PIAA Class AA Girls’ Basketball: Williams Valley’s sensational season comes to an end against Mountain View
The Williams Valley girls' basketball team stands ready for the National Anthem before Friday's PIAA Class AA quarterfinal game against Mountain View. The Eagles rolled past the Vikings 32-14 (Photo by Eli Doyle).
DALLAS — Offensive woes have plagued the Williams Valley girls’ basketball team recently, and this time, they caught up to the Vikings.
Mountain View had two players score in double digits as the Eagles rolled past Williams Valley 32-14 in the PIAA Class AA quarterfinal girls’ basketball game Friday at Lake Lehman High School.
“We didn’t make a shot, to put it lightly,” Vikings coach Shane Zellers said. “And credit (Mountain View), they played good defense. They did what they wanted to do; they kept it on one side of the floor. We had a lot of good looks; we just didn’t get any shots to fall. That is basketball, you know—it has to come to an end.”
Williams Valley (24-4), which as a team averages roughly 44 points per game, recently came out on top in a 23-18 clash with Shalom Christian Academy in the second round of the PIAA Tournament. While a win at this time of year is always valuable, the low-scoring affair against the Flames may have foreshadowed the Vikings’ decline.
And Friday’s game fared no differently on offense — unfortunately for Zellers’ Vikings.
Things looked promising early in the first quarter when Quin Smeltz nailed a 3-pointer and Sage Smeltz added a bucket off an assist from Ella Kobularik, giving Williams Valley a 5-2 lead with 2:40 left in the frame. Both teams relied on strong zone defenses, forcing points to come at a premium. Addison Kilmer hit a 3-pointer and assisted on a bucket by Emily Trichilo as Mountain View (24-4) scored five points to end the frame, taking a 7-5 lead.
Kilmer’s presence expanded in the second quarter as she helped the Eagles grow their lead to 19-7 by halftime. The 6-foot-1 junior forward tallied a game-high 16 points and anchored Mountain View’s defense with multiple blocks in the paint. She scored 13 of her 16 points in the first half, with 10 coming in the second quarter alone.
“We said at halftime that if (Addison Kilmer) didn’t show up, it’d be 9-7,” Zellers said. “She’s a difference-maker. Her height alone, and then the fact that she can put it on the floor and hit shots from the outside, makes her tough. She’s a good basketball player. She was the Class A Player of the Year last year for a reason. She’s probably up for the running this year in Class AA. Unfortunately, she’s coming back.”
By the end of the third quarter, the 12-point deficit had grown to 20. And to make matters worse for Williams Valley, the Vikings were held scoreless through the entire frame. They had several solid possessions but couldn’t get a single shot to fall. As a team, Williams Valley missed seven 3-point attempts in the quarter. Mallory Miller and Quin Smeltz were unlucky, as multiple attempts by each player rattled in and out of the basket.
After being outscored 8-0 and falling behind 27-7 at the start of the fourth quarter, hope was starting to fade.
Since the near end of the first quarter, Mountain View had outscored Williams Valley 25-2. That was until Quin Smeltz nailed a 3-pointer and converted a four-point play after drawing a foul and sinking the ensuing free throw with 4:49 left in regulation. Fast forward to the 1:44 mark in the fourth quarter, where the Eagles led 32-11 and decided it was time for a platoon swap. The Vikings followed suit, signaling the end was near for a remarkable Williams Valley season.
