The Boyertown High girls’ basketball team has made it to the championship game of their Holiday Tournament for the past five years. That’s also the number of years that Coach Jason Bieber has been the head coach of the team. To win number five on Dec. 28, the Lady Bears would have to defeat Downingtown East.
Boyertown jumped out to an early 25-2 lead at the end of the first quarter, holding the Lady Cougers 13:45 without scoring a field goal en route to a 51-26 victory.
‘They came tough and played well,’ said Bears coach Jason Bieber concerning his players. ‘You saw the difference in intensity from last night. When you’re flying around on all cylinders, the pressure can get to them.’
‘That team is a good team,’ said Boyertown senior Dee Terry. ‘It took them awhile to adjust.’
Freshman Abby Kapp lead all Boyertown scorers with 13 points, while Terry chipped in with eight. Jordan Webb had seven points while Ali Bauman added six. Brooke Erb, Maria Garofolo and Amanda Moyer each netted four points each.
Boyertown started out with the first basket on a Dee Terry lay-up. Boyertown used its full court press defense to frustrate and torment Downingtown East. The early part of the game was all Boyertown as they opened up a 21-0 advantage six minutes into the contest.
Ali Bauman had six points in the quarter, and Abby Kapp made the most of her opportunities, scoring five points in the quarter. Brooke Erb added four points in the quarter and Boyertown held a 25-2 lead.
‘I don’t think they were prepared for what we came here to do, or the intensity we played with,’ said Kapp.
‘That’s been our key to success for the last five years, if we can cause those turnovers,’ said Bieber. ‘It’s just a luxury to have (6-foot-1 sophomore) Maria Garofolo with her size who can pressure the point guard.’
In the second quarter the Lady Bears continued to pressure the Cougers. Kapp scored the first basket of the quarter. She would add four more points in the quarter.
It wasn’t until the 2:15 mark in the second quarter when Aryah Aungst hit a three point shot from the left side of the court. Lindsay Kent added a free throw in the quarter. Boyertown outscored Downingtown East 10-4 in the second quarter and lead 35-6 at the half.
Downingtown East came out in the third quarter using a full court press of its own, trying to get back into the game. It was working as Boyertown went five minutes without scoring.
Jordan Webb scored Boyertown’s first field goal of the quarter. Downingtown’s Kent scored its first field goal with 13.5 seconds left in the third quarter. Both teams scored four points in the quarter. However, Boyertown still lead 39-10 after 24 minutes of play.
The fourth quarter saw the Lady Cougers continue to use their full court press to try and get back into the game. Boyertown’s offense struggled, much to the displeasure of Boyertown coach Jason Bieber. Lady Cougers’ Varfel scored seven points in the quarter and Kent added five as Downingtown outscored Boyertown 16-12, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
One change that Coach Jason Bieber has done is to use his bench, giving players a rest if they are tired or struggling in the game.
‘Everyone gets a chance to get in,’ said Terry. ‘It’s definitely a good change. We like it a lot. You can get your mind set and get right back into things.’
‘We have really balanced scoring,’ said Kapp. ‘Everyone has something to offer. You never know who’s going to lead the team in scoring or rebounding. ‘We’re growing and coming together as a team. ‘We’re playing better defense and it’s flowing.’
Boyertown has a big crossover game with Pope John Paul II on Friday Jan. 3. ‘We have a huge game on Friday,’ added Bieber. ‘We’re getting ready for that.’
Phil Haddad is a free lance writer for the Times. You can follow him on twitter at writersprtsBT
