Both teams struggled a bit to score points in the first half.
But in the third quarter, the Central Bucks West girls basketball team became a scoring machine. The Bucks put up 17 points in the third quarter to set up a 40-29 victory over host Council Rock South in a Suburban One League crossover game on Tuesday night.
CR South (7-3 overall, 4-3 SOL) took a 16-10 lead into halftime but could not keep up with the scoring pace the Bucks set in the third frame, when they outscored the Golden Hawks, 17-5, and took control of the game.
Emily Spratt led the Bucks with her game-high 14 points, nine in the second half with seven coming at the free throw line. She also had 11 rebounds and four steals.
“We were losing at halftime and that really makes a statement for us about how mentally strong we have to be,” said Spratt, a senior who will play at Jefferson next season. “We had a really strong third quarter because we didn’t give up. Our underclassmen are really stepping up and handling adversity.
“I think our press definitely helped our momentum in the third quarter, and we maintained our composure late in the game. These are things that are going to help us as we try to get into the playoffs.
“We have goals posted in the locker room back at CB West and we look at them before every game and every practice. It’s very important to keep those goals in the backs of our minds as we work toward them.”
The Bucks (9-2, 4-2) were coming off a loss to Souderton.
“It was definitely very important for us to get a win and get our momentum back,” Spratt said. “I feel like our league is so even right now. This team is beating this team, that team is beating that team. No one is favored so it’s really open to whoever wants it the most and that’s a great opportunity for us.
“We have losses to Souderton and CB East, and that really makes this win important for us. In the coming weeks we have to get as many wins as we can.”
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