The West Shamokin girls` basketball Lady Wolves fell short in last night’s WPIAL playoff game (submitted photo)
by Jonathan Weaver
An extra day did not provide any favors to the West Shamokin High School girls’ basketball team before their first-round playoff game last night.
In their first round WPIAL Class AA game versus Carlynton, the Lady Wolves lost to the Carlynton Lady Cougars at North Allegheny 37-30.
Head Coach Frank Nagy said his team battled back, but Carlynton’s man-to-man style and rebounding was too much.
“Like we had expected, it was a defensive battle,” Coach Nagy said. “Carlynton’s known for physical man-to-man style basketball. Offensively, they were very physical and I think (Carlynton) got a lot of the 50/50 balls, rebounds, balls that were tipped.
“We just came up short.”
Sophomore Olivia Fusaro battled back from an ankle injury, but Junior Starting Andrea Orlosky suffered a twisted ankle early in the first quarter and did not return to the game.
Orlosky estimated she would be hurting for about a week, but will be physically OK.
She said the playoff loss was “a tough loss all the way around.”
A total of five seniors played in their last high school game last night – including starter Steph Schrecengost (West Shamokin’s leading scorer last night).
Schrecengost said the team knew it shouldn’t have lost.
“There’s a lot that we should’ve done and a lot we shouldn’t have done. We werent’ nervous –we were too impatient,” Schrecengost said. “Our defense was really, really good – we just couldn’t set up a good offense.”
Schrecengost and fellow Senior Tori Smith both expressed that it hasn’t sunk in yet that they played their last games.
“I’ve created bonds with all of my teammates over the years that I will miss tremendously,” Smith – who will attend Slippery Rock University next year – said.
Coach Nagy still felt his first year as head coach was successful.
“It’s definitely a disappointing end to the season. We feel we can play with anybody, and obviously we aren’t happy with the outcome, but when you take a step back and look at the season, 15 wins in a season is a school record for our girls’ basketball team, we made it to the first round of the WPIAL playoffs in a very competitive section, the girls worked hard (and) they grew as a team, Nagy said.
“I think it gives us some momentum moving into next season when we make our move to the Heritage Conference.”
Carlynton was leading by five points at the end of the first quarter.
West Shamokin was to begin the playoffs Tuesday evening, but games were postponed league-wide due to weather conditions.
Practice for freshman, sophomores and junior athletes will resume at the end of April. Coach Nagy said current eighth graders will also start to practice with the varsity team and already know his style of play.