Conestoga’s Ryann Jennings, middle, breaks upcourt against Garnet Valley Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers defeated the Jaguars 51-31 in the Central League tournament semifinals. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group)
By Bob Grotz
In a semifinal playoff game sure to leave black and blue marks, Conestoga pulled away in the third quarter Saturday for a 51-31 victory over Garnet Valley for a shot at its first Central League title in 16 years.
Ryann Jennings scored a game-high 17 points for the Pioneers, making 13 of 14 shots from the free throw line in a contest with so many whistles you wondered if you were suffering from tinnitus.
“It was very physical,” said Jaguars senior Emily Olsen, who fouled out with 10 points. “In a Central League game like this, the semifinals, it’s going to be a hard game. We came in knowing it was going to be tough and we would just have to work through it.”
To get the job done it took a masterful game plan by Pioneers coach AJ Thompson and the tenacity of his players to carry it out against the Jaguars, who led three times in the first quarter and trailed by just 21-16 at the intermission.
It also took a tough-minded effort from Jennings, who among other skills was trained for these rugged games, having earned her place at the table battling older brothers Drew and Aaron, who are her biggest fans.
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