Rugged on the road
BUTLER TWP — The Seneca Valley girls basketball team made just six field goals, attempted a mere 19 shots, was shut out in the second quarter and was held to seven points in the first half.
And won.
Thanks to two big shots by senior forward Erin Danik, the Raiders survived a slog of a game — typical of Section 1-6A — 29-22 over Butler Monday night.
“We knew coming in it was going to be that kind of game,” said Seneca Valley coach Rob Lombardo. “We had a game plan where we didn't want (Jenna) Kunst or (Kylee) Lewandowski to hit a couple of 3-pointers and get confidence, so we were playing slow ourselves.”
Slow didn't begin to cover it.
The Raiders took one shot in the second quarter and the two teams combined to attempt a mere 22 field goals in the first half.
It was a little too slow for Lombardo's tastes, so he sped up the pace in the second half.
“It wasn't a good match because they defend well and we weren't trying to score, either,” Lombardo said. “We went into halftime and we were like, 'OK. We need to pressure all over the floor and try to get some cheap ones and, once we get a lead, get into our halfcourt offense and pull them out of their zone.”
The first half was just how Butler liked it.
“It was definitely slow,” said Butler coach Joe Lewandowski, smiling. “We make a couple more shots, maybe it isn't as slow.”
Butler was just 8-of-31 from the field.
Alyssa Eyth led the Golden Tornado with 11 points.
Butler (10-9, 3-7) was good at bottling up Danik in the first half as she attempted just two field goals and was held scoreless.
But she hit two big 3-pointers in the third quarter to help the Raiders turn an 11-10 lead midway through the third quarter into a 20-10 lead early in the fourth.
“Whoever made that little bit of a run was going to win this game, and they did,” Lewandowski said. “Erin hit those two big 3s and that was the separation in the game. Listen. Senior. All-section player. Give her credit.”
Danik said she tried not to get flustered in the first half, knowing she would have an opportunity at some point.
It came in a two-minute stretch in the third quarter.
“It was really tough in the first half because they were sinking everything in there,” Danik said. “There was nothing we could get inside.”
Danik is used to getting hounded. It has happened to her all season.
She still ended up with 10 points. Michaela Lamont also scored 10 to lead Seneca Valley.
“It does get frustrating when they put every single player they have on you,” Danik said. “As soon as you get the ball, they're collapsing and it does get frustrating, but we create plays where we get everybody moving and they can't do that. When that happens, it feels good.”
What also feels good for the Raiders is the way they're playing right now.
Seneca Valley (9-12, 5-5) has won five of its last seven games and sewed up third place in the section behind North Allegheny and Pine-Richland.“This gets us a higher seed,” Lombardo said. “We've won five out of seven and our only two losses came against North Allegheny and Pine-Richland. Everybody's getting those losses. They're starting to buy in and play well and we're getting that senior leadership. No one wants their season to end.”For Butler, the season has been a success so far even with a four-game losing streak to end the section season.The Golden Tornado are still playoff-bound with a roster with no seniors.Butler won just three games last season.“We've always tried to take a big-picture mentality,” Lewandowski said. “Last year, we won three games and no section games. Even last year, we said, 'What's the big picture? Can we continue to get better?' We have the same mentality. The girls came in and they have competed the whole season. They tripled their win total. Now you're say, OK, that's progress. But we have to keep progressing.“We don't just want to be in the playoffs,” the coach added. “We want to win some games in the playoffs.”SENECA VALLEY 29Michael Lamont 2-6 5-7 10, Gretchen Koken 0-1 2-2 2, McKenna Gross 2-6 2-4 6, Katie Martin 0-1 1-2 1, Erin Danik 2-5 4-4 10, Anna Sullivan 0-0 0-0 0, Kelsey Cruttendon 0-0 0-0 0, Anna Crisci 0-0 0-0 0, Jorden Jamieson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 6-19 14-19 29.BUTLER 22Mia Rader 1-8 0-2 3, Alyssa Eyth 4-7 3-3 11, Kylee Lewandowski 1-6 0-0 3, Jenna Kunst 2-6 0-0 4, Julia Gibson 0-2 1-2 1, Jordan Kaufman 0-1 0-0 0, Emilee Altman 0-1 0-0 0, Nicole Pepmeyer 0-0 0-0 0, Emma Monteleone 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 8-31 4-7 22.Seneca Valley 7 0 10 12 — 29Butler5 4 1 12 — 223-point goals: Seneca Valley 3 (Danik 2, Lamont); Butler 2 (Rader, Lewandowski).Wednesday: Seneca Valley at Penn-Trafford; Butler at St. Joseph
