Panthers’ fast start does not faze Lancers
MILTON — Bloomsburg coach John Wittman could only watch in disbelief.
He knew the fifth-seeded Panthers were more like the first-quarter team that only trailed by three points than the team that looked overmatched the rest of the way by No. 1 Loyalsock in a 57-21 loss in a District 4 Class 3A semifinal Tuesday evening.
The Panthers (13-11) can still salvage a trip to the state playoffs with a win in the third-place game against No. 3 Troy at a date, time and location to be determined. Troy fell to No. 2 Hughesville, 55-40, on Tuesday.
The Lancers played a full-court press for much of the game, and early on it looked like the Panthers, led in large by Bryn Zentner's matching physical play, were up to the challenge. Bloomsburg twice took the lead in the opening, with Zentner scoring the game's first points and later giving the Panthers a 6-5 advantage.
But the Lancers' physical play, greatly displayed by Alaina Dadzie with her seven steals and eight rebounds, wore down the Panthers quickly.
"We're a good basketball team and I was pleased with everything we did in the first quarter," Wittman said. "We did what I expected us to do, executed our gameplan and that's where I expected us to be. I didn't expect the play in the second, third and fourth quarters."
The Lancers secured a trip to the district final for the sixth straight year by executing on the Panthers' 26 turnovers. Three came in consecutive possessions by Bloomsburg during the decisive second quarter, with Dadzie coming away with a steal and taking it for a layup herself, a pass going out of bounds and Bloomsburg getting called for traveling.
All told, the Lancers went on a 10-0 run before Zentner, who scored all but one of Bloomsburg's points in the frame, ended it. Zentner finished with a team-high 13 points and avoided fouling out despite having four fouls less than two minutes into the second half.
A visibly frustrated Wittman called timeout to slow the Lancers' momentum and get the Panthers' mindset on the right track. Still, even a motivational meeting that saw him take his anger out on the team's whiteboard did little to change things. Instead, the Lancers kept eating from the hands of the Panthers, including a steal by Dadzie on an inbound pass where she was fouled, making both attempts.
"We've been doing a great job of breaking the press and I couldn't believe how we struggled against theirs tonight," Wittman said. "They've been pressing us like that for years, and we just lost focus there and struggled. That's where they got that run. Loyalsock is a great team with many weapons, and I knew we would have to play a great game to hang with them."
The Lancers stuck to the fullcourt press for much of the game, holding the Panthers to just five second-half points. Loyalsock, meanwhile, forced the mercy rule by having eight players score a basket and four players — Izzy Dadzie (13), Julie Ellis (12), Lacey Kriebel (10) and Alaina Dadzie (10) — post double-digit points.
Despite the lopsided loss, the Panthers' sixth in seven postseason meetings against the Lancers in the same number of years, Wittman knows there is still much to play for: their sixth appearance in the state tournament in the last seven years.
"I still believe in this team. We are an awesome team and I don't think we showed that at all tonight," Wittman said. "Again, that's not taking anything away from Loyalsock, but we have to remember who we are and get ourselves focused and ready to go."
Link to story: https://www.pressenterpriseonl...
