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South girls turn up the defense in big win against Muncy

By Chris Masse 6 min read

South Williamsport defenders escorted Muncy ball handlers everywhere they ventured. And when those dribblers tried passing, all they often saw was a sea of South hands clogging passing lanes. As the game progressed, seemingly all scoring avenues were closed off.

There may be no such thing as a perfect defensive basketball performance. But South came mighty close to producing one Friday against visiting Muncy and it carried the Mounties to a big early-season win.

South offered a defensive clinic, making 16 steals and never allowing more than five points in a quarter as it defeated Muncy, 46-15 in a showdown between Mid-Penn and District 4 Class AA title contenders. Lacey Kriebel scored a career-high 19 points and Piper Minier and Abby Akers combined for 10 steals as South (4-2, 2-0) forced more turnovers (24) than it allowed shots (22).

“Sometimes our shots are don’t fall but as long as our defense is strong, we can make up for it,” Akers said after shining off the bench and making four steals. “That’s what we did (Friday).”

“That was a dominant, dominant defensive effort,” South coach Dean Kriebel said. “That was a big confidence builder, and it was for a whole game, not just a half. That was big. I’m proud of them.”

South is the only Mid-Penn West Division team to beat Muncy the past two years and handed the Indians (4-1, 1-1) their first loss. The Mounties led by nine at halftime before putting everything together and producing a virtuoso second-half performance.

South outscored Muncy, 28-6 in the during that time, opening the half on a 26-2 run and leading by as many as 33. Every player Kriebel used made a positive impact and the Mounties surrendered just seven field goals. Minier and Aleigha Rieppel both scored nine points with Minier making six steals. Sofia Casella and Alizabeth Schuler helped take away the inside game and Akers was part of a strong bench which provided a big lift.

“There was a lot of Muncy hype going around,” Lacey Kriebel said. “We wanted to show that we’re pretty good, too.”

They did. And if South continues building off Friday’s performance it could be really good by season’s end.

Last winter, South rode a stifling defense to the state quarterfinals. There were stretches earlier this season where the Mounties showed that same defensive prowess, especially against Hughesville, but not for four straight quarters. That changed Friday as the defense completely flummoxed Muncy. The game really started changing in the middle quarters when South outscored the Indians, 25-6, while forcing 17 turnovers and allowing just 10 shots.

All those shots were contested as well. And Muncy was fortunate that the PIAA is stuck in the 1950s and has not adopted a shot clock yet, because South would forced several violations since open players could not be found. It took more than three minutes in both the second and third quarters for Muncy to put up its first shot.

The Mounties employed a 2-3 zone and the guards made life miserable up front. The post players bottled up inside scoring opportunities and everyone took turns cutting off the baseline.

South players communicated, helped and remained disciplined. Nobody reached in, instead using their feet to always stick with the Indians like glue. Junior high or youth coaches hoping to teach zone defense simply could pop in a DVD of Friday’s game and watch the Mounties show them.

“We shared the ball and we played really good defense,” Lacey Kriebel said. “We just stayed straight up and tried to stay in front of them and help each other. We know good defense will keep us in games.”

It helped South win Friday’s game. The Mounties never trailed but Muncy remained within striking distance, trailing 18-9 at halftime. South’s defense limited Muncy throughout the first two quarters and over the final two, it ignited the offense. Once the two elements came together, there was no stopping South.

The Mounties opened the third quarter on a 13-0 run and built a 22-point lead less than six minutes into it. Kriebel scored nine points in the quarter and South generated several baskets off steals. Casella and Schuler had steals which led to layups, helping key that game-breaking surge. It was more of the same in the fourth quarter, with South also excelling in the half court.

Four players scored in each of the final two quarters and South moved the ball inside and outside, setting each other up for good shots. Muncy is one of the area’s top defensive teams, but South made 10 of 16 shots and the ball moved as fast as the players did throughout the second half.

The final blows came when Minier made a steal and layup, before finding Akers for a 3-pointer. Akers then returned the favor, making a steal and connecting with Minier for a layup as South imposed the mercy rule less than three minutes into the fourth quarter. Akers was part of a bench which generated a big boost. Ella Moore twice found Kriebel and Rieppel for 3-pointers late in the first half when South started gaining momentum, while Mikaiya Hills provided quality interior defense.

“If I’m not starting, I’m glad to be contributing as much as I can,” Akers said. “I think we really came together as a team. We all really played well together.”

Muncy competed hard, but this was South’s night. Better days are coming for the Indians, but this was about everything South did right and not what they did wrong. Avery Bigelow scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Mia Edkin added five boards. Addison Gresh, Kaylynn Rice and Anna Zalonis also provided some quality minutes off the bench.

“Muncy is a heck of a team and for us to do what we did, I’m extremely happy,” Dean Kriebel said. “Now we have to bring it St. John Neumann (Tuesday night) because it’s not going to get any easier. Hopefully, we can perform well there and then keep rolling from there.”

MUNCY (15)

Avery Bigelow 3 0-0 6, Addi Eyer 0 1-2 1, Mia Edkin 0 0-0 0, Nolah Moyer 1 0-2 2, Cierra Charles 0 0-0 0, Addison Gresh 1 0-0 2, Kaylynn Rice 1 0-0 2, Anna Zalonis 1 0-0 2. Totals 7 1-4 15.

SOUTH (46)

Lacey Kriebel 8 0-1 19, Aleigha Rieppel 3 1-2 9, Piper Minier 4 1-1 9, Alizabeth Schuler 1 0-0 2, Sofia Casella 0 0-0 0, Abby Akers 2 0-0 5, Mikaiya Hills 0 2-2 2, Ella Moore 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 4-6 46.

Muncy 5 4 2 4ä15

South 9 9 16 12ä46

3-pointers: South 6 (Kriebel 3, Rieppel 2, Akers).

Records: South 4-2, 2-0 Mid-Penn. Muncy 4-1, 1-1.

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