Neither Reservoir nor Mt. Hebron girls basketball had stepped on the floor in over a week because of a late-January winter storm. Monday night marked the Vikings’ first game since Jan. 14 and the Gators’ first since Jan. 23.
Two of the top three teams in the Summit Division standings, rust was bound to be a factor with the prolonged layoff. However, the Gators shook off those proverbial cobwebs and came out of the gates firing. Reservoir built a 15-point lead after the first quarter and maintained a double-digit advantage the remainder of the contest in a 42-26 wire-to-wire win.
“For sure the first quarter exceeded our expectations,” Reservoir coach Deb Taylor said. “They came out with intensity. They came out with execution.”
Sophomore forward Sam Feher was the tone-setter in that strong start. Feher explained that it was hard to not play basketball over the break and acknowledged a sense of fear that she wouldn’t play as confidently.
Once Monday came, Feher felt those prior nerves shift to excitement. The substantial first-quarter advantage also helped to settle some of those collective nerves as the Gators knew they could play more free with an increased margin of error.
It was evident in her play as she powered the Gators’ quick start with seven of her game-high 18 points in the opening quarter. The standout forward showed effortless footwork on the game’s opening basket and displayed her expanded range from 3-point range. Feher helped to space the floor as the Vikings’ defense needed to extend out and respect her perimeter shooting capability.
“I think it’s really growing my confidence,” Feher said. “Having the ability to shoot more and growing my form to be more consistent and now that I’m shooting more, I feel like I’m getting more confident and so the shots are dropping.”
Meanwhile, Mt. Hebron’s offense struggled mightily to get anything going, particularly in the opening quarter. The Vikings (7-4, 3-3 Summit Division) scored just two points in the first and went without a field goal, many of which rimmed out from behind the arc.
While the Vikings missed many uncontested perimeter opportunities, Feher was a force defensively. She finished with six blocks, using her size at 6-feet to alter other attempts.
During the third quarter, Feher compiled half of her rejections in quick succession. The highlight of that stretch was an emphatic swat of a Mt. Hebron 3-pointer where Feher’s smack of the ball reverberated throughout the gym and earned some stunned reactions from both benches.
“It makes me really excited and proud because I can see my impact lifting up my teammates and myself and I feel like it strengthens our game overall,” Feher said.
Each time Mt. Hebron orchestrated a brief second-half run, Feher was there to deliver a timely bucket for the Gators. The Vikings got to within 13 early in the fourth on just their second 3-pointer of the evening. Yet Reservoir (9-4, 5-1 Summit) answered with a 7-0 run to put the game out of reach and remain within one game of Wilde Lake at the top of the division standings.
Monday night’s return to game action was a welcome sight for both sides. The extended break in between games is just the latest in what has been a clunky schedule throughout the Howard County basketball season. Between winter break, exam break and weather postponements, many Howard County teams are playing almost half of their schedule in the month of February.
For Feher and her teammates, the scheduling inconsistencies have brought some challenges. However, they’ve worked to adjust and maintain their intensity level regardless of opponent.
The Gators entered Monday’s game with losses in four out of their past five, two of which were without Feher. Back in the win column, Reservoir welcomes Mt. Hebron into its gym on Thursday and aims to keep things rolling after beginning the season on a seven-game winning streak.
Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23.
Re: 17-10-6-9 — 42
MH: 2-6-9-9 — 26
Re: Sam Feher 18, Sydney Shelton 8, Leah Lauer 7, Blythe Pietryka 4, Annie Wethington 3, Julie Slatkin 2
MH: Maddie McShea 6, Michelle Nzelibe 6, Veronica Jensen 5, Pearl Prasartkarnka 4, Quinn Keeton 3, Grace Garvin 2
