Lady Bucks Senior Night Friday

by Jim Morgan

MONTGOMERY – With snow sleet and ice storms delaying or closing schools down for the day or days, it has wrecked basketball schedules lately.   The last scheduled regular season game will be played Feb. 14. I believe that Mother Nature actually does not want to see this basketball season end for the Bucktail Lady Bucks.

The Lady Bucks are going to be celebrating this Friday night at Bucktail “Senior Night” and bring out some great memories from this Class of 2015 girls basketball players. Bucktail fans, it is time to pack the gym. The Lady Bucks would love to see so many fans this night, just to say thank you to each and every one of you that have supported these Lady Bucks.

Now on to some exciting games this past week. The Lady Bucks (13-5) won two exciting road games against Montgomery and Sullivan County. This past Tuesday they traveled to Montgomery and surprised the Lady Red Raiders as the Lady Bucks won 77-67. Coach Carl Gentzyel always had a hard time winning a game at Montgomery for many years but on this night the Lady Bucks were ready to face the challenge as they used a 23 point third quarter to put away the Lady Red Raiders. 

Bucktail started the first two mintues just rushing their shots. Coach Gentzyel called timeout and settled the girls down as Montgomery was leading 4-0. After that timeout it was back and forth until Abby Ransom hit a three at the first quarter horn, Lady Bucks 18 Montgomery 16. In the second quarter, foul trouble started mounting for the visitors as all five starters had two or more fouls going into the locker room as the Lady Bucks led 38-33.

Alaina Tripp played one of her best games as she scored 12 of her total career high 14 points in the first half. With that, she recorded a double-double as she was big on the boards grabbing 12 rebounds. Coach Gentzyel could not stop praising these Lady Bucks as all of them played an outstanding game. Junior Paige Sockman came off the bench and played hard and grabbed some important defensive rebounds. But for these seniors it was their best game thus far this year yet.

Can you say twenty-twenty in double-double? Just when you think you heard it all about Maria Morgan.  How about this: 25 points, 21 assist, 7 rebounds and 7 steals. Tiffany Werts turned in 21 points, 12 rebounds for her double-double. Abby Ransom came up big with 9 points and 6 rebounds. Shae Cowfer added 6 points and 5 rebounds. Coach Gentzyel praised all of them on how they kept defensive pressure on the Lady Red Raiders throughout the game.

Lady Bucks came out in the third quarter and kept the hammer down as Morgan and Werts combined for 19 of the 23 points score in the quarter as Ransom scored the other 4 points with a 15 point lead going into the fourth quarter (61-46) Bucks. With five minutes left, Morgan picked up her fourth foul as Cowfer found the bench with her fifth foul. Tripp picked her fourth foul up with 3 minutes left. Coach Gentzyel slowed the offense down and had the ball in Morgan’s hands as the seconds ticked off.

Montgomery was still trying to figure out how to stop Morgan as they even called an extra timeout for a technical foul. It was a game that will be one to remember. Montgomery will be coming to Bucktail next Wednesday for the rematch.

Just when you think you had one to remember? At Sullivan County last Friday the Lady Bucks added another game to the archives as they won in dramatic fashion in overtime 56-54. In the first quarter the Lady Bucks came out firing on all shots as they led 17-10 at the end of the quarter with balanced scoring from four of the players (Morgan, Tripp, Ransom and Werts). But that would slowly slip away from quarter to quarter as foul trouble again had the Lady Bucks in a difficult position. Lady Bucks shooting was slipping away also, leading 26-21 at the half.

In the third quarter, SC cut that lead to within three points as it was 35-32 Lady Bucks to start the fourth quarter. Bucktail had two starters (Cowfer, Werts) on the bench as they fouled out with over five minutes left in the game. SC would eventually take the lead with two minutes left. Lady Bucks eventually fouled a SC player with 9.6 seconds left as they were shooting a one-an-one. Coach Gentzyel with the time-out, told the girls, “We need this rebound and once you grab it call timeout.” SC missed the first foul shot as Tripp gathered the rebound in and called timeout with 7.5 seconds left. Now SC was leading 48-45 at this time, Lady Bucks have to come up with a three ball? Coach Gentzyel playing it out for Morgan to take the shot. But knowing that SC should be looking to foul her.

Here is your answer!!  Tripp rolled the ball to Morgan in the backcourt. Morgan finally picked it up just before the half court line, dribbled to her left side where Sockman set a perfect screen came up to the three point line. Nobody within eight feet of her as she drained the three ball to tie the game 48-48!

Emalea Mills came up with the go-ahead basket from a Morgan assist. Sockman sealed the game with a foul shot to win 56-54.

Last Wednesday the Lady Bucks played one of their postponed games at home as they welcomed Benton to Farwell and downed the visitors 72-39. The Lady Bucks came out on all cylinders as they just ripped the nets all night as Morgan score 32 of her 42 points in the first half. Morgan was just hot as she shot 83% from the field and was 10 for 10 from the charity stripe. Tripp and Werts each had 9 points as Werts had 17 rebounds. Cowfer and Ransom each had 4 points as Sockman and Mills each added 2 points each also. For the first time the Lady Bucks were able to get this game into the mercy rule of 40 point margin, allowing the clock to continue to run as this happened in the third quarter.

Lady Bucks will be at home on Friday, Senior Night starting at 6 p.m. Be there early Bucktail fans. Then on Saturday the Lady Bucks will travel to Northern Potter for a 4 p.m. tip-off. Next Wednesday the Lady Bucks will host Montgomery for a 6 p.m. start.