Red Raiders outlast Kennett in gunslinger fashion
By Dave Conard Sports Editor, CoatesvilleTimes,com
Red Raiders senior Samira Strand scores two of her ten points against Kennett.
KENNETT SQUARE—It’s unusual in today’s world of sports that after a knock down drag out league battle both coaches would be happy, almost giddy with the outcome.
After all, one team has to be on the short end, or do they?
Following a game that was termed by many in attendance as a ”classic high school basketball game”, that “you don’t see very often”, the one word that was being thrown around by seemingly all the participants and coaches was; fun.
Yes, fun was the word of the night as Coatesville head coach Fred Ellzy and his Red Raiders emerged from the locker room after a 60-54 victory that featured a first half in which Coatesville hit 70 percent from the field, and held more double digits leads than can fit on both hands..
“Wow that was fun,” said Ellzy. “That was a basketball game, man those girls (Kennett) can shoot. We did a good job taking care of the ball tonight, which is what helped us get a win., and any win is a good one.”
Coatesville (4-5, 2-2 league) carried a 12 point lead into the fourth quarter and much to the chagrin of the Raiders fans that had made the trek to Kennett Square, employed a strategy of ball control and clock management over trying to push matters, which almost back fired as the Blue Demons clawed their way to within four points with under a minute to play.
“I know the parents and fans want to see us push it,” added Ellzy. “I heard them in the stands, but when you have a big lead like we did for a lot of the game, the only enemy we have is the clock, It has always been my style and ours to take away as much time as we can on the clock with each possession, it ‘s just the way we do things as a team.”
Led by senior guard Nicole Southcott, who hit four three pointers while posting 15 points overall and a sensational effort at the line by Autumn Smith (10, 8-12, 18 points) Coatesville built a fourteen point lead that was cut to eleven as Blue Demon sniper Stephanie Maciag knocked down a three pointer as time expired in the first half.
“That was a fun game,” said Kennett head coach Vince Cattano. “That was the best we have played all year, they (Coatesville) just played better than us. It was fun to just be a part of a game like that where both teams we on top of their game, we shot the ball better tonight than we have all season.”
Coatesville junior Autumn Smith led the way to a win with a team high 18 points.
Shot well is an understatement along the lines of “The Pacific Ocean is a pretty big body of water”, as the Blue Demons (2-9 overall) come back was fueled by the lasers being launched from beyond the arc by junior DuPhily who connected on five bombs in all for 15 points in the tilt, and sophomore Stephanie Maciag (17, 3-4, 20 points) who chipped in four tres as well.
“We are trying to build a tradition here,” said Maciag. “We were just hitting our stride tonight, when you are in the moment the only thing you want to do is hit the net. This was an amazing game, if we played like that every night we will get a lot more wins.”
Maciag hit three consecutive three pointers late in the fourth to cut the Red Raiders lead to four points making it a two possession game as the clock dropped below a minute to play in a period in which Kennett outscored Coatesville 18-6 over the last six minutes of playing time..
A turnover with 24 seconds left in regulation, while Kennett possessed the ball under the Coatesville net sealed the deal for the visitors and two converted free throws salted away the win.
“It was so much fun to battle them like we did tonight,” added Maciag. “It’s exciting when the crowd gets into like they were and both benches are going crazy. We need to play like we did today and as we get to the half way point in the season it lets us know what we need to do.”
Coatesville 23 13 10 12 -60
Kennett 17 10 9 18 -54
Coatesville (60)
Smith 10, 8-12, 18; Southcott 14, 1-2, 15; Kirby 2, 2-2, 4; Strand 7, 3-5, 10; Wilkerson 0, 1-2, 1; Mayo 1, 0-0, 1; Wilson 8, 2-5, 10. Totals 43, 17-28, 60 Three point FG- Southcott (4), Strand.
Kennett (54)
Gallivan 6, 0-2, 6; DeVoe 4, 0-2, 4; Turner 0, 2-2, 2; DuPhily 15, 0-0, 15; Bahel 2, 1-1, 3;
Coyle4, 0-0, 4; Maciag 17, 3-4, 20. Totals 48, 6-11, 54. Three point FG- Maciag (4), DuPhily (5).
Coatesville head coach Fred Ellzy conducts his squad in a big league win Friday.
