Through 10 games, the Tyrone Lady Eagles know at least this much: They probably haven’t played a team yet that is any better than them defensively.
In fact, most aren’t even close. There hasn’t been one better in the Mountain Athletic Conference, and in two holiday tournaments only Quad-A Hollidaysburg can rival Tyrone’s penchant for the defensive side of the game. The Lady Eagles are smart enough to know what they want to do defensively, and they use their aggression and tenacity to absolutely hound their opponents.
That’s why their opposition averages only 40 points per game, but it doesn’t explain why, after a loss last night in the championship of the Blairsville Kovacik Insurance Holiday Basketball Tournament, the Lady Eagles are just 4-6, and struggling to keep their confidence.
The answer to that one is at the other end of the hardwood, where Tyrone – so dominant defensively that even MAC power Lewistown found it hard to gain any kind of rhythm in a game in the borough earlier this month – is as deficient as any team it will play. Simply put – the Lady Eagles do not put the ball in the hoop with any kind of consistency.
That was the No. 1 reason Derry Area – a team with fewer offensive standouts than Tyrone – was able to rally from a 10-point deficit in the first half to defeat the Lady Eagles 40-37 last night. The Lady Trojans did what most teams have done to beat the Lady Eagles this season – wait out any early game offensive sparks, and then slowly chip away and chip away.
“If we shot 35 percent, we’d be 8-2,” said Lady Eagle coach Jim Swaney. “It is frustrating because we feel like we’re working hard enough to win, but we’re wasting some great defensive efforts because of our inability to score.”
It was never more apparent than last night. Derry had no one player reach double figure scoring. Tyrone had two – Hilary McNelis and Emily McKenna – but as a team the Lady Eagles managed to make only 16 of 53 shots from the floor (30.1 percent). The Lady Trojans, conversely, were 14 of 31 from the field (45.1 percent), and 4 of 6 in the fourth quarter.
The Lady Eagles, meanwhile, went 3 for 12 in the fourth quarter as part of a 5-for-28 second half.
“Derry was a patient team, along the lines of Indian Valley (which beat Tyrone by four last Wednesday),” Swaney said. “Defensively, though, I can’t fault our effort. But eventually, everybody has to take a responsibility in (our offensive improvement).”
More than anything, Tyrone’s offensive woes are giving the Lady Eagles the slimmest of margins to work with. No matter how well they play defensively, without more consistency putting the ball in the basket, every defensive lapse is magnified, and every shot by an opponent is a potential game-breaker.
Tyrone led 30-26 heading into the fourth quarter last night. Derry had already turned the ball over 16 times and was struggling for answers when it had the ball. That’s when point guard Cassie Hauser got hot, nailing three three-pointers with a hand in her face to put her team ahead 37-35. McNelis and McKenna each answered Hauser’s shots with one of their own, but after McNelis answered the third, the well went dry for the Lady Eagles: Tyrone never scored again over the last 2:04.
The Lady Trojans weren’t lighting up the scoreboard either over the same period of time. In the last 2:24, Derry could manage only three foul shots in four attempts, but it was enough, and for Tyrone, that was, and is, the problem.
In the last 1:25, Tyrone was 0 for 3 from the floor and turned the ball over on an intercepted sideline inbounds play with 10 seconds left trailing 38-37.
McNelis’ 19 points were game-high. McKenna scored 13, and both were selected to the All-Tournament team.
“We need a third scorer,” said Swaney. “No one right now is stepping up into that role, and we’re going to continue to struggle to win games like this until someone does.”
Tyrone had one of its better shooting performances in the first quarter, connecting on 5 of 11 shots to take a 13-9 lead. McNelis scored eight in the quarter, and Derry turned the ball over seven times.
The lead grew to 20-10 halfway through the second quarter when a basket by McKenna capped a 6-1 run. Two three-pointers by Kelly Nicely cut Tyrone’s lead to four (22-18), but McNelis and McKenna each scored in the last 45 seconds to make it 26-18 at halftime.
The Lady Trojans got back into the game in the third, when the Lady Eagles managed to make just 2 of 16 shots. Shelby Kozar scored twice and an 8-4 Derry run had the Lady Trojans within 30-26.
Kozar was also a member of the All-Tournament team, along with teammates Hauser and Amber Dablock. Richland’s Samantha Devett and Rose Klimar, along with Blairsville’s Christa Sturiale rounded out the squad.
HOOP NOTES: Derry turned the ball over 21 times to Tyrone’s 14 … the Lady Trojans were 4-for-6 from the field in the fourth quarter … Tyrone is 0-2 in tournament championships this season … the Lady Eagles have not won back-to-back games since opening the season 2-0 … Derry improved to 7-4 … Tyrone hosts Huntingdon January 4.
Derry 40 Tyrone 37
TYRONE – McNelis 8 3-3 19; McKenna 6 0-0 13; Ingle 0 0-0 0; Hoover 1 0-0 2; Lloyd 0 1-2 1; Bradford 0 0-0 0; Roth 0 0-0 0; Bryan 1 0-0 2; Long 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 16 4-5 37.
DERRY – Dablock 1 3-4 5; Zeunges 3 1-2 7; McBroom 1 0-0 2; Hauser 3 0-1 9; DeMary 1 0-0 2; Nicely 2 0-0 6; Kozar 3 0-3 6. TOTALS: 14 4-10 40.
Score by Quarter
TYRONE 13 13 4 7 – 37
DERRY 9 9 8 14 – 40
Three point goals: Tyrone 1 (McKenna 1).
Derry 5 (Hauser 3, Nicely 2).
