By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
SWANTON (February 12, 2024) – New Math! After nine comes zero. After nine straight losses, Swanton finally put a zero in the loss column and a “W” in the victory slot with a 46-40 triumph over Pettisville.
“Obviously this being the seniors’ last home game, I’m happy for them,” Bulldog coach Jared Walker said. “Good thing for them to win their last regular season game at home.”
“Pettisville is good, very well coached. Jason (Waldvogel) does a wonderful job. We knew they would be very competitive. We knew they are good in the BBC.” “Right now, I feel good for the girls.”
The Bulldogs jumped out to a fast 7-2 lead when Peighton Manning stuck a right wing three-ball and had a steal and score halfway through the first.
However, the Bulldogs went frigid the next nine minutes, scoring only five points and the Blackbirds heated up.
Pettisville went on a 24-5 run during that stage that included a trio of triples from Olivia Miller, a pair of inside moves from Madison Remington. two more buckets by Hollyn Klopfenstein and Lily Wiemken’s transition hoop to take a 26-12 lead with 3:22 to go in the half.
Just that quickly Swanton (8-13) had a response. Manning tripled from the left side, Emma Crow had two straight picks that went for buckets, the second a three-point play after a foul, and Miranda Yeager bagged a pair of free throws to chop the Pettisville lead to 26-22 at half.
“The first quarter wasn’t the best after we took the lead and we were down a lot in the second when we hit them with a big run,” Walker said of the first half.
“Then it was a key of coming in the first four minutes of the third quarter and again trying to be on the plus side.”
Olivia Gowing’s six straight third quarter points that included 4/4 from the foul line brought the Bulldogs even at 30-30 but Miller’s baseline jumper with 2:25 on the clock gave the Birds a 32-30 advantage heading into the fourth.
While the Blackbirds were mired in a 2/14 shooting slump in the final eight minutes, Swanton took the game in hand.
Alexia Ostrander stuck back her own miss to tie the game 11 seconds into the quarter, then Manning’s runner through the key 28 seconds later put Swanton ahead for good.
Miller’s fourth three-pointer of the night got Pettisville (13-8) within 36-35 with 5:37 to go but Samantha Nelson scored on a dive from the high post and Manning added another off a move from the baseline to boost the margin to 40-35.
Manning had 17 to lead the Bulldogs. Miller also scored 17 to pace Pettisville, however the Birds who shot it at 50 percent in the first half, were only 5/25 in the second.
PETTISVILLE (40) – Strauss 5; Klopfenstein 4; Hastings 1; Bennett 0; Grimm 2; G. Remington 0; Fox 0; M. Remington 6; Miller 17; Crawford 0; Blosser 0; Wiemken 5; Totals: 10-5-5 – 40
SWANTON (46) – Crow 8; Gowing 9; Nelson 2; Ostrander 2; Yeager 6; Manning 17; Keiser 2; Totals: 13-3-11 – 46
PETTISVILLE 14 12 6 7 – 40
SWANTON 11 11 8 16 – 46
GAME STATISTICS
PETTISVILLE: FG – 15/42 (35%); FT – 5/10 (50%); Rebounds – 22; Turnovers – 15; SWANTON: FG – 16/40 (40%); FT – 11/13 (85%); Rebounds – 36; Turnovers – 10
JUNIOR VARSITY: Pettisville 29, Swanton 16
