SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Hayley Wolff was quoting her coach when she said that a great basketball team should run like a well-oiled machine.
Not only did Penn State Schuylkill’s women’s team fulfill its coach’s wishes Thursday, but the men’s team did, too.
The Lady Lions topped Vaughn College 63-36, with Tessa Dolce earning a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Penn State Schuylkill’s men’s squad held on for a 79-62 win against the Warriors after giving up a 12-point lead in the first half.
Before the men clawed their way back for a double-digit win, the women’s team held its opponent in check for most of its game.
Wolff scored all 11 of her points in the first half, while Dolce turned it on in the second quarter, scoring nine points in a frame that put the Lady Lions (2-0) on top 38-17 at halftime.
“Hayley is constantly hustling,” Penn State Schuylkill coach Charlie Killian said. “She’s a very strong girl and she’s not afraid to use that strength
running up and down the court.”
“And I’m starting to learn as the season goes on that Tessa is going to be a very consistent player,” he added. “She’s going to do well quite often this season.”
The Lady Lions never trailed throughout the game thanks to the team’s rebounding capabilities.
The women’s team grabbed 52 boards, nearly doubling the 27 rebounds posted by Vaughn (1-1).
“We’ve been working very hard at practice and now everybody is getting the boards and nobody is scared to get to the basket,” Dolce said.
Wolff shared her teammate’s sentiment, adding the chemistry between these women is what helped the team win by so much.
“We’re a great team this year because we know how to pick each other up,” Wolff said. “And a machine only works if all its parts are in sync.”
In the men’s contest, Benioko Harris led Penn State Schuylkill (2-3) with 28 points, with 21 coming in an explosive second half.
Derek Dimond added 23 points, including six 3-pointers, and 14 rebounds for a double-double.
“He’s been doing that a lot this year, shooting for the 30-point mark,” Travis Williams said. “He’s been playing with a vengeance this season.
“And Derek shot the ball really well tonight,” he added “The 3-pointer is his shot and they’re are momentum killers.”
After going ahead 20-8 in the early in the first half, Penn State Schuylkill fell behind 35-33 heading into halftime.
Vaughn (2-1) was led by Moises Chaucer with 16 points and Joshua Colome with 15.
In the second half, Harris turned it on with his 21-point performance, while Dimond kept sinking 3-pointers.
“We got a little too comfortable with the lead, but I told them this is when we have to punch back and hit them in the mouth,” Williams said. “It seemed like we wanted it more. We were hungry, diving for loose balls and it paid off for us.
“The most important thing was they didn’t let their heads down. They stayed with it and responded well to the adversity, which is what I coach on the court and in life.”
Game Summaries
WOMEN
VAUGHN (36) — M. Rivers 3 6-7 12, Boggs 1 2-4 4, C. Rivers 6 1-5 13, Scott 2 0-0 4, Carattini 1 0-0 3, Butler 0 0-2 0, Dickinson 0 0-0 0, Bratton 0 0-0 0, Charles 0 0-0 0, Martin 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 8-14 36.
PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL (63) — Moyer 2 0-0 4, Grasso 2 0-0 4, Druby 3 0-0 7, Dolce 6 2-6 14, Sacco 1 0-0 2, Goldwire 0 0-0 0, Wolff 4 3-6 11, Warcola 4 0-0 8, Bowen 4 1-2 9, Lomax 1 0-0 2, Rennig 0 0-0 0, Stewart 1 0-0 2. Totals 28 6-14 63.
Vaughn (1-1) 10 7 12 7 — 36 Sch (2-0) 16 22 11 14 — 63
3-point FGs: C. Rivers, Carattini, Druby
MEN
VAUGHN (62) — Pena 1 8-9 10, Conley 4 4-9 13, Colome 5 1-1 15, Chaucer 6 4-4 16, Ryan 1 0-1 2, Vargas 1 0-0 2, Steer 0 0-0 0, Risario 1 2-2 4, Argaw 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 19-26 62.
PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL (79) — Jacoby 4 0-0 8, Bracey 4 0-0 9, Dimond 7 3-7 23, Thompson 3 1-7 7, Harris 10 4-8 28, Greene 0 0-0 0, Akpadago 1 0-0 2, Taylor 0 0-0 0, Mesquita 0 0-0 0, Watson 0 2-2 2, Fryer 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 10-24 79.
Vaughn (2-1) 35 27 — 62 Schuylkill (2-3) 33 46 — 79
3-point FGs: Conley, Colome 4, Bracey, Dimond 6, Harris 4