Knights trampled by Bucks, continuing 12 game losing streak
BASKETBALL- Senior Jess McKenzie reflects on the court after her team’s twelfth loss in a row.
TOWAMENCIN- “We’ve tried just about everything we can,” explained North Penn head coach Maggie deMarteleire.
The North Penn Girls Basketball team (4-12) faced the Central Bucks West Bucks (10-7) this Tuesday night. The Knights, coming off an eleven game losing streak, aimed to finally get a conference win. However, CB West sophomore Maddie Burke led the Bucks to a dominating 48-33 victory.
The Knights started the game slowly, going down 8-2 with 4:16 left in the first quarter. Junior Alaina Mullaly was the Knights leading scorer in the first quarter with four points, but she would not score again the remainder of the night. North Penn ended the first down 14-6.
The second quarter was not friendly to the Knights either. The girls were beat to most 50/50 balls and shots did not fall for them. Burke ended the first half with 14 points, that was half of her team’s points and equal to the Knights’ score. At halftime, the Bucks led 28-14.
“I think we just get in a bad rhythm and start reverting to making really bad mistakes. We do it a bunch of times in a row, and then we don’t capitalize when the other team does,” explained senior captain Jess McKenzie.
The second half for the Knights was more forgiving as they brought their deficit down to ten at 35-25. However, they could not get hot enough. Freshman Alli Lindsay led North Penn in the third quarter with 6 points. Towards the end of the third quarter the Bucks took advantage of sloppy North Penn play and extended their lead further, ending the quarter at 41-28.
“I just wanted to see someone drive to the basket, and I think Alli did that,” said coach deMarteleire.
The fourth quarter was as bad as it got for the Knights with only 5 total points, 3 of which came from Lindsay. Although the Bucks struggled as well, with only 7 total points, their lead was too much for the Knights.
Maddie Burke (22 points) and North Penn senior Bri Hewlett (11 points) were the team leaders on the board.
Although the Knights suffered yet another conference loss, they look to break their twelve game losing streak Thursday night against William Tennent.
