Lady Bucks bounce back for win over Montgomery, 55-44

By John Lipez

FARWELL, PA- The Bucktail Lady Bucks wasted little time Monday in bouncing back from their first loss of the season against St. John Neuman last week. Coach Carl Gentzyel’s team zoomed to a 23-4 first period lead over visiting Montgomery and stayed on top for the duration, ending with a 55-44 win. Bucktail is now 4-1 on the season, the Lady Raiders 1-4 with the loss.

Mak Wagner again paced all scorers, leading the home team with 24 points, including 11 in period one. Kayla Probert added 13, including a clutch lay-up in the final period; the Bucktail senior’s score with just over three minutes to go stretched the Bucktail lead out to 51-40 after Montgomery had battled back to within nine points as the game wound down.

Bella English added 6, Alexis Lowery and Kendall Wagner with 4 and Lily Francis with 2 to complete the Lady Buck scoring. Falin Reynolds led Montgomery with 18 points, including 11 in the final quarter before fouling out. Madisyn Miller added 10 points for the visitors.

Asked about the tighter second quarter after the big early lead, coach Gentzyel said he thought his team “let up a little bit” but the coaches talked to them at halftime and the Lady Bucks applied more pressure in the second half, made “a nice recovery” when Montgomery challenged and worked the ball well down the stretch, getting some lay-up baskets.

Bucktail will next in action on Wednesday, Dec. 28 in Allport, taking on the host West Branch team in that school’s holiday tourney. There will also be a game on the following Thursday, against an opponent to be determined.

M  4 12  8 20 = 44

B 23 10 12 10 =55