Early Fourth-Quarter Run Helps Clarion Girls Knock Off Redbank Valley

Chris Rossetti

Chris Rossetti

Published January 22, 2019 5:19 am
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NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (D9Sports) — Sometimes the way your practice helps in game situations.

(Photo: Wendy Beveridge of Clarion was named the Hager Paving Player of the Game)

That may have been the case for the Clarion girls’ basketball team Monday night in a 56-48 win at Redbank Valley.

In a game with little flow thanks to 44 totals fouls and 60 free throws (28 fouls on Redbank Valley and 40 free throws by Clarion), the Lady Cats were able to cobble together a 7-0 run near the start of the fourth quarter to break a 41-all tie and take a lead they never relinquished.

“In practice, we practice our free throws a lot where we go back and forth between everything,” Wendy Beveridge, who was named the Hager Paving Player of the Game after scoring 13 points, blocking seven shots, grabbing six rebounds and coming away with a steal, said. “So, it makes it easier to go back and forth between it (during the game).”

Watch Beveridge’s thoughts on the win.

Beveridge had two huge plays for Clarion in the second half — one right at the end of the third quarter and then another a minute into the fourth quarter.

We’ll start with her 3-pointer 57 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Karlee Shoemaker had hit a three for Redbank Valley — the only one in 24 tries by the Lady Bulldogs — to tie the game at 41 on the team’s first possession of the quarter, but Beveridge made sure there was no momentum gained from it when she calmly sank a triple of her own moments later.

That started the 7-0 run that also featured four points from Kait Constantino, who had a team-high 19, that put Clarion ahead, 49-41. The Lady Cats never saw their lead get to less than four the rest of the way.

Perhaps an even bigger play by Beveridge came at the end of the third quarter.

Tara Hinderliter, who tied Constantino for game-high honors with 19 points, had just tied the game at 38 on a layup with 4.5 seconds to play for Redbank Valley.

But Beveridge wasn’t content with just letting the clock run out and pushed the ball a quarter of the way up the court where she heaved a long shot that appeared to leave her hands after the horn sounded.

While the official at center court was waiving the shot off saying it was taken too late — which was his job — the official closest to Beveridge whistled a foul against a Redbank Valley defender — the foul was called on Hinderliter but video showed it should have been called on Claire Clouse.

Beveridge was awarded three free throws and made all three of them to put Clarion ahead, 41-38, after three.

“Actually, yes (I was surprised I was fouled),” Beveridge said. “Normally, typically, you don’t get fouled at that point.”

Beveridge said she just blocked everything out when she went to the line with no one surrounding her.

“It’s a lot of pressure,” Beveridge said. “You just have to stay focused and ignore the background noises.”

Clarion, which led 29-19 at halftime, was still up 10, 31-21, a little over a minute into the second half when Redbank Valley when on a 12-1 run to take the lead, 33-32.

Kaitleyn Davis was the catalyst of the run. Coming into the game with just 26 points on the season, Davis scored eight points in a span of two-and-half minutes to help the Lady Bulldogs take the lead.

The game then went back-and-forth the rest of the quarter with one lead change and two ties in the final 2:04 before Beveridge’s charity shots gave Clarion the lead.

Jordan Best added seven points, 10 rebounds and three steals for Clarion and Ali Troese had seven points and a game-high 15 boards to go with a blocked shot.

Lauren Smith added nine points for the Lady Bulldogs with Davis chipping in eight points, all in the third quarter, and a team-high 11 rebounds. Emma Huffman also had 10 rebounds and three points.

Rewatch the game — Part 1 (until late in the first quarter)

Rewatch the game — Part 2 (remainder of the game)

CLARION 56, REDBANK VALLEY 48

Score by Quarters

Clarion 8 21 12 15 — 56
Redbank 8 11 19 10 — 48

CLARION — 56

KK Girvin 2 2-4 6, Jordan Best 0 7-8 7, Ali Troese 1 5-6 7, Kait Constantino 5 9-12 19, Wendy Beveridge 4 4-6 13, Eva Lerch 1 2-4 4, Ava Cherico 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 29-40 56.

REDBANK VALLEY — 48

Karlee Shoemaker 3 0-0 7, Kelsie Elmer 1 0-0 2, Emma Huffman 1 1-2 3, Claire Clouse 0 0-0 0, Madison Forninger 0 0-0 0, Adrianna Shilling 0 0-0 0, Tara Hinderliter 8 3-6 19, Lauren Smith 3 3-4 9, Ryleigh Smathers 0 0-0 0, Gabby Dinger 0 0-0 0, Kaitleyn Davis 2 4-8 8. Totals 18 11-20 48.

Three-pointers: Clarion 1 (Beveridge). Redbank Valley 1 (Shoemaker).

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