RUMFORD — To say the Mountain Valley team had a chip on its shoulder would be an understatement.
The Falcons turned up the tempo in a 58-40 win over Mt. Abram at Puiia Gymnasium on Wednesday.
Seniors Ashley Russell and Liza White each recorded double-doubles and the Falcons amped up the pressure defensively in the win.
The Falcons, who have won 10 of 11 games defeated Mt. Abram by six last week in Salem, so the rematch was expected to draw fireworks
It was Mountain Valley (12-2), ranked second in the Class B South Heal points, that jumped out of the gates on fire and led wire-to-wire. The Roadrunners (7-6) are No. 7 in Class C South. They were forced to scramble and were unable to put it all together.
Mountain Valley established its inside game early on with White (17 points, 12 rebounds) and a 3-pointer by Chelsea Alison at the buzzer an 18-3 lead after the opening quarter,
”Last year, we were known for starting out fast,” said Russell, who scored five points in the first game against Mt. Abram. ”It’s always hard to play in their gym. So, tonight we wanted to blow them out. The fast start helped us mentally.”
Russell fished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and three blocks.
Mt. Abram settled down and climbed back in to the game in the second quarter. Summer Ross led the way, by scoring eight of her team-high 13 points. A basket by Sally Stevens pulled the Roadrunners within 22-15, but the lack of another scoring threat allowed the Falcons to pressure the ball.
”We were missing a starter. Although, I don’t think she could have made up the 18 points difference,” Mt. Abram coach Larry Donald said. ”Last time, Russell got in to early foul trouble and that changed the scheme. Tonight, we didn’t shoot well (15 percent in first half) and did a terrible job boxing out.”
White proved to a force underneath and quickly answered with three straight baskets and Julia Perry added a basket. The Falcons led 27-16 at halftime.
The combination of mistakes and poor shooting proved to be a shortcoming for Mt. Abram, as it was unable to wade through the Falcons’ trapping defense. The Roadrunners shot 31 percent, made 12 of 21 free throws and turned the ball over 15 times in the game.
Mountain Valley’s Emily Laubauskas (10 rebounds, 4 steals) raised havoc on both ends of the floor.
“We just wanted to come out and play hard and smart,” White said. ”We focused a lot on moving the ball around the court. That’s how we scored a lot of our points.”
The Falcons shot 32 percent, made 15 of 27 free throws and committed 17 turnovers in the game.
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