City of Basketball Love

Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3)
––

NEW HOLLAND >> Olivia Herron saw it, proverbially, as the chance to shoot her shot.

The Souderton junior is a point guard by nature but that wasn’t the role she had played for her high school teams through two seasons. With a new coaching staff taking over the program this year, Herron asked if she could move on the ball and be the one to help her teammates shoot their shots.

Herron got her wish, she and Souderton continuing their midseason surge with a defensively-minded 43-40 win at Council Rock South on Friday.

“I’ve always been a point guard so I’ve learned to play the position and I thought I could make things happen,” Herron said. “I definitely feel more comfortable and I think all of us on the team feel comfortable using each other, it’s been great this year.”

The first impression Eric Houston had of Herron was that he had a 5-foot-3 bundle of energy to slot into a shooting guard role, mainly because that’s what the first-year Souderton coach had seen of her on film. That changed when Herron approached him about the possibility of playing point guard and putting herself in a place she was most comfortable.

After a 4-4 start to the season, Friday marked the fifth straight win for Souderton as it improved to 9-4 and already matched last season’s win total. Souderton lost its top two scorers from last year then gained a new one in freshman Maddie Nenstiel, who paced Big Red with 12 points - nine of them coming in a hot shooting second quarter - this season but needed someone to help keep everything moving.

Herron had a significant hand in helping keep the winning ways going with nine points and three assists and playing a part in three of the team’s biggest offensive possessions of the second half.

“She came to me and told me she wanted to play the point,” Houston said. “When she came to me and said she wanted the ball in her hands, I just said ‘well, let’s go.’ It’s the confidence I have in her that at the same time is the confidence she has in me to let her have the keys to the car, now drive it. She’s playing phenomenal.”

It still came down to the last shot, or shot attempt, as junior Keira Fadden blocked a potential tying three at the buzzer to seal the win. Herron, Fadden and junior Avie Sackor - who played strong game on both ends as well with quite a few hustle plays - have been playing together going back to third grade and they’ve taken a lot of pride in helping put Souderton in a place it hasn’t been for a few years: contending for a postseason berth.

Souderton, which entered the day No. 18 in the District 1 Class 6A rankings, lost to North Penn on Dec. 19 to drop to 4-4 on the season. A big win over Upper Moreland three days later kicked off the current win streak, which included a tournament title in CR North’s holiday event and a win over CB South to close the first half of SOL Colonial play before Friday’s victory.

“It’s very exciting, we’re learning and we’re winning a lot of games,” Herron said. “We keep gaining confidence and I think we can keep winning the rest of the season as long as we keep working this hard.”

Getting it to five games was not an easy task. CR South celebrated its four seniors - Emerson Gunter, Bella Hettler, Gillian Martin and Kacie Donahue - pregame, then rallied back several times after Souderton would pull ahead.

The Golden Hawks fell behind 8-0 to start the game, rallied back to 8-8, then fell behind 25-16 at halftime. They would come all the way back in the third quarter, taking their first lead at 30-29 on a Gunther hoop with 1:55 left and pushing it to 32-29 when Hettler scored on the next possession.

Houston gave CR South’s shooters, namely Gunther and Martin, plenty of props and said his team’s defensive plan was geared on not letting them get loose on the perimeter. In proving his point, every time the Golden Hawks got a second look off an offensive rebound or a broke play, it usually ended in a three going down.

Gunther led all scorers with 15 points while Hettler had 11 points, nine rebounds and four blocks and Martin chipped in eight points. Herron had a good battle of point guards going against CR South junior Ruby Bross, who had seven rebounds and two steals as the two small but scrappy guards set the tone for their respective teams.

Souderton tied it up on a Fadden three that banked in and the defense got a stop with 5.6 left in the third. It was time for Herron to make a play, which she did by dribbling the length of the floor while shielding a defender then finding senior Madison Bealer for a buzzer-beating three in the corner to put Big Red back in front, 35-32.

“I think I’ve improved my passing skills and seeing the court,” Herron said. “It’s something I’ve developed my whole life playing basketball and I think something I’m good at is finding people on the court and making the right pass.”

CR South scored the first six points of the fourth quarter, taking a 38-35 lead midway through the frame when Martin turned a steal into a layup on the other end. Herron wasn’t rattled.

With Souderton not getting much in terms of movement to the basket, the junior went and got the ball from Sackor on the left wing, took a dribble and stepped to her right then drained the game-tying three.

Nenstiel scooped in the go-ahead score with 2:32 left after a defensive stop then after Souderton got another stop, Herron found senior Alaina Picard wide-open for what would be the game-winning triple with 1:47 on the clock to cap an 8-0 Souderton run.

“I didn’t have a chance to watch her last year but watching the film from last year to where she is now, it’s incredible,” Houston said. “It’s incredible to watch how she’s playing right now and especially how she’s handling the ball and finding teammates.”

Herron, who played this past summer with Team Pennsylvania, and Souderton host Lower Moreland then travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh next week to continue SOL crossovers before jumping back into the division on Jan. 20 at Pennridge. From here out, every game means something for Souderton and that’s something the players are very much looking forward to embracing.

“I think this team can do great things,” Herron said. “We’re working really hard, it’s been a huge jump from the last two years and we’re becoming who we thought we could have been.”

~~~

By Quarter 

SOUDERTON 10 | 15 | 10 | 8 || 43

COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 8 | 8 | 16 | 8 || 40

Scoring

S: Maddie Nenstiel 12, Olivia Herron 9, Keira Fadden 7, Alaina Picard 7, Avie Sackor 3, Madison Bealer 3, Rea Wallace 2

CRS: Emerson Gunther 15, Bella Hettler 11, Gillian Martin 8, Annabelle Kushch 4, Ruby Bross 2