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Fox helps ignite Loyalsock in a HAC-III victory

KATELYN HIBBARD/Sun-Gazette Loyalsock’s Maddie Fox looks to get around Southern Columbia’s Morgan Marks on Saturday at Loyalsock during a girls basketball game.

Maddie Fox runs the court like a deer, plays tenacious defense and passes well. She often, however, is labeled a shooter.

Might as well embrace that role and go with it. Fox did just that Saturday again and again. All her practice paid huge dividends and ignited an electric 3-point party as Loyalsock recorded another impressive win.

Fox drained six 3-pointers and scored a game-high 22 points as Loyalsock defeated defending District 4 Class AA champion Southern Columbia, 52-35 and clinched a District 4 Class AAA playoff berth. The Lancers made 11 3-pointers, all in the opening three quarters, won their fourth straight and opened a two-game lead on Southern (11-3, 3-2) in the HAC-III.

“I’ve been told by many coaches that I’m a shooter, so every day I practice my shot and when I feel it, it’s four years in the making, so I can tell when it’s going to go in and when it’s not,” Fox said. “Coach said to me the other day basketball is rhythm and it definitely is. Once you’re in a rhythm, you’re in a rhythm.”

Fox and her teammates were in quite a rhythm against Southern’s zone defense. The Lancers looked like Larry Bird clones making 11 of 17 3-pointers in the first three quarters and Fox was 6 for 8 during that time. The senior guard has come roaring back from last year’s ACL injury and showed her human side in the fourth quarter, missing the last 3-pointer she attempted, but a 67 percent shooting percentage might be enough to make Steph Curry envious.

Fox set the tone early, scoring 10 first-quarter points and draining three 3-pointers as Loyalsock took a 17-8 lead it never relinquished. The Lancers (11-1, 5-0) led by 10 at halftime and Fox helped them deliver a knockout blow in the third quarter, making three straight 3-pointers as they opened a 23-point advantage. Loyalsock moved the ball well all night, Fox included. None of the 3-pointers was forced or rushed.

Not only was Fox in rhythm, but so was the entire Loyalsock offense.

“Sometimes it’s not about the upper body, it’s about the footwork. She’s always asking about how she can get better,” Loyalsock coach Curtis Jacobson said. “When Maddie makes one or two early, watch out because she can make a lot. They were all in the flow of the offense. It’s not just the shooter, it’s the passer putting the ball in a good spot, the timing of it and she’s important for us because I anticipate seeing a lot of zone.”

That is the dilemma Loyalsock presents opponents. The Lancers feature so many scoring threats, move the ball well and are tough off the dribble so picking between man and zone defense is a difficult decision. Opponents have tried multiple looks this season, but Loyalsock has performed well against them all and won its fourth straight. Juliana Cruz made three 3-pointers in the middle quarters, scoring 10 points, Sam Stopper and Cassie Gee each hit 3-pointers and Sarah Van Fleet grabbed seven rebounds.

Stopper helped fuel the 3-point barrage, assisting on many of them and finishing with eight assists. The Lancers were at their best in that third quarter, making 5 of 7 from behind the arc. At that point, Loyalsock had made 11 3-pointers and six shots from inside the arc. It was an impressive performance, especially with leading scorer Summer McNulty being limited by illness.

“All of us are scoring threats,” Fox said. “If you try and lock down one of us, four of us will pick up on it.”

“We’ve made some adjustments to our zone offense to kind of get rhythm for our guards. All our guards, if they catch the ball in rhythm can shoot the ball,” Jacobson said. “We practice if anyone goes down another person steps up because we feel like we have 7-8 girls that can put the ball in the basket at any time.”

That was evident in that second quarter as reserves Anna Burdett and Sophia Gardner scored, with Gardner hitting a timely runner after Southern had cut the deficit to eight. Gee came off the bench to make a third-quarter 3-pointer as Loyalsock opened a 40-23 lead. That was part of a 17-4 run that helped Loyalsock avenge a home loss against Southern from a year ago.

Loyalsock is in the middle of another tough stretch of games that continues Monday at District 6 title contender Penns Valley. The Lancers have been challenged inside and outside the conference and these games likely will help them come playoff time.

“As a team we got a lot of momentum from today,” Fox said. “Recently, we haven’t had the energy but picking up this energy will roll into that game (Monday against Penns Valley).”

SOUTHERN (35)

Jill Marks 6 1-4 13, Sarah Rodriguez 2 0-0 4, Morgan Cole 1 0-0 2, Morgan Marks 2 2-2 6, Summer Tillett 1 1-2 3, Rilyn Wisloski 3 1-2 7. Totals 15 5-10 35.

LOYALSOCK (52)

Summer McNulty 0 0-0 0, Maddie Fox 7 2-2 22, Sam Stopper 3 1-2 8, Sarah Van Fleet 2 0-0 4, Juliana Cruz 3 1-2 10, Cassie Gee 1 0-0 3, Anna Burdett 0 2-4 2, Sophia Gardner 1 0-0 2, Karyn Saar 0 1-2 1. Totals 17 7-12 42.

Southern 8 13 4 10–35

Loyalsock 17 14 17 4–52

3-point goals: Loyalsock 11 (Fox 6, Cruz 3, Stopper 1, Gee 1).

Records: Loyalsock (11-1, 5-0 HAC-III), Southern (11-3, 3-2).

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