Mustangs run past Lyle-Pacelli in the second half
Published 9:59 pm Saturday, February 4, 2017
The No. 6 ranked Lyle-Pacelli girls basketball team withstood the initial charge, but they couldn’t hold off the second surge as they lost to No. 8 ranked Maranatha Christian Academy 78-70 in Pacelli Gym Saturday.
LP (16-4 overall) erased an early 16-4 defecit to lead by as many as nine points in the first half, but the Mustangs (14-6 overall) opened the second half on a 21-4 run over a span of nine minutes to seperate themselves. LP pulled to as close as 69-66 when Abby Bollingberg, who had 22 points and five rebounds, scored with 1:41 left, but Maranatha iced the game at the free throw line.
“They just keep coming. They come at you in waves,” LP head coach Justin Morris said. “We got down early and some things went against us that I disagreed with. Our kids showed tremendous resiliency to come back under adversity and make some great plays. We handled the ball really well in the first half. In the second half I think we were just gassed and when fatigue set in we did some things that were uncharacteristic of us.”
The Athletics looked to have things figured out late in the second half Olivia Christianson and Bethany Strouf each hit three-pointers in a 20-5 run that saw LP take a 41-32 lead late in the first half. LP’s offense struggled in the second half and the team also had to battle foul trouble. Brooke Walter fouled out with 2:50 left in the game and Kristi Fett, who had 13 points, sat for much of the first half with two fouls. LP also had 20 turnovers and struggled at the free throw line.
“I think we needed to value the basketball. We didn’t execute on some things we wanted to do,” Morris said. “Kristi getting in foul trouble really hurt us and I think that really affected the game. She played really well and I think if she plays the whole game it’s probably a different situation. But we’ve got to be able to adjust.”
Christianson had seven points, five rebounds and six assists for LP and Strouf had 11 points and eight rebounds.
MC 36 42 – 78
LP 44 26 – 70
LP scoring: Abby Bollingberg, 22; Kristi Fett, 13; Bethany Strouf, 11; Kendal Truckenmiller, 10; Olivia Christianson, 7; Caitlin Roberts, 3; Brooke Walter, 3; free throws: 55 percent (26-for-47); rebounds: 33 (Strouf, 8); turnovers: 20