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AMBLER — Lake-Lehman played perhaps its best basketball of the season in the first half of Friday night’s PIAA Class 2A Tournament game, but the Black Knights’ shooting went south in the second half.
Taylor Koroncia made a pair of three-point shots that proved to be daggers in the heart, as Springfield-Montco edged the Black Knights 40-35 at Wissahickon High School.
The loss eliminated the Black Knights from tournament play, ending their season at 22-4.
“If we had come out with the same intensity that we showed in the first half I think we would have won,” said Lake-Lehman senior forward Selena Adamshick. “However, we didn’t shoot well in the second half, which proved to be our undoing.”
Koroncia made the two biggest shots of the game. She hit a 25-foot jumper at the buzzer that gave the Spartans a 30-27 lead at the end of the third quarter.
She also hit a wide-open trey early in the fourth quarter that gave Springfield-Montco a 33-27 lead, an advantage it never surrendered.
“(Koroncia) killed us,” said junior guard Nikki Sutliff, who paced Lake-Lehman with 16 points. “We just couldn’t do anything to stop her.”
Lake-Lehman shot itself in the foot in the second half with numerous turnovers.
Many of the miscues occurred when the Black Knights continually tried to get the ball in the paint to Adamshick. The senior inside player was triple-teamed most of the game and the turnovers resulted from the fact that Lake-Lehman was telegraphing its passes to her.
“I was surrounded a lot,” said Adamshick. “They were trying to deny me the ball and did a good job.”
Lehman was never able to seize the lead in the fourth quarter.
The Spartans opened up a seven-point advantage with two minutes to go, but the Black Knights drew to within 38-35 on a three-pointer from Sutliff with just eight seconds remaining.
Elise DeFilippo sealed the deal for Springfield-Montco when she made two free throws with five seconds left.
Adamshick struggled from the floor in the second half, missing several close shots that have been her trademark throughout her career.
“I thought we played extremely well in the first half,” Adamshick said. “But we missed too many shots in the second half.”
Lake-Lehman played nearly flawless basketball in the first half and went into intermission with a 19-16 lead.
Sutliff set the tone early by hitting a long range three-pointer that gave Lake-Lehman a 3-0 lead.
The Black Knights played outstanding defense and that resulted in nine turnovers by the Spartans in the first 16 minutes.
Adamshick was on top of her game in the first half with seven rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals. Sutliff and Adamshick accounted for all of Lehman’s points in the first half, scoring 10 and nine, respectively.
The Black Knights biggest lead came at 9-4 after a steal and a layup by Adamshick in the first quarter.
Sutliff and Adamshick didn’t get much offensive support. Senior forward Kristen Baker, who hit two consecutive field goals early in the second quarter, finished with four points while none of the other Black Knights scored.
Springfield-Montco (19-8) was led by Koroncia’s 14 points, while Annie Crudeo added 10 points.
“We couldn’t quite get it done in the second half,” said Lake-Lehman coach Jim Spencer. “However, I’m really proud of these girls. This is one of Lake-Lehman’s best teams ever.”
Springfield-Montco 40, Lake-Lehman 35
LAKE-LEHMAN (35): Sutliff 6 1-2 16, A. Decker 0 0-0 0, M. Decker 2 0-0 4, Baker 0 0-0 0, Konopinski 0 0-0 0, Sutton 0 0-0 0, Mosier 0 0-0 0, Moosic 0 0-0 0, Leskowsky 0 0-0 0, Adamshick 7 0-1 15. Totals 15 1-3 35.
SPRINGFIELD-MONTCO (40): Taylor 0 1-2 1, DeFilippo 2 4-4 8, Crudele 4 1-2 10, Koronica 4 2-2 14, Wheatley 0 0-2 0, Asman 0 0-0 0, Leis 2 3-3 7. Totals 12 11-15 40.
Lake-Lehman
9
10
8
8
—
35
Springfield-Montco
6
10
14
10
—
40
3-Point Field Goals— LL 4 (Sutliff 3, Adamshick); SM 5 (Crudele, Koronica 4)