Brielle Borgess scored 14 points her first three games this season. The South Williamsport junior needed less than five minutes Saturday afternoon to nearly surpass that total.

Borgess put on an outside shooting clinic throughout the first quarter at South, draining four straight 3-pointers and scoring 13 points. Borgess set the tone, her teammates all played well and South defeated St. John Neumann, 48-22. Borgess finished with a career-high 19 points, adding three rebounds, two assists and two steals as South (3-1, 1-1 Mid-Penn) continued a good four-game opening act.

“That was mind blowing,” Borgess said about her torrid start. “It was great. I don’t normally play that well, but I think our team played really well together to get me open.”

That unselfish play highlighted South’s victory with the Mounties producing 17 assists on 20 field goals. Eight players scored and eight dealt assists as South broke things open during the second half. Ella Moore scored 12 points, pulled down six rebounds and made five steals, while Carly Quimby added a team-high seven rebounds and four assists.

A night after junior guard Bobby Regan burst onto the scene against Neumann, it was his classmate doing the same Saturday. Borgess missed most of last season with a sprained MCL and deep bone bruise, but provides South a tall, quick, versatile weapon.

She proved it against Neumann, scoring 13 quick points as South grabbed a 15-2 advantage. Borgess did her best Caitlin Clark impersonation as well, drilling those four consecutive treys while barely hitting the rim.

“We put a really big focus on the girls getting up shots and shooting in rhythm,” said assistant coach Nick Koletar who filled in for head coach Jaquan Masteller who attended a personal event. “We emphasize, just shoot, don’t think about it and Bri really put that on display tonight.”

“I didn’t play a lot last year but with our team and our new coach it’s going really well,” Borgess said. “I think I’ll do really good the next game, knowing I pushed myself to be better.”

Borgess’s emergence is another encouraging sign for a team which plays tough defense and that has displayed good balance in all three wins. And in an early afternoon game Saturday, her quick-strike scoring gave South the wake-up call it needed.

The Mounties led 24-12 at halftime and continued growing stronger as the game progressed, leading by as many as 29 in the second half.

“The coaches know that she’s capable of that and I think she needed to prove it to herself,” Koletar said. “With a performance like that, it shows her she is capable of doing that night in and night out and that’s what we need from a junior leader.”

Neumann (0-3, 0-1) did make a good second quarter run and closed within 17-11 four minutes in following consecutive Bre Nixon assists. A Nixon 3-pointer made it 25-15 early in the third quarter, but Borgess quickly responded with a jumper and ignited another big run as South seized control and led by 21 entering the fourth quarter.

The Mounties were outstanding in transition, effectively carving up Neumann’s full-court press and setting up layups and/or quality inside looks. The ball moved as fast as the players and South made five of its first six shots in the fourth quarter. Ana Oeler scored four of those points off the bench and all five field goals during a quick burst came via assists.

“Especially in transition, we were really good,” Borgess said. “We do a drill for that in practice and that helped a lot today.”

Borgess had the hot hand Saturday but she did not force things. It was that way throughout the rotation with the Mounties generating good looks inside and outside. The performance was as selfless as it was impressive.

“We want to build a team culture and it starts with the girls and you can see it in their game play and off the court as well,” Koletar said. “There is a really good team environment and that’s what we want because than you get performances like that where we’re moving the ball and we’re being unselfish. You see players excited for other players to have success. As long as we get the win at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”

Neumann was playing without its second-leading scorer but showed some positives, specifically on the boards where three players grabbed at least six rebounds. Freshman Brooklyn Clabaugh had a team-best seven and Haylee Meixel and Alexa Clabaugh six each. Savana Smith scored five second quarter points and Nixon dealt three assists, adding two steals.

It was not really what Neumann did wrong, but what South did right that made the difference Saturday. It was another step forward for a team which has started well, but also which is eager to keep ascending.

“We’re a family-bonded team,” Borgess said. “I definitely think there is a lot of room for improvement for all of us.”

NEUMANN (22)

Bre Nixon 1 1-2 4, Haylee Meixel 1 1-4 3, Savana Smith 2 0-0 5, Brooklyn Clabaugh 0 3-6 3, Kaydence Meixel 1 3-4 5, Alexa Clabaugh 1 0-0 2, Emily Moyle 0 0-0 0. Totals 6 8-16 22.

SOUTH (48)

Ella Moore 5 2-3 12, Carly Quimby 1 0-0 2, Abigail Holbrook 2 0-0 5, Maddie Reidy 0 0-0 0, Ivy Minier 1 0-0 2, Brielle Borgess 7 1-2 19, Ayla Minier 1 0-0 2, Ana Oeler 2 0-0 4, Caydence Williams 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 3-9 48.

Neumann 4 8 5 5–22

South 15 9 14 10–48

3-pointers: Neumann 2 (Nixon, Smith); South 5 (Borgess 4, Holbrook).

Records: South 3-1, 1-1 Mid-Penn. Neumann 0-3, 0-1.