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By JOHN ERZAR; Times Leader Sports Writer
Friday, January 17, 1997     Page: 1B

WILKES-BARRE — Meyers wanted it ugly Thursday night, but not that ugly.
   
Meyers was unable to make the most of its chances as GAR went on to a 42-35
victory to win the Wyoming Valley Conference Division II girls basketball
first-half title at Wilkes University.
    GAR defeated Meyers 67-40 Monday in the first-half regular-season finale,
leaving both teams with 6-2 records. In order to keep Thursday’s game closer,
Meyers needed to slow down the tempo.
   
“We wanted to play our game and that’s what we did,” said Meyers coach Dale
Rapson. “They key was we went completely ice cold. We couldn’t make a shot.
It’s tough to win a game with 35 points, especially against GAR.”
   
Meyers missed its first chance in the second quarter. GAR, minus starting
point guard Christa Galella, who left the game with a gash over her right eye,
turned over the ball seven times. Yet, Meyers made little use of them,
shooting just 3 of 15 from the field and allowing GAR to take a 17-15 halftime
lead.
   
Shannon Smurl, who had six points by halftime for GAR, scored seven in the
third quarter, but Meyers’ Alicia Rapson allowed the Mohawks to keep pace. She
scored 10 of her game-high 25 in the period, tying the score at 28-28 going
into the fourth.
   
“The fact we were tied 28-28 and had our point guard getting a bunch of
stitches in her head, we were pretty happy,” said GAR coach Gene Skrynski.
“When Christa went down, they had tears in their eyes. But they put their
emotions aside and got down to playing.”
   
Shannon Smurl and her sister Carin certainly did. Carin Smurl scored two
baskets to open the fourth, Shannon added two more and Carin then finished off
a 10-0 run with a drive to the basket.
   
“Shannon and Carin hit some key baskets down the stretch,” Skrynski said.
“Cheri Magda, only a freshman, stepped into a pressure situation (replacing
Galella), and did a great job. Everybody did something as the game went on.”
   
That proved to be the difference. While the Smurls were supplying the
offense, Magda, Candice Cannon and Jenn Minnick helped out defensively.
Minnick also hit three free throws in the final minute.
   
Meanwhile, Rapson, the Division II scoring leader, had to carry the Meyers
offense herself. Rapson hit a basket and an ensuing free throw, cutting the
deficit to 38-31 with 1:21 to play, but Meyers never threatened from there.
   
“We needed somebody to take the pressure off Alicia,” Rapson said. “The
other girls tried, but they just didn’t get the ball in the hoop.”
   
The victory gives GAR some breathing room going to the second-half season.
   
“This is a great win for us,” said Skrynski, whose team opens second-half
play on Saturday at Northwest. “We’re going into the second half and we don’t
know how long we’ll be without Christa. At least if we don’t win the second
half, we’re guaranteed a playoff for the overall title.”
   
Meyers, which was considered a season away from contending, opens its
second-half season today at West Side Tech.
   
“Things have to fall the right way for us in the second half,” Rapson said.
“We have to go up (to GAR) and we have Lehman away.”
   
Galella 1 2-2 4, Minnick 1 4-9 6, C.Smurl 5 0-3 10, S.Smurl 8 1-2 17,
Cannon 2 0-0 5, Magda 0 0-1 0. Totals 17 7-17 42.
   
Rapson 10 5-5 25, Solomon 1 1-2 3, Madden 2 0-2 4, Brominski 0 0-0 0,
Morales 0 1-2 1, Knorr 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 7-11 35.
   
Cannon.
   
Weatherly 48,
   
Panther Valley 30
   
WEATHERY — Jessica Gehringer scored 14 points and Danielle Makowicz added
12 as Weatherly defeated Panther Valley in a Schuylkill League game.
   
Weatherly improved to 3-4 in league play and 7-9 overall.
   
Nadia Gauronski scored 12 to lead Panther Valley.
   
Sinchak 1 0-0 2, Baron 2 0-1 4, Kitchko 2 0-0 4, Gauronski 5 2-4 12, Hoffer
1 2-2 4, Gonzalez 1 0-1 2, Zavagansky 1 0-0 2, Laven 0 0-0 0, Brooks 0 0-0 0,
Seiwell 0 0-0 0, David 0 0-0 0, Clacoski 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 4-8 30.
   
Labanoski 2 2-2 6, Gehringer 7 0-0 14, Makowicz 5 2-4 12, Ritchie 2 0-0 5,
Barna 1 0-0 2, Bernard 4 1-2 9, Jones 0 0-0 0, Romig 0 0-0 0, Swinesburg 0 0-0
0, Cope 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 5-8 48.
   
3 11 6 10 –30
   
Weatherly 10 9 13 16 –48
   
Ritchie.
   
GIRLS