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Shore girls fall short to Lansdale Catholic in state tournament

MINERSVILLE–When the final buzzer sounded in Jersey Shore’s final game of its tumultuous season, the emotions of the season being over hadn’t set in just yet. Jersey Shore’s loss is a step in the right direction and the Bulldogs have nothing to be ashamed of in their 79-42 loss to Lansdale Catholic at Minersville High School on Wednesday night.

The Bulldogs haven’t seen a more elite offensive opponent this season until the Crusaders stepped on the floor. Playing an opponent who only held two losses coming into Wednesday night, Jersey Shore knew they had their hands full when Lansdale Catholic started rolling offensively. And once they did, this scoring machine of a team was tough to be stopped.

But Wednesday’s loss doesn’t amount to the tremendous leap this program has made since this time one year ago including this season. A season where the Bulldogs played for a district final and made a state title appearance in a single-digit loss season.

“They put our girls basketball program back on the map (and) they’ve worked hard,” coach Darrin Bischof said after the game. “Last year was a step and this year was a big step in what they want to get accomplished.”

Jersey Shore began the game with great pace, staying within a point of the Crusaders. Following a basket by Rachael Lorson, Jocelyn McCracken kept the Bulldogs afloat in the opening frame with a quick scoring burst. Her five-point scoring barrage gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead.

For the remainder of the quarter, following a 9-8 Bulldog lead in the first quarter, Lansdale Catholic ended the remaining four minutes of the quarter on a 15-0 run to burst ahead 23-9. The Bulldogs struggled to maintain possession of the ball, totaling 10 turnovers in the first eight minutes of action while held without a field goal to finish the quarter.

In the second quarter, the Bulldogs came out with a little more firepower. Peyton Dincher began the quarter with a layup to end Shore’s drought. Sophia Stover, McCracken and Celia Shemory picked up the pace for the Bulldogs for the remainder of the quarter but Lansdale Catholic continued to pour it on.

The Crusaders put together great offense that led to drives to the basket and knocking down of outside shots. Lansdale Catholic shot an electrifying 8-of-10 from the field and went into the locker room ahead 42-23.

“(I told them) we’re not doing what we usually do,” coach Bischoff said about what he told his team at halftime. “We were hesitant a little bit. I didn’t feel like they (Lansdale Catholic) were defending off the screen very well (so) I said ‘come off the screen and take a shot.'”

In the third quarter, Lansdale Catholic picked up right where they left off. The Crusaders began the quarter 4-of-5 from the field and sparked a 9-2 run, forcing a Jersey Shore timeout in the opening two minutes of the quarter. Dincher, Schall and Shemory were able to register points in the frame for the Bulldogs but it wasn’t enough as the Crusaders outscored Shore 28-8 in that span.

In the fourth, Dincher came alive for the Bulldogs. The sophomore posted six of her 13 points in the final frame with five points to open the quarter for Shore. As Lansdale Catholic continued to pour it in baskets, Shore didn’t give up and fought to the end but fell to the Crusaders to cap their season with a 21-8 record.

Jersey Shore had one heck of a run this season. From a 20-win season and share of the HAC league title to a district final appearance against powerhouse Central Columbia and a state tournament win, coach Bischoff has coached a season for the ages.

Moreover, the girls on the roster deserve a bulk of the credit. After a first-round HAC-I tournament loss to Mount Carmel, the Bulldogs never wavered. They bounced back with two consecutive playoff wins and eventually bounced back after losing the district title game.

“We got a taste for the playoffs; it’s going to do nothing but help us,” coach Bischoff concluded about how this loss will help down the road. “I told them you’ve taken the next step…the girls will grow and learn and we’ll be better for every game that we had this year into next.”

With only one senior on Shore’s roster, the Bulldogs are going to be back. Maybe this time next season this familiar team will be celebrating a signature win that pushes them even closer to a state title.

Lansdale Catholic 79, Jersey Shore 42

JERSEY SHORE (42)

Peyton Dincher 4 3-4 13, Sophia Stover 2 0-0 5, Rayne Herritt 0 1-2 1, Cailyn Schall 1 0-0 3, Jocelyn McCracken 6 0-0 13, Celia Shemory 2 1-2 5, Rachael Lorson 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 5-8 42.

LANSDALE CATHOLIC (79)

Jaida Helm 6 1-1 13, Sanyiah Littlejohn 2 0-0 4, Nadia Yemola 5 0-0 11, Olivia Boccella 5 0-0 15, Gabby Odobey 13 0-0 28, Aubrey Mobley 2 1-1 6, Janelle Carr 0 1-2 1. Totals 33 3-4 79.

JS 9 14 8 11–42

LC 23 19 28 9–79

3-pointers: JS 5 (Dincher 2, Stover, Schall, McCracken) LC 9 (Boccella 5, Odobey 2, Yemola, Mobley).

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