Pictured above: Mountain View’s Claire Getz works in the lane against Nativity. (Tim Drewes Photo)
By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Pottsville Nativity BVM arrived at Mohegan Sun Arena with a storied history that includes 10 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state championship game appearances while Mountain View had never won a district or subregional tournament.
Addison Kilmer and a stifling defensive effort by the Lady Eagles changed that.
Kilmer scored 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked 5 shots Friday afternoon as the Lady Eagles dominated the Golden Girls, 36-20, in the first District 2-11 Class A Subregional championship game to be played at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
The 6-foot-1 freshman center fueled the game-breaking run with a 3-pointer followed by a baseline move into a reverse layup for a three-point play 21 seconds later.
Kilmer produced her 16th straight double-double. Averaging 16.4 points, 13.9 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots, she surpassed 100 blocked shots for the season in her previous outing.
“I just try to keep my hands straight up,” Kilmer said. “If she shoots over me, she shoots over me. Normally, that’s pretty hard because I’m pretty long.
“If she makes it then we’ll get it back hopefully on the other end.”
Madison Kramer, who led Nativity with 11 points, hit a shot off a spin move in the lane to pull the Golden Girls within 10-8 with 7:12 remaining in the second quarter.
Mountain View’s defense – and Kilmer’s offense – took over from there.
The Golden Girls made just one of their next 24 shots until the final 30 seconds of the third quarter by which time the Lady Eagles had opened a 30-12 lead.
Nativity was 1-for-17 from 3-point range in the game. The only 3-pointer, banked in by Reagan Bennett one minute into the third quarter, was also the only Golden Girls basket in that stretch of 14:42.
Kilmer had 12 points during the 20-4 run, starting with her six-point flurry in 21 seconds. She also avoided fouls while Nativity repeatedly took the ball at her on offense.
“She loves being challenged and she accepts that challenge,” Mountain View coach Bill Simons said. “She’s getting better at taking care of that physical play and playing through it.”
By the time the teams arrived at the arena, Mountain View had already locked up its first District 2 title and Nativity had earned its 30th state tournament appearance.
Mountain View (18-6) is on a six-game winning streak and has won 11 of its last 13. The Lady Eagles advanced to the arena with Wednesday’s subregional semifinal in which it outscored Weatherly 32-12 in the second half to turn a five-point game into a 52-27 romp.
“We’ve got a switch for the second half,” Simons said. “I don’t know what happens, but they ratchet up the pressure for the second half. They did the same thing in the last game against Weatherly.
“They get after each other: ‘we have to this better; we have to do that better’. They push each other to do a better job.”
Mountain View led 20-9 at halftime when Kilmer converted a pass from her sophomore sister, Ryleigh, with 12 seconds left in the half.
Ryleigh Kilmer found Addison again, this time on a perfectly placed, long lob pass in the middle of a 10-point, third-quarter streak to the 30-12 lead.
Taylor Neri’s 19-footer and Riley Turner’s putback started that streak.
Addison Kilmer scored the next four points on the lob pass and two free throws. Claire Getz finished the run off a Lily Sedlak pass to break the Nativity press.
While six teammates scored, Addison Kilmer was the only Mountain View player with more than four points.
Sedlak was the game’s assist leader and second-leading rebounder. She finished with four points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
“We’re doing a better job getting the ball inside as we’ve moved through the season,” Simons said.
Vanessa Harvey led the Lady Eagles with three steals.
Mountain View earned the right to host the PIAA state opener March 11 against Harrisburg Christian, the fifth-place team from District 3.
The Lady Eagles, beginning a two-year cycle in Class A after previously playing in Class 2A, started two sophomores and two juniors along with the freshman Addison Kilmer.
MORE CLASS A GIRLS FINAL COVERAGE
Expanded boxscore: Class A girls expanded boxscore – NEPA Sports Nation.
Photo Gallery: Mountain View/Nativity BVM Photo Gallery – NEPA Sports Nation.
Broadcast archive: District 2 Class 1A Girls: Nativity BVM vs. Mountain View | Basketball | NPFNetwork6 (meridix.com).
