Eagles Win, Survive ‘Scare’
East Rock Rallies By Draft, 71-63
Posted: January 30, 2013
ELKTON — East Rockingham High School girls’ basketball coach Paul Comer wasn’t dealing out platitudes or providing commonly-heard “coach-speak” after his team’s 71-63 win over Shenandoah District foe Stuarts Draft on Tuesday night.
Rather, his observation was honest, blunt and profoundly accurate: his Eagles didn’t win so much as they survived.
East Rockingham (20-0 overall, 12-0 in the district) needed a big fourth quarter (and final 3 minutes) to get its 48th consecutive win, trailing by as many as eight in the fourth before reeling off an 11-2 run fueled by Jessica Lam and Kaitlyn Dofflemyer to pull away.
Lam’s layup with 2:46 left gave East Rock a 61-59 lead, and after Cougars guard Madison Riley split a pair of free throws, Dofflemyer split two from the line before scoring on a layup to increase the lead to 64-60.
Stuarts Draft would not seriously threaten again, and Dofflemyer, Madison Comer and Lam would ice it from the free-throw line.
“They continue to amaze me to be able to pull games out like that, but we were clearly outplayed and out-hustled,” Paul Comer said. “They probably should have won, and I tip my hat to the way Draft played tonight.”
The East Rock coach quickly called two timeouts within a minute span in the second quarter, visibly upset at his team’s inability to stop Draft from getting close looks at the basket. Late in the game, the Eagles defense eliminated the type of high-percentage shots they were giving up in the first half.
“These kids did a really nice job late and finding a way to push through,” Paul Comer said. “These girls don’t buckle under pressure. We were having trouble trying to slow them down and just weren’t moving well defensively.”
For East Rockingham, both the coach and the players were quick to point out what this type of close victory could represent.
“It was definitely a wakeup call, because we’re been beating teams by more than 10 points,” Dofflemyer said. “We were standing around the 3-point line a little too much on offense all night.”
It appeared to be another Eagles’ rout at the outset, as they led by nine after one quarter and six at the half. Stuarts Draft led by three after the third quarter, consistently beating ERHS’s full-court press and getting layups.
Lam scored 12 of her team-high 21 points in the second half.
“We’re fighters,” Lam said. “We were down most of the way, but we were able to stay relaxed. We know we can’t take any team lightly, and we just have to keep having a lot of energy and fighting to the end, because we know teams won’t roll over for us.”
Riley scored a game-high 22 points for Stuarts Draft (10-8, 7-5). She was one of three Cougars to foul out late. Mayzie Lewis scored 13, and Katelyn Bergey added 14 for Draft.
“I was real proud of the kids’ effort,” said Stuarts Draft coach Jason Kirby. “I wish it would have been a different outcome, but this is the kind of the effort we have to bring every night — and not just when we play these guys. We were down early in the first quarter and easily could have folded up shop, but, even though we didn’t get them, I think we definitely put a scare into them.”
STUARTS DRAFT
Lewis 5 1-2 13, Riley 9 1-2 22, Bergey 5 4-6 14, Wimer 0 2-4 2, Wampler 2 0-0 4, Brown 4 0-0 8. Totals 25 8-14 63.
EAST ROCKINGHAM
Dofflemyer 5 5-10 17, Comer 1 2-5 5, Cameron 5 3-4 15, Lam 5 12-16 21, Nicholson 3 1-1 7, Kisling 0 1-2 1, Wilkins 0 1-2 1, Rouse 1 0-0 2, McPike 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 25-49 71.
Stuarts Draft 8 19 22 14 – 63
East Rockingham 17 16 13 25 – 71
3-Point Goals—Stuarts Draft 5 (Riley 3, Lewis 2). East Rock 6 (Dofflemyer 2, Cameron 2, Comer, Lam). Fouled Out-Riley, Bergey, Wimer. Total Fouls—Stuarts Draft 27, East Rock 17. Rebounds—Stuarts Draft 19 (Bergey 5), East Rock 18 (Lam 6).
Rather, his observation was honest, blunt and profoundly accurate: his Eagles didn’t win so much as they survived.
East Rockingham (20-0 overall, 12-0 in the district) needed a big fourth quarter (and final 3 minutes) to get its 48th consecutive win, trailing by as many as eight in the fourth before reeling off an 11-2 run fueled by Jessica Lam and Kaitlyn Dofflemyer to pull away.
Lam’s layup with 2:46 left gave East Rock a 61-59 lead, and after Cougars guard Madison Riley split a pair of free throws, Dofflemyer split two from the line before scoring on a layup to increase the lead to 64-60.
Stuarts Draft would not seriously threaten again, and Dofflemyer, Madison Comer and Lam would ice it from the free-throw line.
“They continue to amaze me to be able to pull games out like that, but we were clearly outplayed and out-hustled,” Paul Comer said. “They probably should have won, and I tip my hat to the way Draft played tonight.”
The East Rock coach quickly called two timeouts within a minute span in the second quarter, visibly upset at his team’s inability to stop Draft from getting close looks at the basket. Late in the game, the Eagles defense eliminated the type of high-percentage shots they were giving up in the first half.
“These kids did a really nice job late and finding a way to push through,” Paul Comer said. “These girls don’t buckle under pressure. We were having trouble trying to slow them down and just weren’t moving well defensively.”
For East Rockingham, both the coach and the players were quick to point out what this type of close victory could represent.
“It was definitely a wakeup call, because we’re been beating teams by more than 10 points,” Dofflemyer said. “We were standing around the 3-point line a little too much on offense all night.”
It appeared to be another Eagles’ rout at the outset, as they led by nine after one quarter and six at the half. Stuarts Draft led by three after the third quarter, consistently beating ERHS’s full-court press and getting layups.
Lam scored 12 of her team-high 21 points in the second half.
“We’re fighters,” Lam said. “We were down most of the way, but we were able to stay relaxed. We know we can’t take any team lightly, and we just have to keep having a lot of energy and fighting to the end, because we know teams won’t roll over for us.”
Riley scored a game-high 22 points for Stuarts Draft (10-8, 7-5). She was one of three Cougars to foul out late. Mayzie Lewis scored 13, and Katelyn Bergey added 14 for Draft.
“I was real proud of the kids’ effort,” said Stuarts Draft coach Jason Kirby. “I wish it would have been a different outcome, but this is the kind of the effort we have to bring every night — and not just when we play these guys. We were down early in the first quarter and easily could have folded up shop, but, even though we didn’t get them, I think we definitely put a scare into them.”
STUARTS DRAFT
Lewis 5 1-2 13, Riley 9 1-2 22, Bergey 5 4-6 14, Wimer 0 2-4 2, Wampler 2 0-0 4, Brown 4 0-0 8. Totals 25 8-14 63.
EAST ROCKINGHAM
Dofflemyer 5 5-10 17, Comer 1 2-5 5, Cameron 5 3-4 15, Lam 5 12-16 21, Nicholson 3 1-1 7, Kisling 0 1-2 1, Wilkins 0 1-2 1, Rouse 1 0-0 2, McPike 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 25-49 71.
Stuarts Draft 8 19 22 14 – 63
East Rockingham 17 16 13 25 – 71
3-Point Goals—Stuarts Draft 5 (Riley 3, Lewis 2). East Rock 6 (Dofflemyer 2, Cameron 2, Comer, Lam). Fouled Out-Riley, Bergey, Wimer. Total Fouls—Stuarts Draft 27, East Rock 17. Rebounds—Stuarts Draft 19 (Bergey 5), East Rock 18 (Lam 6).