Abby routs Prentice at home, falls to Bluejays

By Nathaniel Underwood

The Abbotsford girls basketball team went 1-1 in their last two Marawood-North games, falling on the road to Athens but picking up a win against Prentice at home. The Falcons are now 8-6 overall and 3-3 in Marawood-North play.

Prentice, 61-29

Neveah Treankler had a career-high 17 points, Sydney Falteisek nearly had a doubledouble and the Falcons swarming defense held Prentice to just seven points in the first half as Abbotsford soared past the Buccaneers on Tuesday evening, cruising to a 6129 victory.

After falling to Prentice earlier in the season, Abbotsford made sure there was no doubt of the outcome in the teams’ second meeting. They shot 50.0 percent overall and 63.2 percent from inside the arc while also shutting down Prentice’s offense, especially in the first period. They forced the Buccaneers into 28 turnovers, 19 of which came via steals, and the visitors connected on just three of their field goal attempts in the opening 18 minutes. The Falcons also managed to push the court, something they struggled to do in their first meeting, scoring 21 points in transition.

The Falcons started off the game scoring eight straight points as baskets from Treankler, Sommer Brodhagen and Calley Ruesch gave the home team an early advantage. Prentice scored their first point six minutes into the game on a free throw from Kali Heikkinen, but Falteisek would answer with a field goal on the opposite end. The Buccaneers finally got their first field goal a minute and a half later, though the tides would not change with the basket.

Instead, Abbotsford continued to lay down the pressure, outscoring their opponents 19-4 over the final ten minutes of the half. A 9-0 stretch following Prentice’s second basket featured five points from Treankler and was key to the Falcons pulling out to a 29-7 halftime lead.

While the Buccaneers were able to find more offense in the second half, Abbotsford kept them at bay by matching them for every basket early on. A three from Heikkinen early in the period cut the Falcons’ lead to 35-14 points, but Brodhagen answered on the very next possession with a layup.

That 21-point difference was all the closer Prentice would be able to get in the half. The Falcons finished off the game with seven straight points and claimed the comfortable 61-29 victory over their conference foes.

Treankler shot 7-for-9 to reach her careerhigh scoring total. Falteisek had a solid allaround performance, putting up 16 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and seven steals. Brodhagen also scored in double digits, ending the game with 13 points. Briseida Escalera finished with six points, six rebounds and five assists, Ruesch had five points and Celia Schindler ended the game with four points.

Athens, 54-44

The Falcons visited Athens for a rematch with the Bluejays last Thursday, hoping to avenge their 64-42 loss in their season opener. Abbotsford struggled to find their footing offensively in the first period and a 29-13 deficit at halftime was too much to overcome as they fell 54-44.

Athens’ height once again made things difficult for the Falcons, especially in the game’s opening 18 minutes. The Bluejays outscored Abbotsford 30-18 in the paint and pulled down 53 rebounds to the visitors’ 38. And while Athens only made 38.9 percent of their free throw opportunities, they were able to draw fouls for 36 attempts, compared to the Falcons’ 15 attempts.

See MARAWOOD CLASHES/ Page 16

OFFENSIVE WEAPONS - Neveah Treankler, left, scored a career best 17 points in Tuesday night’s blowout of the Buccaneers while Sommer Brodhagen, right, added 13 points against Prentice and had 18 in the Falcons’ loss to Athens.

STAFF PHOTOS/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD Marawood clashes

Continued from page 10

Abbotsford took a 5-4 lead on a Sommer Brodhagen jumper and a three-point shot from Briseida Escalera, but that would be the only time the Falcons would lead in the contest. A six-minute long scoring drought for Abbotsford allowed the Bluejays to put up 12 straight points. A three-pointer from Neveah Treankler got the Falcons back on the board, but Athens would continue to pull away, finishing the half on a 9-2 run and taking a 29-13 lead heading into halftime.

A basket and subsequent free throw from the Blujeays’ Sophia Coker, who ended the game with 20 points and 22 rebounds, early in the second period gave the home team a 34-15 advantage.

Dealt the largest deficit of the game so far, the Falcons responded with their best offensive sequence of the game. Led by Brodhagen, who scored eight points over the next four minutes, Abbotsford went on a 12-3 run to pull back within 10 of the Bluejays.

Athens was able to cut the run there though and the Falcons would not be able to get any closer in the contest. They scored 10 straight points to end the game, but by then, the Bluejays had stretched their lead out to 20 and they were still able to win the game by double digits, despite the final effort from Abbotsford.

Brodhagen had 18 points, going 6-for-10 from the field, and brought down five rebounds in the loss. Treankler and Celia Schindler both had six points and Sydney Falteisek put up five points and collected nine rebounds. McKinley Klabon had four points, Briseida Escalera finished with three and Calley Ruesch rounded out the scoring with two points. Azul Diaz led the team in steals with three and also had five rebounds.

PICTURE PERFECT PASS - McKinley Klabon slings the ball to a teammate from the top of the key.

STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD