The Bethlehem Lady Eagles defeated the Queensbury Spartans 64-20 in Wednesday’s Section II, Class AA opening round game.
If the Lady Eagles had not scored a single point in the final three quarters, they still would have won this game. Scoring 22 points in the first quarter, Bethlehem cruised to its largest margin of victory this season.
Alex McCullough led the Eagles with 18 points in the game without playing most of the second half.
Size had a lot to do with it, said McCullough, who stands at 6 feet,1 inch. McCullough had at least two inches on every Spartan player.
Suburban Council Player of the Year Megan Olsen contributed 13 points to the effort, along with countless steals. But it was all part of the plan.
`We play zone (defense) now. We have done that for the last couple of games of the regular season. When we are playing zone, we are not sitting back,` explained coach Mark Nealon.
But it was more than just the defense that helped Bethlehem pull off the victory. All but three players reached the scoring column.
`Our girls got off the bench and stepped up, and I am glad they got their time to shine,` McCullough said.
`When they went out there, everyone wanted to work hard ` not only for themselves but for the team,` said Nealon.
Erin McLaughlin, Queensbury’s leading scorer, put in seven points for the Spartans in the loss.
Bethlehem plays Catholic Central on Saturday at Schenectady High.
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