CLARKS SUMMIT – Abington Heights showed it was ready for the start of Lackawanna League Division 1 girls basketball play.
The host Lady Comets shut out Scranton, another team projected to contend in the division, for the first quarter on the way to a 55-28 rout.
Abington Heights made it look easy.
Caroline Murray scored 20 points, Peyton Houlihan and Kate Scoblick led a dominance on the boards and the Lady Comets opened a 14-0 lead before the Lady Knights scored on the first possession of the second quarter.
“We played some good teams in the exhibition season, teams that we haven’t played in the last few years,” Abington Heights coach Deanna Klingman said, “so we got to work on a few things. One of them is ball pressure. We’re doing better with that and we’re really trying to concentrate on our rebounding, offensive and defensive.”
The Lady Comets effectively took away Scranton’s 3-point threats.
“Be there on the catch,” Klingman said in describing how Abington Heights kept Scranton from getting into a shooting rhythm.
Murray found hers early.
The senior guard/forward hit two 3-pointers in the first quarter and another in the second while finishing the first half with 13 points. She added a fourth later in the game.
Murray’s second-quarter 3-pointer gave Abington Heights a 22-3 lead with 4:30 left in the half.
“That was really important for us, getting out early,” Murray said.
Houlihan added 13 points and Maggie Coleman had 11 in the win.
Lanee Olson led Scranton with seven points, all in the second half. Abington Heights limited all-star guard Finley Bittendender to a pair of second-quarter 3-pointers for six points.
“We prepared all week, denying (Bittenbender), getting our, closing out,” Murray said. “Our defense was key and we knew we needed.”
Both teams come out of the game with 6-3 overall records.