Mount stops C.B. South, 55-49

by TOM UTESCHER

Remember the Titans? Well, you don't remember these Titans, because they'd never played a single game before last month. They're the girls basketball team at the imposing new high school in Warrington, Central Bucks South, and they gave visiting Mount St. Joseph Academy quite a run last Thursday before the Magic prevailed, 55-49.

The Magic rode to victory on 23 points by Emily Johnson (six rebounds, four steals) and eight apiece by Laura Johnson and Lauren Kummer (nine rebounds), climbing to a season mark of 7-1. The CB South Titans leveled off at 4-4, despite ten points from Stef Graff and nine from Liz Derr, both former Central Bucks East players.

The Mounties were also on the road earlier in the week, delivering a 54-38 setback to Villa Joseph Marie on Dec. 20. Assuming a modest 13-11 edge during the first quarter, the Magic pulled away to a 25-18 halftime count, then added ten more points to their lead in the third quarter. Emily Johnson and Kummer collected 15 and 13 points respectively, while Katie Kerr scored 11 and Jen Fedyna, nine.

On Folly Road did Central Bucks a stately Pleasure Dome decree. Costs for the building of C.B. South had been projected at around $79 million, and with construction proceeding well past the intended opening date last September, the tab probably soared beyond that figure. The gym, at least, is now open for business, and the students - currently split up between Central Bucks East and West - will be allowed into their classrooms near the end of next month.

It appears as though most of Mount St. Joseph Academy itself would fit into the broad, high-ceilinged corridor outside the gymnasium; inside, the amenities include bleachers with a color scheme spelling out "Titans."

"Plenty of room in here," thought the Magic's Em Johnson, "let's step back and fire some up from the outside."

The senior hoisted up three successful shots from the three-point line, guiding the visitors to a 13-10 lead at the end of the first period. A couple of lay-ups and five-for-seven foul shooting rounded out an 18-point half for Johnson. Her sister Laura put in four points, and in spite of the fact that no other MSJ players scored more than two, the Magic were up 29-26 at the intermission.

Central Bucks South stayed close mainly by outmuscling the Mounties in the paint; Derr, a power forward, had seven points by the break and four other Titans had four or more.

Heavily, the low sky raining over C.B. Camelot. As the second half got underway, sheets of rain beat a tattoo on the roof of the new edifice, and at one point a towel was produced to swab away a wet spot on the court. Could it be that this drydocked Titanic had already sprung a leak? In any event, the problem did not recur, and over the course of the third quarter the Magic got points from five different players and added two points to their lead, entering the final stanza up 41-36.

The Titans' Graf, while playing for C.B. East last February, laid a dozen points on the Mount as the Patriots knocked off the locals, 53-38, in the PIAA District I tournament. She managed just a single field goal during the first three periods of last week's game, but rang up eight points in the fourth quarter to rally South.

Two minutes in, the Titans had cut the spread to one point, 44-43. Drives by Kummer and Johnson gave the Magic some breathing room, but South wouldn't go away, and a baseline jumper by Graf made it a one-point affair again, this time at 50-49. At the other end, MSJ's Sarah McGorry followed a teammate's miss with a put-back that made it 52-49, and with half-a-minute to go the visitors added another point when Emily Johnson hit the front end of a one-and-one.

Later, Laura Johnson stole an inbounds pass by South, which led to the Titans committing their tenth foul of the half. MSJ's Fedyna made both of the resulting free throws, and on the hosts' last trip down the floor a three-point attempt by Graf wouldn't fall.

McGorry came away with five points for the winners, Kerr and Alison Keane registered four apiece, and Fedyna had three points, six assists, and four steals. Central Bucks South got seven points apiece from Colleen Christian, Megan Rigous, and Danielle Flowers. Neither team made the most of its opportunities at the foul line; the Titans put in 14 of 23 attempts, and the Magic just 16 of 29.