Kayla Skopek takes shoots a t... HOLLY, Michigan - After a big win at Lapeer West earlier this year, the Holly girls’ basketball team was unable to replicate its success at home Friday night. Playing without senior standout Lauren Maher, Holly fell 46-28.
In this battle for first place in the Flint Metro League, the Bronchos moved out to a 8-3 lead after the first quarter but were unable to sustain the lead.
West used relentless full court pressure to cause multiple Holly turnovers. The Panthers outscored Holly 43-20 after that first quarter to run away with the win.
“Our kids have done a great job all year,” said Holly coach David Hall. “They put us in a position to win a league championship.”
After only winning one game six years ago, Hall has made the Bronchos into a contender. “Hopefully with our success more kids will want to play basketball at Holly,” Hall said. “It hurts right now but we’ll move on from this.”
Holly was able to keep the Panthers’ senior star Marissa Liburdi in check, holding her to only four points, but junior Shannon Brown dropped in11, and seniors Maddison Smith, Shelby Wagner and Yazmin Dababneh added nine, eight and seven points respectively. Wagner did so coming off the bench.
Playing without Maher, who is out with a serious knee injury, the Bronchos weren’t able to find the mark when they needed to. Maher, an accomplished outside shooter, would have changed the West strategy of packing the middle
against Holly’s Allyssa Copley and Jessica Beeler.
The Bronchos struggled all night to get the ball to Copley. The six foot tall sophomore had a solid game but was hampered by the loss of the outside threat gone with Maher sitting on the bench. Holly also played without senior Kelsey Foucart, out with illness, who has given the Bronchos solid minutes all season.
Holly has two regular season games left before it hosts the districts a week from Monday. They are at Carman-Ainsworth on Tuesday, a team they beat handily at home last year. They close the regular season at home next Friday against Swartz Creek.
Copley had 10 points to go with 10 rebounds, four steals and three blocks. The Bronchos’ Delaney Serra and Brooke Harthun each had five points. Maher limped on to a big ovation with a few seconds left.
Holly is now 12-3 in the league and will need some help to tie West for the title. They are 14-4 in all games.
West improved to 11-2 in league play and 16-2 in all games.
HOLLY
Brooke Harthun 1 3-3 5
Jessica Beeler 2 0-0 4
Allyssa Copley 3 4-10 10
Kayla Skopek 1 1-2 2
Delaney Serra 0 5-6 5
Miayan Kerner 1 0-0 2
Abby Lewandowsk 0 0-0 0
Jessica Cassar 0 0-0 0
Chelsea England 0 0-0 0
Ali Baker 0 0-0 0
Lauren Maher 0 0-0 0
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HHS Class of 2012 Top Ten announced
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