Looking for answers

Pennsville girls trying to make their way after a spate of injuries, Trapp contemplating options for lineup

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOOLWICH TWP. – When it rains, it pours.

The Pennsville girls basketball lineup already was being impacted by injuries, but the bug dug in even deeper during Wednesday night’s 43-35 loss at Kingsway, leaving coach Sam Trapp to search for answers as the Eagles head into the most demanding part of their schedule.

“It’s been extremely challenging; we’re struggling,” Trapp said. “We’ve got a lot of thinking to do in a short amount of time.”

The Eagles are down to four of the players Trapp dedicated to her varsity lineup – Marley Wood, Nora Ausland, Izzy Saulin and Kylie Harris – and not all of them are 100 percent.

Point guard Wood is playing on a sore ankle she hurt in the Buena tournament last week. Ausland, the team’s leading scorer, jammed her finger Wednesday. Additionally, Taylor Bass is out another two weeks with a broken finger, Anikka Macalino has a knee injury and Bella Farina has a head injury.

It’s not the sort of news a coach wants with the Eagles heading into a stretch of four Tri-County Diamond Division games within its next seven or before Bass is expected to return.

The immediate answer is to call up some JV players to replenish the lineup, but many of them aren’t really ready yet for the varsity grind. Freshman Karson Cooksey is now serving as their sixth man.

All the available varsity players are expected to engage in some film study before Thursday night’s JV game against Schalick to develop some sort of gameplan.

“The way things are going I’m basically putting almost everybody on my roster and act like each kid has an extra fifth quarter to play,” Trapp said. “There are 10 kids down on the JV level who are splitting time, so I have six who are dressing for me right now.

“I’m hoping moving forward we can finish at least the rest of this season healthy with what we have and hopefully we get these kids back on the court sooner rather than later.”

Despite the injuries, the Eagles were tied 21-21 at halftime Wednesday before “the cookie crumbled the wrong way.” They were outscored 22-14 in the second half, 18-7 in the third quarter. Pennsville’s Ausland led all scorers with 24 points.

KINGSWAY 43, PENNSVILLE 35
PENNSVILLE (3-3) – Marley Wood 3 1-3 7, Nora Ausland 9 2-4 24, Kylie Harris 1 0-0 2, Bella Farina 1 0-0 2, Karson Cooksey 0 0-0 0, Calli Ausland 0 0-0 0, Malani McGee 0 0-0 0, Izzy Saulin 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 3-7 35.
KINGSWAY (3-3) – Paige Horton 3 2-2 8, Ava Valente 4 2-2 13, Jaylynn Curtis 2 0-0 6, Olivia Myers 4 0-1 8, Gabriella Scaffi 2 0-1 4, Chloe McNeill 1 0-0 2, Erin Lail 1 0-0 2, Vienna Gantz 0 0-0 0, Bella Archer 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 4-6 43.