Ladycats push forward with win over Bloomburg

With one playoff victory already under their belts, the Newcastle Ladycats came out on fire in their area round game against Bloomburg and advanced yet again with a 48-34 victory Friday, Feb. 16.

In their first playoff game four days prior, the Ladycats dealt with a slow start to the game before rolling to the win. That wasn’t the case against the Wildcats as Newcastle got the scoring started right away and rode the offensive wave to a victory.

The Ladycats won the opening tipoff and scored almost immediately as sophomore Sophie Terrell found senior Mya Cabrera near the basket for two quick points. Terrell was then on the receiving end of an assist from freshman Camren Mallory as Newcastle went up 4-0.

A few minutes later, the Ladycats’ top scorer, junior Mattie Dollar, knocked down her first of three 3-pointers in the game as part of a run where she scored 13 of the team’s next 15 points. By the time the first quarter ended, Newcastle held a commanding 19-9 lead.

In the second quarter, the offense slowed down slightly in comparison to the first quarter, but the Ladycats’ defense remained strong. The Wildcats, who were designated the home team in this game, struggled to run any sort of efficient offense against Newcastle. Most of Bloomburg’s points in the game came from beyond the arc, which allowed them to stay closer than the game really was.

Mallory and Cabrera did the scoring early in the quarter, as the Ladycats found openings to get under the basket for easy layups. Dollar earned a few trips to the free throw line and by halftime, Newcastle led comfortably 28-18.

“(In the) first half we ran the floor really well,” head coach Ryan Dollar said. “We made easy buckets, and then it really felt like (Bloomburg) started slowing the game down a little bit. Instead of spending 15 or 20 seconds on offense, they’re spending 30 or 45 (seconds). So it limited our offensive possessions. It was a physical game, the girls kept their composure and did really well.”

In an effort to slow down Newcastle’s potent offense, Bloomburg took time off the clock with their offensive possessions. The Wildcats still struggled to score, but it slowed down the Ladycats’ opportunities, as well.

None of that mattered much as Newcastle’s girls still found ways to score inside and out. The Ladycats were making layups at the basket, hitting mid-range jumpers and getting to the free throw line for easy points.

After three quarters, the deficit hadn’t changed much as Newcastle led 40-28.

Both teams came out a little sloppy in the fourth quarter as Newcastle and Bloomburg only scored eight points and six points in the frame, respectively. Bloomburg cut the deficit to 10 points with three minutes left to play but that was as close as they got the rest of the way.

Newcastle entered the bonus with a little over a minute remaining and shot 10 free throws in the remaining time, of which they converted five. Bloomburg had become frustrated but the fouls did nothing more than help the Ladycats ice the victory.

Dollar led Newcastle in scoring with 23 points, 10 of which came from the free throw line. The junior also hauled in 13 rebounds which was second on the team. Cabrera finished with a double-double, as well, as she recorded 11 points and 14 rebounds. Mallory ended with 6 points while freshman Kenzie King and Terrell each had 4 points.

“We’ve done a really good job; we haven’t peaked yet,” Coach Dollar said. “I think we still got a ways to go, just game planning. Our goal right now is to win five more games.”