Lady Pioneers Come Up Big Late, Defeat Blazers
After the Blazers jumped out to an early lead, the Pioneers scored 11 unanswered points to earn a 5 point lead by the end of the quarter. The scoring run was prompted by quick-thinking Kiersten Hostetter, who intercepted a pass intended for Mariah Wilson, then raced to the other end to convert on an and-one layup. Emma Drouillard also had a strong first quarter, scoring 7 points on 50% shooting. The Pioneers led 16-11 at the end of the first quarter.
The Pioneer offense went cold in the second quarter, scoring just 6 points. Strong play on both ends by Lily Lehman and Mariah Wilson propelled the Blazers back into the lead. Wilson finished the half with 11 points, along with 3 assists, rebounds, and steals. Katie Ranck played well for the Pioneers inside the paint, bringing down 8 rebounds to go along with 6 points. The Blazers went into the locker room with a 22-23 lead.
The third quarter was well-played by both teams, with Ranck and Leaman continuing to set the pace for their respective teams. Both completed double-doubles during the quarter, Lehman with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Ranck with 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Pioneers carried a 39-35 lead into the final quarter of regulation.
In the fourth quarter, the Blazers were unwilling to surrender. More specifically, Mariah Wilson was unwilling to surrender. Wilson worked relentlessly hard to get her team back into the game, and it finally paid off when Kailee Soto knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game at 44 with under 5 minutes left to play. With 1 minute remaining, Wilson stole the ball from Jenna Daveler and converted a layup on the other end to give the Blazers a one-point advantage. Emma Drouillard gave the Pioneers a one-point advantage of their own on the next possession, knocking down a layup over Wilson. After a missed three-pointer by Tianna Delgado, Kiersten Hostetter was fouled and converted on both free-throws to extend the Pioneer lead to 3 with 24 seconds left. Hostetter knocked down 2 more freebies to ice the game and secure a 55-50 win for the Pioneers.
THREE STARS:
Mariah Wilson: Wilson, who will be playing basketball for Towson University next winter, was simply outstanding all night. After the final buzzer went off, Wilson had 27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. She also knocked down 9 out of the 10 shots from the free-throw line. Wilson almost willed her team to the win tonight, and it didn't go unnoticed.
Katie Ranck/Lily Lehman: Ranck and Lehman matched each-other step for step all night, and finished with very similar statlines. Ranck had 16 points and 13 boards, while Lehman had 13 points and 14 boards. They were beasts in the paint for their respective teams, and were both fun to watch.
Kiersten Hostetter: With the game on the line, Hostetter had ice in her veins. She knocked down 4 free-throws in the fourth quarter to lead the Pioneers to victory, and finished with a career-high 14 points in total. Hostetter played well on the defensive end as well, recording 3 steals and shutting down Tianna Delgado.
Honorable Mentions: Maggie Visniski, Emma Drouillard.
STAT LEADERS:
The Blazers fall to 3-2 and will head home to host Lancaster Country Day on Wednesday night. As for the Pioneers, they continued their strong start to the season and move to 4-0. The Pioneers will next be in action Thursday night for a crucial Section 3 matchup against the Cocalico Eagles in West Lampeter.
-By Logan Moyer, LS News reporter
