Hopewell Girls Basketball
Hopewell Plays Tough, Beats Quaker Valley, 49-32
The Hopewell High School girls basketball team has been challenged all season.
The biggest challenge all season has been numbers. The Vikings roster started the season with only 10 total players and now are down to nine after a member of the team suffered a season-ending injury.
The challenge facing Hopewell tonight was trying to defend one of the top sophomores in the WPIAL, 6-foot-3 sophomore Qumou Thiero. If the last name sounds familiar, her brother, Adou, is a starter on John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcat team this season.
Hopewell obviously doesn’t have anyone to match up size-wise with Thiero, so the challenge tonight was trying to defend and deny her the ball.
Credit to head coach Jeff Homziak and his players, particularly Allison Ramaley and Maya Richburg, who did a heck of a job playing her tough and making Thiero work hard for everything she got.
Thiero did score 25 points, but it wasn’t enough as Hopewell played team basketball for 32 minutes and came away with a 49-32 win.
1st Quarter Recap:
*Avery Boyd, who was very impressive all game, scored Hopewell’s first points of the game on a 3-pointer from the wing. 3-3
*Richburg showed quickness forcing a turnover and then going coast-to-coast for the layup. Hopewell 5-3
*Richburg with another steal, then passes to Caylee Sundy, who dishes to Boyd for 2. Hopewell 7-3
*Sister act as Caylee with a nice pass to Christy Sundy, who gets fouled shooting. Christy would make 1 of 2 from the line. Hopewell 8-3
*The Vikings grab a defensive rebound and outlet it to Caylee Sundy, who takes it in for a layup. Hopewell 10-3
End of 1st Quarter: Hopewell 10 Quaker Valley 3
2nd Quarter Recap:
*Richburg with a nice pass to Boyd, who gets fouled shooting. Avery made both free throws. Hopewell 12-7
*With 1:15 left in the half and during a Quaker Valley run, Caylee Sundy pulls down an offensive rebound and puts it back in for 2. Hopewell regains the lead and doesn’t trail again. Hopewell 16-15
Halftime: Hopewell 16 Quaker Valley 15
3rd Quarter Recap:
—A huge quarter for Hopewell as they outscore QV, 21-4.
*Richburg drains a 3-point shot. Hopewell 19-15
*Caylee Sundy with a steal and a layup. Hopewell 21-15
*Boyd with her second 3-pointer of the game. Hopewell 24-15
*Richburg grabs an offensive rebound from a free three, passes to Christy Sundy for 2. Hopewell 27-15
*Richburg makes another play as he takes the ball into the paint and makes a shot over Thiero for 2 plus the foul. Hopewell 30-17
*Nice half-court offense as Hopewell runs ‘Houston’ and it results in an acrobatic layup from Ramaley. Hopewell 32-17
*More hard work in the paint as Richburg misses a shot but Caylee Sundy gets the offensive rebound and layup. Hopewell 34-17
*The final points of the quarter come on another 3-pointer from Boyd. Hopewell 37-19
End of 3rd Quarter: Hopewell 37 Quaker Valley 19
4th Quarter Recap:
*Richburg with a strong drive for 2. Hopewell 39-19
*Richburg with a nice pass to a cutting Ramaley for 2 plus the foul.
*With 4:20 left, Ramaley nails a 3-pointer. Hopewell 44-26
*Caylee Sundy scored Hopewell’s final two baskets on layups.
Final Score: Hopewell 49 Quaker Valley 32
Congratulations to Hopewell for their 6th win of the season and first section win.
