Geer Puts Keystone on Her Back Scoring 17 Straight at One Point in Lady Panthers Playoff Win

Chris Rossetti

Chris Rossetti

Published February 22, 2018 5:20 am
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BROOKVILLE, Pa. (D9Sports) — Taylor Geer put Keystone on her back and lifted the Lady Panthers into the District 9 Class 2A semifinals with a 50-31 win over Ridgway Wednesday night at Brookville High School.

(Photo of Taylor Geer of Keystone)

Geer, the Hager Paving Player of the Game, scored an amazing 17 straight points in a row in the second half for fifth-seeded Keystone, which went from trailing by a point three minutes into the second half to blowing out the fourth-seeded Lady Elkers.

Relisten to the game

Keystone was down 28-27 following an Alyssa Kasmierski basket with 4:54 left in the third quarter for Ridgway, but the Lady Elkers didn’t score another basket until Emily Fullem connected at the 7:33 mark of the fourth quarter.

In the meantime, Keystone rolled off 10 straight points, including eight from Geer to go ahead 37-28.

Then, following Fullem’s basket, Geer scored the game’s next 10 points, part of a run that saw her score the 17 straight tallies for Keystone, to push the Lady Panthers lead to 17, 47-30.

“That is unbelievable, that is unbelievable,” Keystone head coach Barry Foust said when informed that Geer had scored 17 straight points. “I have never seen that. Are you serious? Seventeen consecutive points?” But you know what, the kids were going a good job getting her the ball, finding her. And Taylor wasn’t looking not to pass. She made a few nice passes to Tessa (Weaver) there. But she is a just a natural scorer.”

Geer, who finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds, was able to take advantage of deep foul trouble on Fullem, Ridgway’s best player. Fullem picked up her fourth foul late in the third quarter.

“Fullem was in foul trouble,” Foust said. “That makes a big difference. We were trying to go at her and get her fifth foul.”

Geer said she realized she could get into the high post with an open shot and then when she started hitting that shot it gave her confidence. She also said there were a couple of times she was able to get a mismatch and get a quick layup.

“I think that really helped,” Geer said.

The uptick in Geer’s play coincided with a strong second half for Keystone, which outscored Ridgway 28-9 after the break. The teams were tied at 22 at the half.

“I think we just kind of started playing our game,” Geer said. “The first half was not good. We have been working so hard these past couple of practices. Coach Foust (at halftime) said you guys have been working so hard now go out and show everyone what you can do. I think that really helped with our mentality.”

Listen to more of Geer’s thoughts on the win.

The first half wasn’t pretty from either team’s perspective.

Ridgway turned the ball over 18 teams — the Lady Elkers had 29 turnovers in the games — but stayed in the game thanks to Keystone turning the ball over 14 times itself — the Lady Panthers had 23 giveaways in the contest — and shooting 2 of 10 from the from the free-throw line in the half.

“I think a lot of it starting out was nerves,” Foust said. “We just had to get the jitters off and things like that. As the game progressed, I started to see them get into their rhythm and getting comfortable.”

Fullem paced Ridgway with 13 points and 16 rebounds capping a fantastic career for the senior who was a 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound player for the Lady Elkers. This season, she averaged 20.4 points and 14.7 rebounds per game with 20 double-doubles, including 16 in her last 17 games.

Makenzie Byerley chipped in six points for Keystone on a pair of 3-pointer while Tessa Weaver had three points, five rebounds and two blocked shots.

Casey Woodford added seven points and Alyssa Kasmierski six for Ridgway.

Keystone, which started the season 0-6, is now 12-11. The Lady Panthers will take on top-seeded Kane, a team it lost to by two points in the regular season, in the semifinals at a site, time and date to be announced.

“This means a lot to this team,” Foust said. “No one expected us to be here. To get a win like this, especially with the young kids we put on the floor, that is a great confidence builder going into the next round. I am proud of these guys.”

KEYSTONE 50, RIDGWAY 31

Score by Quarters

Keystone 9 13 13 15 — 50
Ridgway 10 12 6 3 — 31

KEYSTONE — 50

Makenzie Byerley 2 0-0 6, Emily Lauer 2 0-0 4, Taylor Geer 14 3-8 31, Danica Hurrelbrink 0 0-0 0, Maddie Dunlap 0 1-3 1, Alyssa Dunlap 0 0-0 0, Kenzie Hovis 1 0-0 2, Danae Hurrelbrink 1 0-0 3, Ceayra Altman 0 0-0 0, Tessa Weaver 1 1-6 3, Trinity Thompson 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 5-17 50.

RIDGWAY — 31

Casey Woodford 3 1-2 7, Emily Fullem 5 3-6 13, Karely LaBenne 1 0-0 2, Christiana Fullem 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Kasmierski 2 2-3 6, Eve Cobaugh 1 1-2 3. Totals 12 7-13 31.

Three-pointers: Keystone 3 (Byerley 2, Danae Hurrelbrink).

Rebounds Ridgway 13 offensive, 22 defense, 35 total (Fullem 16, Kasmierski 5). Keystone 11 offensive, 22 defensive (Geer 12, Weaver 5).

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