Chantilly (Va.) tops Orange (N.C.) to win Shootout by the Sea girls title
A day after losing its only senior to injury, juniors Grace Rauch and Mary Clougherty stepped up strong to lead Chantilly (Va.) to a 48-38 victory over Orange (N.C.) on Wednesday to win the girls championship at The Shootout by the Sea at North Myrtle Beach High School.
“The last couple of days we’ve had some tough times shooting, and today Mary and Grace broke out and knocked down a bunch of shots,” Chantilly coach Kurt Sporkmann said.
Clougherty scored 10 points – including a pair of 3-pointers – and had two steals and an assist in the game’s opening minutes as the Chargers jumped out to a 14-7 lead.
“(Clougherty) really is the leader of our team,” Sporkmann said.
The Chargers played without Casey Acosta, the team’s only senior, after she dislocated a knee on Tuesday, Sporkmann said.
“Mary has stepped up on the court and off the court. She really takes care of our girls. Today she really showed it. She filled in all of the gaps that needed to be filled,” Sporkmann said.
Then it was Rauch’s turn as she scored nine points during a 16-7 run to close out the first half and put Chantilly ahead 32-15 at halftime.
“We really want to try and keep our tempo up and play as quickly as we can. Our full-court pressure is more of a zone to try to keep the tempo going but not give up too many layups,” Sporkmann said. “It worked out for us really well. Our girls took care of the basketball, took care of themselves and found the right kind of shots.”
Rauch finished with a game-best 19 points and Clougherty had 18 with three 3-pointers.
Logan Woody led the Panthers with 12 points.
▪ Chantilly (Va.): Claire Roberts 4, Grace Rauch 19, Ashley Francis 2, Balin Hajinur 2, Mary Clougherty 18.
▪ Orange (N.C.): Grace Dively 3, Makayla Torain 2, Kaylen Campbell 9, Logan Woody 12, Lauren Gates 5, Marybeth Dobbins 2, Bethlyn Early 4.
▪ Halftime: Chantilly 32-15. 3-point goals: Chantilly- Rauch, Clougherty 3. Orange-Dively, Campbell, Woody 2. Team fouls: Chantilly 16, Orange 13. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None.
This story was originally published December 23, 2015 at 11:18 PM with the headline "Chantilly (Va.) tops Orange (N.C.) to win Shootout by the Sea girls title."