Slow-paced Vikes eliminate Indians

by dan burda (sports writer dan_b@newsitem.com)

Published: March 14, 2010

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OREFIELD - Patient on offense and defense - just waiting for a time to strike - Allentown Central Catholic was a dangerous predator on Saturday.

Shamokin was the unwitting prey as the Vikings bounced the Indians from the PIAA Class AAA playoffs with a 36-22 win in their first-round game at Parkland High School.

Patience on offense allowed the Vikings to move the ball around the perimeter of the Shamokin zone until they found the shot they wanted.

Discipline by the Vikings on defense left the Indians feeling frustrated and turnover-prone.

Despite all of that, Shamokin stayed within 10 points of the Vikings until midway through the third quarter, after scoring just four points in the first half.

"We were in the game," Shamokin head coach Bill Callahan said. "We were a couple of layups away from being in the lead. I thought the kids gave a heck of an effort. They all did their jobs.

"We'd like to score a little more than four in a half, but overall I thought the kids did a great job. This has been a great year. They fol-

lowed the game plan to perfection, we just didn't get it done. We'll move on from here.

"Realistically, through two and a half quarters, we were within 10 points. We missed a couple easy layups, but that's part of the game."

If it weren't for turnovers, Shamokin may have had an honest chance to advance to the second round. As it is ACC will face Abington Heights, a 53-36 winner over Palmyra.

Turnovers plagued the Indians through the first three quarters, but more than in the first quarter, when they gave the ball away nine times and only got one clean shot off. The two points they scored in the quarter came on a pair of Summer Reigle free throws.

Reigle finished with six points, while junior teammate Tara Sabotchick led all scorers with 12 points, but ACC kept her out of the flow of the game until the second half when she became more aggressive going to the basket at the urging of her coaches.

"I thought Summer Reigle gave a heck of an effort offensively and defensively," Callahan said. "Tara also played very well."

Against a lineup featuring three players over 5-feet, 10-inches tall, Reigle had to work double time for every opportunity. Every time the junior forward touched the ball in the paint in the first quarter, the Vikings' defense collapsed on her.

The Vikings' offense was content to touch the ball just 20 total times in the first half, which was something the Indians hadn't seen all year against some of the run-and-gun teams in the Heartland Conference.

"The defensive pressure and the physicality really bothered us," Callahan said.

"They're a state powerhouse and they rely on defense and taking time off the clock by being patient offensively. If we want to be a state power, we have to learn to do the same thing."

Shamokin more than doubled its point total through the first half with eight points in the third quarter by turning up the pressure and forcing the action on offense, but ACC was able to adapt and outscored the Indians 15-8 in the quarter.

There is reason for some optimism on the Shamokin sideline though. Reigle and Sabotchick still have another year in purple and white, while sophomore forward Steph Pancher came down with six rebounds against the brutish Vikings.

"We're building," Callahan said. "We don't want to be a one-hit wonder. We want to build on this, and hopefully we have some more runs and next year we get a better draw in the state playoffs and move on."

Game Summary

Shamokin 2 2 8 10 - 22

ACC 10 3 15 8 - 36

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