Rams fall to Falcons
By JASON BLACK
For the MV Independent
Playing on the road for the third time this season, the Connellsville girls basketball team was looking for a strong start to Monday’s Section 3-5A game at Ringgold.
Holding the Rams scoreless through the first quarter and building a 16-0 lead into the second frame would certainly check all the boxes of that coveted strong start, and the Falcons parlayed their fine first half into a comfortable 37-13 victory over the Rams.
“We wanted to come out and put the pedal to the metal,” Connellsville coach Shawna Little said. “I was proud of their effort.”
Little was thrilled with the way her team battled on the boards, played tough defense and hit big shots.
Neither team scored in the first three minutes, but the Falcons found their footing thanks to a pair of baskets from Nevaeh Hamborsky and a driving lay-up by Madison Kinneer to make it 6-0.
Then it was Arley Wilson time.
Wilson, who came in off the bench, lit a fire for the Falcons by connecting on a clutch 3-pointer. It was just the start of Wilson’s personal 10-0 run that lasted into the second quarter and vaulted the Falcons to a 16-0 lead. Wilson finished with a game-high 12 points.
“Arley was the first half,” Little said. “She gave us a huge spark. She works hard and it was nice to see her get rewarded on the scoreboard.”
Finally, after falling behind by 16, the Rams found their way onto the scoreboard as Kirra Gerard knocked down a 3-pointer. Teammate Ashley Selembo followed with a bucket to make it 16-5. Gerard led the Rams (0-2, 0-1) with nine points.
Unfortunately for the Rams, their tough start was too much to overcome against the Falcons (3-1, 3-1).
“It’s one of those things,” Ringgold coach Matt Regula said. “They went on a run, but if we would have buckled down and played defense, it could have been a different story. We made too many mistakes early and we had a huge hole to climb out of.”
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