ deep runs in soccer and field hockey during the fall.
“That’s just a full-court press, no trapping or any running, jumping. They’re just so athletic.”
Particularly Racis — an All-State soccer player — who finished with a game-high 16 points and 10 rebounds and Price — a second-team All-State field hockey player.
Price, however, missed the front end of 1-and-1 free throws twice in the final minute, allowing Blue Mountain its chance for a last-second winner that never came.
“Conrad Weiser definitely took advantage of their athleticism,” Weidman said. “They’re definitely stronger than us because we got knocked off the ball and we shouldn’t have.
“We’re young. We’ll learn,” Weidman added. “It’s just a hard way to learn because we competed and came up short.”
Fanelli started last year and saw significant playing time, but the rest of the Eagles are relatively green.
A season ago, this game went the other way when Blue Mountain won a 43-36 decision Jan. 18, a game from which Owens learned a lot.
“What I always tell my girls is that the girls up in Schuylkill County are just so fundamentally sound,” he said. “Even though we lost last year, we learned a lot from the film. They execute ... (Weidman) is a really good coach and the kids buy into what she’s running so they’re fun to watch.
“Hopefully by January we’ll be able to execute like Blue Mountain does.”
Blue Mountain hopes to polish that execution long before January.
“Second game ... they’re a veteran team starting four seniors. We’re starting one and waiting for the other two to get healthy,” Weidman said. “It was a good experience for us. I can’t deem us ready for league competition yet, especially since North Schuylkill is sitting there for us next week.”
Blue Mountain hosts North Schuylkill, tabbed by many as favorites to win Division I again, in the Schuylkill League opener next Tuesday.
Game Summary
CONRAD WEISER (37) — Lutz 2 0-0 5, Price 2 0-2 5, Price 4 8-11 16, Talford 2 1-2 5, Ooms 1 1-2 3, Ingram 0 0-0 0, Erkes 1 0-0 3. Totals 12 10-17 37.
BLUE MOUNTAIN (35) — Fanelli 2 4-4 9, Kaledas 0 0-0 0, Connors 2 2-2 6, Ebling 1 2-2 4, Kutz 5 2-4 12, Moyer 1 0-0 2, Challenger 1 0-0 2, Sanders 0 0-0 0, Renninger 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 10-12 35.
CW (2-1) 13 2 17 5 — 37 BM (0-2) 12 8 6 9 — 35
3-point FGs: Lutz, Price, Erkes, Fanelli
JV score: Blue Mountain 49-12