Missed layups doom EF girls in loss to Beaver
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Alyssa Terza defends Beaver鈥檚 Constantina Krzeczowski during Monday night鈥檚 WPIAL Class AAAA consolation game at Trinity鈥檚 Hiller Hall.
Beaver's Kylie Conley (13) fouls Elizabeth Forward's Julia Resnik as she hits a jump shot聽during Monday night's WPIAL Class AAAA consolation game at Trinity's Hiller Hall. Resnik, who made the free throw, scored a team-high 18 points but the Lady Warriors lost, 57-52.
Elizabeth Forward's Joselyn Dawson puts up a shot over Beaver's Hailey Tooch during Monday night's WPIAL Class AAAA consolation game at Trinity's Hiller Hall.
Elizabeth Forward's Chloe Zombek (2) lofts a shot over Beaver's Hailey Tooch聽during Monday night's WPIAL Class AAAA consolation game at Trinity's Hiller Hall.
Elizabeth Forward coach Krystal Gibbs gives her players a few more instructions near the end of a timeout in聽Monday night's WPIAL Class AAAA consolation game against Beaver at Trinity's Hiller Hall.
Elizabeth Forward's Alyssa Terza launches a 3-pointer against Beaver聽during Monday night's WPIAL Class AAAA consolation game at Trinity's Hiller Hall. Terza made three 3-pointers and scored 15 points but the Lady Warriors lost, 57-52.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Joselyn Dawson (1) tries to ward off Beaver鈥檚 Zoe Ringer (4) as she drives to the basket during Monday night鈥檚 WPIAL Class AAAA consolation game at Trinity鈥檚 Hiller Hall.
Elizabeth Forward's Julia Resnik sinks a free throw against Beaver聽during Monday night's WPIAL Class AAAA consolation game at Trinity's Hiller Hall. Resnik made six of seven foul shots and two 3-pointers in scoring a team-high 18 points but the Lady Warriors lost, 57-52.
Elizabeth Forward's Alyssa Terza is guarded by Beaver's Constantina Krzeczowski聽during Monday night's WPIAL Class AAAA consolation game at Trinity's Hiller Hall.
Elizabeth Forward coach Krystal Gibbs cheers on her players聽during Monday night's WPIAL Class AAAA consolation game against Beaver at Trinity's Hiller Hall.
WASHINGTON 鈥� Elizabeth Forward sank eight 3-pointers and was 8 of 11 from the foul line in its WPIAL Class AAAA consolation game against Beaver.
It was their inability to connect on the closest shot that doomed the Lady Warriors in their 57-52 season-ending loss at Trinity鈥檚 Hiller Hall on Monday night.
The win earns Beaver a spot in the PIAA tournament. The Lady Bobcats (15-9) will play at Knoch Thursday to determine the district鈥檚 five and sixth spots for the state playoffs.
Elizabeth Forward missed an avalanche of layups and short-range shots and couldn鈥檛 take advantage of the Lady Bobcats misfiring on 14 of 25 fourth-quarter free throws as it saw its record fall to 17-7.
鈥淥ur missed layups hurt. I don鈥檛 know if anyone kept count of those. I鈥檇 love to know how many,鈥� EF coach Krystal Gibbs said. 鈥淲e had opportunities. There were some very easy layups that should鈥檝e went in.
鈥淭hey did alright (from 3-point range). Our foul shooting was very good tonight. I said let鈥檚 not lose with foul shots or missed layups and we lost with some missed layups. We had one possession that I think we got the rebound three times. You have to be able to cash in on those and we just didn鈥檛.鈥�
Gibbs was referencing a sequence in the third quarter where the Lady Warriors missed a jump shot but got three consecutive offensive rebounds for put-backs without converting.
Beaver was led by 6-foot junior Chloe List who made two of her team鈥檚 six 3-pointers in scoring a game-high 20 points. Emerson Connelly also had a pair of 3-pointers in tallying 15 points and Constantina Krzeczowski added 13 points.
Freshman Julia Resnik sank two 3-pointers and was six of seven from the foul line in scoring 18 points to lead the Lady Warriors. Alyssa Terza hit three 3-pointers on her way to a 15-point night.
鈥淪he played very well,鈥� Gibbs said of Resnik. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a freshman. She鈥檚 coming in expected to do some big things and that鈥檚 the conversation I had with her before the game. I was like I鈥檓 just happy you鈥檙e here. I鈥檓 just happy that you鈥檙e a part of this team and whatever you provide tonight is enough. She鈥檚 good and she鈥檒l get better.鈥�
List scored the game鈥檚 first basket and the Lady Bobcats never trailed.
Resnik made a pair of free throws to tie the score at 2-2 before Beaver reeled off the next seven points to go up 9-2. EF closed the quarter on an 8-2 run, including a pair of 3-pointers by Terza, to pull within 11-10.
The Lady Warriors went cold from the field for almost half of the second quarter before Michelle Jellison converted a three-point play with 4:08 left in the half. That halted a 14-point run by the Lady Bobcats that had given them a 25-10 lead.
The Lady Warriors closed the first half with a 14-6 burst to trail 31-24.
Elizabeth Forward started the third quarter with a 6-2 run, including a 3-pointer by Chloe Zombek, to slice the gap to three but Beaver pushed the margin up to nine by the end of the quarter, 43-34.
Lauren Nesbella drilled a 3-pointer at the start of the fourth quarter to give the Lady Bobcats a 12-point lead, their biggest of the game.
The Lady Warriors tried to fight back and although they continued to miss in-close shots they did sink four 3-pointers 鈥� two by Resnik and one each by Terza and Addyson Nigut 鈥� in the final frame as Beaver had its issues at the foul line, missing six straight at one point.
Elizabeth Forward got within five points four times down the stretch, but the Lady Bobcats held on.
The Lady Warriors have a bright future as they return all but one player.
鈥淚t does make me feel very confident about next year鈥檚 team,鈥� said Gibbs who was noncommittal about returning as coach.
Gibbs pointed out the one piece her team will lose will be hard to replace.
鈥淛oselyn Dawson is our only senior but we鈥檙e going to miss her,鈥� Gibbs said. 鈥淪he brings an energy. Her rebounding has been great for us this year. She is cool as a cucumber. She brings that to the team. She keeps us grounded. We鈥檙e going to miss that a lot.鈥�