By Frank Rizzo
LOCH SHELDRAKE — January 9, 2001 – You could call Tri-Valley the repeat champs of the Sullivan County Community College Holiday Tournament girls’ division.
If you ignore the intervening six years.
The Lady Bears beat the Family School 39-24 on Saturday evening to win the first girls’ championship match in the tournament held since 1993, when another Karen Furman-coached T-V squad beat S. S. Seward in the title game.
The Bears (5–3) pulled away in the fourth after holding a slim 16-12 lead at the half — and that marginal breathing space came thanks to a three-pointer by Amanda Krom at the buzzer — and 26-18 after three.
“We wanted to move the ball well,” Furman said of her team’s game plan. “In the first half our passes were real sluggish and we talked about that at halftime. I thought we moved the ball around better in the second half.”
She added, apropos her team’s second half success, “We also hustled on defense and got steals off the press.”
Soph Heather Bachmann garnered the tourney’s MVP trophy after she finished the evening with 13 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
Amanda Krom was next on the scoring list with seven.
Furman praised the inside play of Bachmann and center Megan Sheeley (10 rebounds, three blocks).
The Family School (1–7) was led by Alexis Faulkner and Meredith Angevine, who netted eight each.
“It was a good tournament. We hung in there. We tried hard,” said Family coach Carlton Williams. “Tri-Valley deserved the win.”