Per Pegasus Sports Network

Miscellaneous observations:

 

Atherton is vastly improved under first year coach Gerard Mattingly. The Rebels had just three field goals in each of the last two meetings with North Oldham, falling 55-8 last year and 54-10 the year before. This year's iteration of the Rebels is much more accomplished; they have a couple of very athletic players and play with dogged determination from the opening tip to the final horn. This year, the Rebels simply hadn't quite made up all the differences between them and the Lady Mustangs, but they have dramatically improved.

 

Still, this one was never in doubt.

 

North Oldham, behind a suffocating 2-2-1 press, raced out to a 10-0 lead, turning over Atherton multiple times and converting on the transition opportunities.

 

North's Riley Neal capitalized repeatedly on the offensive glass, and hit her first 8 shots of the game, finishing 8 of 10 in the first quarter for 16 points. By the end of the first, Neal already had a double-double with 16 points / 10 rebounds.

 

North didn't really shoot well in the game (33.3% overall), but the Lady Mustangs capitalized on their defense, which forced (unofficially) 37 turnovers on the night and their dominance on the glass (unofficially, 39-20) to get extra shots. On the night, North took an amazing 96 shots, making 32.

 

It was 24-13 after one quarter, 42-22 at the half, and 61-26 at the end of three quarters.

 

Neal finished with 22 points and 18 rebounds for North; she sat the fourth period. Kylie Vize scored 12, and sophomore backup Alyssa Raisor hit 4 of 6 shots (including 2 of 3 threes) to tally 10. All eleven Lady Mustangs played and ten scored.

 

Lauren Burks and Saria Rucker had impressive games for Atherton; Burns finished with 14 points and Rucker 13 to lead the Rebels.

 

CM