Quick hits: Spring Grove uncorks big second half to eliminate Shippensburg

The term "a tale of two halves" is overused, but in Tuesday's first round District 3 girls basketball game between No. 6 seed Spring Grove and No. 11 Shippensburg, it's pretty apt.

After a half of competitive basketball that saw them enter intermission trailing by just seven, the Greyhounds were stymied by the Rockets in the second half, as Spring Grove's defense and intensity paved the way for a 58-34 victory.

Spring Grove's Haley Wagman led all scorers with 19 points. Mariah Martin paced Shippensburg with 11.

The win advances the Rockets to the district quarterfinals, where they'll take on Twin Valley on the road Friday night. It also clinches a state playoff berth for Spring Grove, while the Greyhound season ends with the loss.

Here are some quick hits from the action in Spring Grove Tuesday night.

Second half gear

Heading into intermission only up 27-20 on the visiting Greyhounds, Spring Grove head coach Holly Baublitz liked where her team was.

"The whole game, we came out with a focus of setting the tone," Baublitz said. "We put pressure on them, we pressed them, and we executed our shots. We played team ball."

That pressure really upped in the second half, in which her Rockets outscored the Greyhounds 31-14.

Shippensburg head coach Andrew Markel said his team did the opposite of what was necessary to come back from the first half deficit.

"At halftime, to turn that game around in our favor, we had to get to the loose balls," Markel said. "[Spring Grove] got to every loose ball."

That effort wasn't necessarily the sole deciding factor, but Markel said Shippensburg wasn't going to win without it.

"We got out-hustled all night long," Markel said.

Clash of youth

You don't find too many playoff games with as much youth as this matchup did, but Shippensburg, with only three seniors, and Spring Grove, with only two, was one of those occurrences.

Despite the loss, Markel liked what he saw from his younger players, as his Greyhounds are comprised majorly of freshmen.

"I didn't see any freshmen giving up out there," Markel said. "I didn't see any of them not going hard."

He particularly liked the early play of freshman Tori Rumbaugh, who nailed two threes in the first quarter before the Rockets keyed in on her.

Spring Grove also relied heavily on younger players, particularly Wagman, a sophomore, who hit five threes and played rigid defense in the win.

Haublitz said she doesn't necessarily look at her players based on year, but instead how they perform, noting that they didn't overlook the Greyhounds because of their inexperience, either.

"I look at our girls, and I don't think age, I think basketball IQ," Haublitz said. "They're very mature for where they are. And that's how we look at other teams as well."

Greyhounds growing up

With that youth Shippensburg sports comes the opportunity to grow following a season-ending loss like this.

"Obviously I wish we had gotten this game," Markel said. "But if you can compete any given night [it's good]. We competed for a half."

Markel is now looking forward to his core of freshmen, headed by Rumbaugh and Emelie Nonemaker, to have an entire offseason to work and gel together, which he thinks will be beneficial.

"They've never had an offseason together. They will this year," Markel said. "I think they'll be back with a vengeance next year."

The head coach also says he hopes this loss lingers with the younger players a little longer, and fuels them during those summer workouts.

"I hope [it lingers]," Markel said. "[We need to] get quicker, get more assertive. It's a good learning curve. Spring Grove is young too. They'll be back too. And I think we'll be with them."