SCRANTON – Depth and experience in a senior-heavy lineup gave Abington Heights high hopes going into a girls basketball season that got off to a bit of a rough start on the opening weekend.
The Lady Comets posted their first win Dec. 5 to get to 1-2 after losing twice to finish last in a strong field at the Hazleton Area Tip-Off Tournament.
“We’re healthy right now,” Abington Heights coach Deanna Klingman said during the Coaches vs. Cancer Media Day Nov. 26 at Riverfront Sports. “We missed our point guard, Emily McDonald, last season. She’s back.
“We have a veteran team. Probably, I have more seniors on this team than any team in the last nine years, so we have a lot of great senior leadership to help along the underclassmen.”
Even with the two early losses, the Lady Comets have many reasons to be optimistic. As they approach more important games later in the season, they do so with many players who have been there before.
“I think it’s really key for us especially because they have played in a lot of key games throughout their careers,” Klingman said. “They’ve played in district finals, state games and they have a lot of really good experience to pass down to try to keep everybody on an even keel throughout the year.”
Senior Madison Zalewski and junior Maggie Coleman earned all-star recognition a year ago when seniors Peyton Houlihan and Kate Scoblick were also starters. McDonald, a starter two years ago as a sophomore, missed all of last season while recovering from a major knee injury.
Junior Madeleine Walsh and sophomore Lily Scoblick gained significant experience off the bench.
“We’re better together than we are alone,” Klingman said. “On any given night, I probably have eight players who could be the top scorer.”
A look at the first three games:
Abington Heights 51, Berwick 31
Coleman scored 18 points, all on 3-pointers, including four that she made during the third quarter of the Dec. 5 road win.
Houlihan added 12 points.
McDonald scored all 11 of her points in the first half.
Coleman’s big third quarter expanded a 24-16 halftime lead to 40-21.
Lake-Lehman 55, Abington Heights 49
Ella Wilson went 12-for-12 from the foul line in the second half to finish with 30 points and lead Lake-Lehman to the victory in the Dec. 2 tournament consolation game.
McDonald was 5-for-6 from the line while scoring 13 points to lead Abington Heights. Houlihan added 11. Zalewski made three 3-pointers, two of them in the first quarter, while scoring nine points.
Nazareth 45, Abington Heights 38
Peyton Long scored 17 points to lead Nazareth to victory in the Dec. 1 tournament opener.
Nazareth took a 22-7 halftime lead.
Coleman scored all 15 of her points and Zalewski all 10 in the second half to lead the Lady Comets back.
