Madison Rowland had something to prove.
After being limited to four points the first time she played against Shenendehowa, Rowland dropped 33 points to lead Shaker to a 60-39 victory over the Lady Plainsmen in Saturday’s Suburban Council girls basketball game.
“I definitely wanted to come out strong today because I didn’t play well the last time (Jan. 10),” said Rowland.
Early foul trouble hindered Rowland the first time Shaker played Shen during a special basketball doubleheader between the two schools last month at Siena College — one which raised money for the Christopher Stewart and Deanna Rivers scholarships at Shen. Shaker (14-1 league, 16-1 overall) compensated for her absence, as Lyric Artis and Merrick Rowland led the Blue Bison past the Lady Plainsmen 51-43.
Rowland was in command from the opening tip in the rematch, though. She scored 15 of Shaker’s 18 points in the first quarter and drained three three-pointers as part of a 12-point second quarter to personally out-score Shen 27-15.
“How about those 27 (points) in the first half?” said Shaker coach Emily Caschera-Bowles. “It was the Madison Rowland show out there.”
“I went to the gym before the game and I was warmed up, which really helped me,” said Rowland.
By contrast, Shen struggled to get into a groove in the first half against an aggressive Shaker defense. Shaker’s guards forced several turnovers, and the Blue Bison’s forwards prevented Shen from making shots near the basket.
“Everyone stepped up tonight — not just me,” said Rowland.
“We’ve been practicing our shots lately, but it didn’t go our way tonight,” said Shen forward Carly Boland.
Rowland added six points in the third quarter before taking a seat on the bench as Shaker extended its lead to 47-25. Shen didn’t surpass the 33-point plateau until midway through the fourth quarter.
“She had the opportunities, and she kept sinking them,” said Caschera-Bowles. “What can you do? You can’t stop her.”
Besides her 33 points, Rowland also recorded eight steals, pulled down seven rebounds and added two blocked shots. Forward Julia Holland also had multiple blocked shots for Shaker.
“I feel like our post (players) are so big and so great in the zone (defense),” said Caschera-Bowles.
Ashley Acker and Alyssia Marsal each scored 10 points for Shen (10-5, 12-5).
Saturday’s girls game was part of another fundraising basketball doubleheader between Shen and Shaker. This time, approximately $7,000 was raised from ticket and merchandise sales and went to covering the medical costs for Bailey Wind and Matt Hardy — the two students injured in a Dec. 1, 2012 Northway accident that claimed the lives of Stewart and Rivers.
The boys game proved to be as one-sided as the girls game, as Shaker defeated Shen 67-45 to clinch the Suburban Council North Division title.
The Blue Bison (13-2, 15-2) jumped out to an 18-7 lead in the first quarter, and they put the Plainsmen away by out-scoring them 37-26 in the second half.
Malik Dare and Zach Yakel each scored 13 points, and Andrew Holmes chipped in with 10 points for Shaker. Dylan Molloy’s 19 points paced Shen (11-4, 11-5).