SPRINGFIELD, MO – The Valley Forge women's basketball team took care of business last week, as they garnered four victories and improved to a 10-9 overall record.
The drama began on Monday (Jan. 10), when the Lady Patriots, playing without the leadership of head coach Reg Chapple, escaped with a 61-60 victory against Ozark Christian College (Joplin, MO). With 2.2 seconds remaining, sophomore Amanda Reich managed to draw a foul for a two-shot opportunity at the free-throw line. Reich coolly sank both tries to gain the slight advantage. With just a couple of seconds on the clock, Ozark Christian College had time for nothing more than a desperation heave.
The Lady Patriots set out for Missouri on Saturday (Jan. 8) afternoon on a bus and head coach, Reg Chapple, would leave the following Monday morning (Jan. 10) by plane. With inclement weather, flights were delayed and Coach Chapple would end up missing the first of the Lady Patriots' four-game road trip.
The Valley Forge women, who were ranked #2 in the nation, clearly didn't play as efficiently as they were capable of, but somehow, they walked away from the Ozark game unscathed.
In general, the Lady Patriots' offense struggled, but big shots from sophomores Amanda Reich and Morgan Godwin helped get the job done.
Reich garnered a game-high 22 points and Godwin tallied 14 points. Other key contributors were Shawneal McKeither (six steals, four assists, eight rebounds), Amanda Compton (11 rebounds, three blocks), Aliyah Carr (four assists), and Talaya Woodall (three assists, three steals).
If there were ever a bounce-back performance, the Lady Patriots had one the following night (Jan. 11) against Baptist Bible College (MO). The Lady Patriots dominated the first half of play, 42-12. The Valley Forge women scored a season-high 89 points en route to victory (89-43).
Five different Valley Forge players reached double-digits in scoring. Morgan Godwin scored a team-high 18 points, which included six three-pointers. Shawneal McKeither had a well-rounded performance with 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting, eight assists, eight steals, and six rebounds. Amanda Reich tallied 13 points and four steals. Kaitlyn Antolic earned 10 points and six rebounds. Melissa Cicerchia notched 10 points. Amanda Compton led the team with 11 rebounds. Aliyah Carr finished with five assists, four steals, and two blocked shots. Akinna Boykin grabbed seven rebounds, followed by Vanity Jones with six.
On Friday (Jan. 14) and Saturday (Jan. 15), the Lady Patriots played Trinity Bible College and North Central University for the AGCU Classic Trophy. Last year, the Lady Patriots won the trophy for the first time in school history. This year, they retained the top honor with little resistance.
In the first AGCU Classic game, the Lady Patriots played Trinity Bible College out of Ellendale, North Dakota. The Valley Forge women played a great first half and led 46-20 at the break. Trinity Bible College struggled with the Lady Patriots' pressure defense. The Valley Forge women forced 32 Trinity Bible turnovers en route to a 77-42 victory.
Four Valley Forge players reached double-digits in scoring with several players making other contributions.
Morgan Godwin shot 6-for-9 from the perimeter for 18 points. Godwin also tallied three assists and three steals. Amanda Compton earned 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Shawneal McKeither finished with 11 points and a team-high five steals. Amanda Reich recorded 11 points and three assists. Aliyah Carr led the team in assists with five. Talaya Woodall and Melissa Cicerchia each finished up with three steals.
In the final game (Jan. 15) of the Lady Patriots' road trip, and the AGCU Classic title-clinching game, it was a tale of two halves.
At the end of the first half, the Lady Patriots walked to the locker room with the game tied at 32-32 and a fired-up North Central University basketball team.
Only a Lady Patriot could tell you what Coach Chapple told them in the locker room, but their second-half performance was nothing like the first. The Lady Patriots dominated play for 20 minutes, out-scoring North Central 40-15 in the half. With a final score of 72-47, the Lady Patriots would once again make the trip back to Phoenixville with the AGCU Classic trophy in hand.
In the North Central game, several Valley Forge players stood out.
Amanda Reich led with way with 16 points and six rebounds. Shawneal McKeither tabbed an incredible 15 points, nine rebounds, seven steals, and three assists. Morgan Godwin shot 3-of-6 from the perimeter and finished with 15 points. Kaitlyn Antolic earned a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Amanda Compton grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots.
