West Shamokin’s Fourth Quarter Surge Proved Not Enough Against Penns Manor
West Shamokin’s Bret Lundgren lead all wolves with 16 points, but Penns Manor’s lights out shooting was too much for the Wolves as they fell to the Comets 53-43.
by Jake DeLuca
The West Shamokin Wolves drop to 4-5 on the season and 3-2 in Heritage Conference play after taking on the sharp-shooting Penns Manor Comets (7-2, 3-1) by the final score 53-43.
The first quarter was close and competitive with both teams feeling each other out as this was their first match-up of the season. Penns Manor got heated up behind the line early with three threes to pull ahead 11-9 after one quarter.
Penns Manor’s shooters didn’t cool off in the second quarter, they heated up even more exploding for 20 points in the second quarter including three more three-point field goals to extend their lead into the half to 31-15.
After the first half the Wolves started to play more man-to-man defense as opposed to the zone they had been running the majority of the first half, a change West Shamokin Head Coach Jud McCullough wished he had made sooner.
“This game is on me as much as it is our guys. I should have come out of the zone earlier, they were shooting the living day lights, I was stubborn in it. I went man too late and man proved to be a better defense against them. If I could go back in time I would play more man in the second quarter and see what kind of outcome it would have been,” McCullough said.
After three quarters the Wolves found themselves down 40-27, but West Shamokin wasn’t ready to roll over and accept defeat.
The Wolves went on a a roll in the fourth quarter knocking down their shots and playing sound defense to draw to within four, down 44-40 with around 2:30 left in the game.
Penns Manor would settle back down and knock down a couple clutch shots and free throws to walk away winners, 53-43.
Even though the Wolves lost, their fight at the end of the game was a sign of encouragement for McCullough.
” I absolutely loved the fight in our group and the scratching and clawing, but the bottom line is that (Penns Manor) made more plays, shot the heck out of the ball in the first half, and they’re a gutsy and skilled team we knew that and I got out-coached,” McCullough said.
West Shamokin will look try and get back into the win column this Friday at Purchase Line - tip-off is set for 7:30 PM.
Local Sports | Jake DeLuca January 5, 2017
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