Published: Thursday, January 18, 2007
Quakers' size and talent too much
Salem dominated Poland,
57-24, in a Metro Athletic Conference matchup.
By JOHN KOVACH
SALEM — If a basketball team is unable to penetrate with the ball inside to the hoop, then it better be able to score from the outside for compensation.
But if that team also can't find the hoop from the outside, then it probably will lose, and by a big margin.
That's what happened to the Poland High girls team Wednesday night at Salem in a Metro Athletic Conference game.
The Bulldogs couldn't maneuver the ball inside near the hoop because Salem's size and talent blocked the way, and they struggled to make only 8-for-39 from the field, including 1-for-16 from 3-point range.
The Quakers, meanwhile, scored often from both the inside and outside, pouring in 21-for-42 from the field and 14-for-17 from the foul line, to build a 35-4 halftime lead and roll to a 57-24 victory.
Scullion sisters sparkle
Amy Scullion, a multi-talented, 5-foot-11 freshman who plays like a senior, led the Salem attack with 10 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, while her older sister, Katie Scullion, a 6-0 junior, was the Quakers' top scorer with 12 points
Leah Perry, a 6-foot senior, added 10 points while Natalie Davidson, 5-11 senior, tacked on nine to reinforce the Salem attack.
Coach Debbie Paine of Poland (7-5, 4-2) admitted that Salem had too much size and talent inside on defense.
"They have a tough defense. They oversized us," said Paine, whose Bulldogs were thwarted offensively right from the beginning and plunged into a 13-0 hole and lagged by 24-2 with about 5:30 left in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, Salem ran some nifty offensive plays, penetrated inside and made one of every two shots they took on average.
"They shot well. Everything they shot went in and we struggled," added Paine. "We couldn't get inside because of their size. They really were a talented team tonight."
Andres lauds defense
Coach Jeff Andres of Salem (9-3, 5-2) agreed with Paine.
"It was a little bit of both [size and talent]," said Andres. "We hammered [our players] at playing [better] defense. We have size and athleticism. We took them out of their game plan."
Andres called his team's strong defensive play "a team effort" and "probably our best overall defensive performance" and "our most focused game."
And on offense, "We executed."
Andres said Amy Scullion is full of promise and just starting to blossom.
"Amy is just beginning to actualize her potential. She has no idea of the potential she has," said Andres, who also lauded her sister, Katie, for her inside scoring.
"Katie went inside and knocked down shots and made free throws," he said.
Andres also said that Perry "had some good finishes inside," and that Davidson was "shooting" the ball well.
Poland has shots, but cold
Meanwhile, Poland had the shots — only three fewer than Salem — but couldn't find the hoop.
Ashley Shuluga, a 5-5 senior guard, managed seven points and three rebounds to lead the Bulldogs, who did improve on offense somewhat in the second half, but it was far too little and far too late.
Ashley Tadla had both of her goals in the third quarter for Poland to help her team cut the deficit to 43-12, but Brittany Ritchie, Davidson and Katie Scullion responded with two points each to give Salem a 49-12 lead entering the final quarter.
More Stories from Sun, Jan 21, 2007
from vindyJOBS.com
