Lady Bucks erase 12-point second half lead to advance in quarterfinals thriller 48-47
By Bees O’Brien
FARWELL- There’s a reason why they play every playoff game. You just never know what each game can bring. On Tuesday night in the PIAA District IV girls 1A quarterfinals the Lady Bucks learned that less. Bucktail rolled over Millville 54-38 last Wednesday in a game that was also at Bucktail.
The Lady Quakers appeared to have figured out Bucktail through two and a half quarters, leading by as many as 12 in the second half. Bucktail would be resilient and would cut their first half turnovers down and storm back to shock Millville 48-47 to advance to the semifinals for only the second time in program history.
Millville and high scoring Larissa Evans would race out to an 11-4 lead after one quarter.
With Millville up 25-16 following an Evans’ three-point basket, Bucktail would get a score from Mak Wagner on a pass from Kendall Wagner to cut the Millville lead to seven points just before the half.
The Lady Quakers would expand their lead to as many as 12 points, but a late third quarter Bucktail run would cut the visitors’ lead to within striking distance at 36-31.
The Lady Bucks would go on a 10-0 to go up 41-36 following a pair of three-point baskets from Kendall Wagner.
Millville would continue their fight and physical play. Millville trailed by just one when Mak Wagner would score and give Bucktail the 46-43 lead with just 51 seconds remaining. Millville would score four more points, but the Lady Bucks would add 2 points to hold a very tough challenge from the visiting 5 seed Lady Quakers.
Mak Wagner would lead Bucktail with 22 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Kendall Wagner would score 10 points and grab 10 rebounds for her second-straight double-double against Millville. Eva Sockman would score 9 points and a team-high 12 rebounds.
Bucktail will now await the winners of tomorrow night’s quarterfinal matchup between top seeded Meadowbrook Christian and 8 seeded NP-Liberty.
St. John Neumann also advanced on Tuesday night with a 51-28 win over Benton. Neumann will await the winner of tomorrow night’s Lourdes Regional vs, Juniata Christian game in Shamokin at Lourdes.
Millville 11 14 11 11 = 47
Bucktail 4 14 13 17 =48
Bucktail (48)
M. Wagner 9 3-9 22, K. Wagner 4 0-2 10, English 0 0-0 0, Mason 1 5-8 7, Lowery 0 0-0 0, Sockman 4 1-2 9, TOTALS- 18 9-20 48
3FG- 3 (K. Wagner 2, M. Wagner) Rebounds- 39 (Sockman 12, K. Wagner 10) Assists- 5 (M. Wagner 2, English 2) Steals- 12 (Mason 3, Lowery 3) Blocks-3 (K. Wagner 3)
