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By Matt Michelone
sports@altoonamirror.com
Early on in the season for the Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic girls' basketball team, youth has had to step in and answer the challenge quickly as they move into the varsity program.
The good news for the Lady Marauders is that their freshman are making an impact, as they grabbed a third win to open the season following a 64-54 triumph over Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference foe Central Cambria at home Friday.
"We're young, and we have a little bit of adversity with some injuries and that kind of stuff. We just feel like any time we put someone on the floor, we feel confident in what they're going to do for us," BG coach Kristi Kaack said.
Maurie Querry is one of the freshmen for the Lady Marauders, making her mark as she put away a turnaround jumper with a little under five minutes in the half to make it 24-14 BG. She finished with 15 points.
BG had a 34-21 lead at the break.
The Lady Red Devils, after going cold for much of the first half, came out of the locker room strong in the second half. Aubrey Ruddek scored on CC's first two possessions to cut the deficit down to nine.
Alaina Sheehan led Central Cambria with 17 points followed by Ruddek with 11.
"I thought we played scrappy, played hard," Central Cambria coach Brittany Bracken said. "Guilfoyle is a great team, very skilled team. I'm just really proud that we never quit, and kept cutting it, and we kept working. (We) just needed a couple more shots to fall early."
That is when another freshman took over for the Lady Marauders. This time it was Anberlyn Petrecca scoring nine of her game-high 19 points in the frame. Her fellow first-year player, Hannah Homan, drained a fadeaway jumper to help cap off the quarter for the Marauders as they led 50-38.
Homan ended the night with 12 points. Sophomore Stella Yesky ended the game with 11 to give BG four different scorers in double figures.
Kaack credits her veterans for helping the freshman make a smooth transition.
"They're leaders and they're providing it in practice, and you can tell these young kids are soaking it up and they play really confident," she said. "When they step on the floor, you can't tell they're freshman. They just look at the other team like they're ready to go."
CENTRAL CAMBRIA (54): Al. Sheehan 5 3-4 17, Ab. Sheehan 0 2-2 4, Long 5 3-6 14, A. Ruddek 5 0-0 11, George 2 0-0 5, Lockard 0 0-0 0, Barra 1 0-0 3, Link 0 0-0 0, R. Ruddek 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 9-19 54.
BISHOP GUILFOYLE (64): Homan 4 2-2 12, Querry 5 3-4 15, Ruggery 2 0-0 5, Yesky 3 5-6 11, Lightner 1 0-0 2, Petrecca 7 2-4 19, Gofus 0 0-0 0, Lechner 0 0-0 0. Totals: 22 14-17 64.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Central Cambria………….9 12 17 15 — 54
Bishop Guilfoyle………..12 22 16 14 — 64
3-point field goals: Central Cambria 8 (Al. Sheehan 4, Barra, A. Ruddek, Long, George), Bishop Guilfoyle 8 (Homan 2, Querry 2, Ruggery, Petrecca 3)
Records: Central Cambria (2-2, 2-1 LHAC), Bishop Guilfoyle (3-0, 2-0 LHAC).
Officials: Sue Kovensky, Bill Straesser, Jim Campbell
JV: Central Cambria, 39-37. High scorers -- George, CC, 15; Petrecca, BG, 17.