Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Garnet Valley girls take it slowly, beat Conestoga

Emily McAteer held the ball well outside the three-point line. She stayed there, dribbling, waiting. Brianne Borcky was next. Then Sydney Fail, Kristina Wallace, and Nicole Barnes.

Emily McAteer held the ball well outside the three-point line. She stayed there, dribbling, waiting.

Brianne Borcky was next. Then Sydney Fail, Kristina Wallace, and Nicole Barnes.

Around and around the basketball went for the Garnet Valley girls in their game at Conestoga.

McAteer. Borcky. Fail. Wallace. Barnes. Sometimes in that order, sometimes another, a slight change because of a backdoor cut.

For almost two minutes Wednesday, it went like this for the Jaguars. After a foul stopped the clock, Garnet Valley did it again. This time for another minute.

The Jaguars had already won the game in the first half, having dominated from the start, but the disciplined way they ran off the clock put an exclamation point on the contest, a 37-20 victory over Central League rival - and previously undefeated - Conestoga.

"When we first came out, I told them I refuse to lose to Conestoga," Fail, a senior captain, said. "I pretty much gave the starters a threat - that I wasn't going to lose. Even after that, when we were up 10-2, I said that this was as far as they would go - as close as they could get. We weren't losing."

That seemed to be the attitude from the start, as Garnet Valley (12-1, 9-0 Central League) was hot as soon as it stepped on the floor.

"We were doing so well defensively, but we were also making every shot," said Borcky, who scored 11 points. "Usually we come out and don't make everything, but today we did.

"I feel like we had control of the game the whole time because we dominated the first half. So then the second half was a little bit easier."

While the Jaguars made the majority of their shots and ran their offense well, it was their defense that thwarted the Pioneers (14-1, 7-1), as Conestoga could never really get going.

"I think our defense was amazing," Fail said. "We run our 2-3 so often that I think it works so well for us. It comes from communication."

In 21 days, the two teams will face off again in the regular-season finale. They could meet again later with the league title on the line.

"I think in three weeks," Fail said, "it is not going to be that same score."

Garnet Valley 12 14 5 6 - 37

Conestoga 2 2 10 6 - 20

GV: Brianne Borcky 11, Emily McAteer 11, Sydney Fail 6, Morgan Falcone 4, Nicole Barnes 4, Kristina Wallace 1

C: Katie Mayock 10, Emma Powell 6, Nia Scott 2, Liz Scott 2

kharman@phillynews.com

@ka_harman