Long Range Game Helps Lady Rebels Tame Lions

Over the course of the season, the Howell Lady Rebels have shown that they can win games in a variety of ways. Whether it is with stifling defense, a hard charging offense, or just a balanced team effort, they have found a way to climb to the top of the A North standings.

On Thursday night they picked up yet another win over a division rival, this time beating the Eagles of Middletown North. With a final score of 62-37, the Rebels were clearly the dominant squad, this time showing off their talent at shooting from behind the 3-point line.

Right from the start the game was never in doubt as the Lady Rebels exploded for 24 points in the first quarter alone, building a 13 point lead heading into the second quarter. They never looked back after that with Coach William Gallacher describing the opening quarter as, "intense."

All told, the Lady Rebels made 10 long range shots, led by junior Shannon Pickett who hit four of them to account for her 12 points in the game. Senior Sarah Olson had three long range shots as part of her 17 points and also pulled down six rebounds in the winning effort.

Also helping in the victory was Chelsea James who had 10 points, including two long range shots, as well as two steals and three assists. Alex Milne also had a double digit scoring night with 10 points while Lauren Kolacki had a balanced performance with five points, five assists and five rebounds. 

And while she did not score a single point, senior guard Kaitlyn Schmid showed there are other ways to contribute in the game. Schmid had six assists to help her team score, and also pulled down five rebounds while picking up two steals.

The girls are home again on Friday night when they will welcome the Jaguars of Jackson Memorial to town. Their next game after that is set for Tuesday when they will take on the Braves from Manalapan. That game was originally scheduled for Monday but had to be moved due to the wrestling team hosting a first round state tournament match that day.

Their biggest game next week will come Thursday when they head to the home court of their arch rivals from Freehold Township. That will likely be their last real test before the Shore Conference Tournament.