1/16/19
RECAP – The frustrations of what has been a very long season for the Emmaus girls basketball team continued on Tuesday night.
Looking to pickup just its third win overall and trying to snap a long losing streak in the Eastern Pennyslvania Conference dating back to last season, the Hornets squandered a chance to earn their first EPC win as they fell at home at ‘The Hive’ to East Stroudsburg North 32-30.
Emmaus tried valiantly late in the fourth quarter to mount a comeback, and had a chance to tie the game and perhaps win it in the waning seconds, but it wasn’t meant to be for head coach Kelsey Gallagher who lost to her older sister Carly Gallagher, the head coach at East Stroudsburg North.
The loss dropped the Hornets to 2-12 overall and 0-9 in the EPC. It was also the 13th straight league loss for Emmaus since the 2017-18 season.
“It’s definitely frustrating,” said Gallagher, the Hornets second-year coach. ” It’s tough to battle only two wins on season, but I think what’s probably more tough is that in the last six games, three of them should have been ‘W’s’. We put ourselves in a position to succeed but unfortunately it didn’t work in our favor to a point where we needed to knock down shots or to play as a unit in general.”
Emmaus had it chances to build some momentum and pickup some wins in the last week facing three opponents – Pocono Mountain East, Liberty and East Stroudsburg North – who had combined for just seven wins in the league. But the Hornets went winless against all three and struggled offensively averaging just 27 points per game. The three losses were by a combined 14 points.
In last night’s game, both teams were challenged to find any kind of offense as the two combined for just 62 points with each only able to muster 10 field goals.
It just came down to which team made more plays in the end and unfortunately, it wasn’t the Hornets.
East Stroudsburg North, which entered the game on a four-game losing streak at 4-9 overall and 2-6 in the EPC, trailed by just one at the half (18-17) but controlled play in the second half and built as much as a six-point lead before the Hornets put on a furious rally late in the fourth.
Emmaus trailed 32-30 with 12.7 seconds left to play and following a timeout, had a chance to tie and win the game, but junior Alyssa Burkhart’s three-point attempt from the top of the key fell short.
“We drew up the play, they executed it and we got a wide open shot but unfortunately it didn’t work in our favor this time,” said Gallagher. “It’s been that type of season where we struggle to get the ball in the net.”
Emmaus managed just a pair of field goals in the second half and shot a combined 2-for-21 in the third and fourth quarters. For the game, the Hornets shot 21 percent from the field (10 of 47), including 12 percent (2 of 16) from beyond the arc.
Burkhart led all scorers with a game high 12 points, nine coming in the first half.
East Stroudsburg North was led in scoring by Regan Stoddard who had a team-high 10 points. Teammate Olivia Mayes added eight points off the bench for the Timberwolves who also struggled from the field at just 32 percent (10-for-31).
The Hornets will return to the hardwood on Friday at 7 p.m. as they’ll make the short trek to Allentown to take on Allen (9-5, 6-3).
ES North – Diana Azemi 1 1-1 3, Kayla John 2 1-2 5, Anais Wilson 1 1-1 3, Selena Rivera 1 1-1 3, Regan Stoddard 3 4-6 10. Subs: Olivia Mayes 2 4-6 8, Tylera McBride 0 0-0 0, Joleena Blake 0 0-1 0. Totals: FG 10, FT 12-18.
Emmaus – Kayla Griffith 2 0-0 5, Alyssa Burkart 4 3-4 12, Anne Glowacki 0 0-0 0, Brooke Wunderler 0 0-0 0, Gabrielle Martin 1 0-0 2. Subs: Bianca Rollins 1 0-2 2, Ky Anthony 0 2-2 2, Marah Sisonick 0 0-0 0, Sarah Hoch 0 3-4 3, Steph Klemick 1 0-0 2. Ella Quiggle 1 0-0 2, Totals: FG 10, FT 8-12, 3s (2 – Griffith, Burkhart)
ESN – 5 – 12 – 7 – 8 – 32
Em – 7 – 11 – 2 – 10 – 30
JV – Em 50-22
Fresh – Em 43, Northwestern 34 (Ky Brantley 24 points for the Hornets who are now 12-1)