Pennsville’s girls start slow in first scrimmage and lose, but outscore Millville over the last three quarters
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
MILLVILLE – The start may have been slow, but once it settled in, the Pennsville girls basketball team looked like the above average team coach Sam Trapp is looking for.
The Eagles lost their first scrimmage of the preseason 37-27 at Millville Wednesday, but after their slow start they outscored their hosts over the last three quarters.
“Overall, I was decently pleased with what we were able to do,” Trapp said. “Slow start because it’s the first game, we were nervous, hard to remember everything. About four minutes into the first quarter we started to settle in a little bit … then we cleaned some things up and had a big comeback. Overall, it wasn’t a bad first showing.”
The Eagles struggled in their 1-3-1 defense and fell behind 18-6, but then plugged in their man, held Millville to three points in the second quarter and won the second half.
Newcomer Nora Ausland, a 5-10 junior who led Salem in scoring each of the last two seasons, made her Pennsville debut after just six practices with her new team and led the Eagles with 17 points. She scored 12 in the second half, including two of her three 3-pointers.
She had 462 points, 61 3-pointers, 305 rebounds and 101 blocked shots in her two seasons with the Rams and will be a valuable addition to an Eagles lineup that returns three starters – senior Bella Farina, point guard Marley Wood and Taylor Bass. Isabelle Saulin moves into the starting five after holding a reserve role last year.
“We have a slogan for this year that’s ‘More than average,’” Trapp said. “I told the girls we can’t be doing average – average moves, average plays and average effort – to go and get big outcomes. It’s been 30-plus years since there’s been anything added to the banners and a lot of the girls want to add to the banner.
“Our goal is, of course, a division title and it very well could split that way this year. I think for the first time in my career I’m actually optimistic we could split with Woodstown. We haven’t split with them yet since I’ve been a head coach, so if we can split with them and collect wins with the rest of the division, then we would split the division title, which I would be OK with. That would be awesome for us.”
MILLVILLE 37, PENNSVILLE 27
PENNSVILLE (27) – Calli Ausland 0 0-0 0, Nora Ausland 7 0-0 17, Taylor Bass 1 0-0 2, Bella Farina 0 2-4 2, Anikka Macalino 0 0-0 0, Malani McGee 0 0-0 0, Isabelle Saulin 1 0-0 2, Avery Watson 0 0-0 0, Marley Wood 2 0-0 4. Totals 11 2-4 27.
MILLVILLE (37) – Brooke Jaslin 3 1-2 7, Brianee Edwards 7 0-3 15, Jaylynn Jones 0 0-0 0, Ayla Gomez 2 0-0 5, Aubree Joslin 2 0-0 5, Marissa Stevens 2 0-0 5. Totals 16 1-2 37.
| Pennsville | 6 | 2 | 10 | 9 – | 27 |
| Millville | 18 | 3 | 8 | 8 – | 37 |
Riverview Sports News 