Taylor, Miller lead No. 3 Allegany to 55-24 win over Northern

Jan. 4—CUMBERLAND — Shylah Taylor and Avery Miller combined for 29 points, leading No. 3 Allegany to a 55-24 win over Northern Tuesday evening.

"I thought we did a good job being patient on offense and executing," Allegany head coach Jim O'Neal said. "Our team defense is getting a lot stronger. I think we made it hard for them to get open looks from the floor. That was probably the difference in the game."

The Campers (6-2) defense allowed eight or fewer points in all four quarters. The Huskies (5-3) made 16 field goals while Allegany made 30.

"Defensively we did our job," Northern head coach Alisa Miller said. "We were right there, we played tough. It was just the offense couldn't seem to get the shots off that we wanted."

Allegany led 6-2 early in the first quarter. Less than two minutes later, Northern cut it to 8-6. The Campers then scored the final six points and shut out the Huskies for the final four minutes.

"Northern knows us, we know them," O'Neal said. "It's two local teams feeling each other out. Once we found our rhythm on offense, I thought we got a lot of good looks. We worked through a slow pace at the beginning of the game. I thought our tempo was better later."

Northern struggled to hit shots from beyond the arc. The Huskies were held to one made 3-pointer in the game and shot 1 for 11 from deep. Lydia Nelson made the only three midway through the third quarter.

"We're typically a 3-point shooting team, we don't usually miss them," Miller said. "It comes down to a little bit of pressure and not making your shots."

Allegany led 14-6 after the first quarter. Taylor led offensively in the second quarter with eight points hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the period and led all scorers with 12 points at halftime.

"We have a lot of confidence in Shylah," O'Neal said. "I feel she's one of the best players in the area. She was in a pretty calm rhythm the whole night. Took the shots that were there and also set up her teammates for nice shots. She was strong all around, plus her usual great defense."

The Huskies struggled with turnovers in the first half, commiting nine by halftime including five in the second quarter.

After leading 27-14 at halftime, Allegany quickly pulled away in the third quarter, opening on a 7-2 run. Northern was held to two points in the first three minutes.

"I think it was the rhythm of the offense," O'Neal said. "Once we played together, moved the ball and got the shots we were looking for we have five kids that can knock down the shots."

Nelson's three midway through would be the final basket scored by the Huskies in the third quarter. The Campers ended the quarter on a 7-3 run and led 41-19 heading into the fourth quarter.

"Lack of good passes, lack of communication," Alisa Miller said of the offensive struggles. "Not going where we're supposed to go. Not playing as a team."

Avery Miller and Taylor both had several steals in the second half. They combined for five in the game with Miller coming up with back-to-back thefts in the fourth quarter.

"Avery and Shylah both have a lot of basketball instincts," O"Neal said. "They were able to get steals off the ball which is what we're looking for. We're not looking for steals on the ball. They both did a nice job."

Northern continued to commit turnovers late with seven in the fourth quarter. Allegany committed one in the final eight minutes.

"Depending on what team we play, I think we play in our own heads," Alisa Miller said. "We're playing Allegany, so the girls take pressure from that. We're not playing laid back and ready to go."

Taylor led all scorers with 16 points while Miller finished with 13. Olivia Looker scored 11 points for the Campers.

"You could talk about Avery all day," O'Neal said. "She scores on offense, she's one of our best rebounders. She's very disruptive on defense. She can set her teammates up. We have a lot of confidence in her and letting her do her thing."

Nelson led the Huskies with 11 points while Madison Seese scored nine.

"They're always strong and tough underneath," coach Miller said. "They are my go-to girls."

Both teams play on Thursday night. Northern hosts Calvary at 6 p.m. while Allegany travels to play Berlin (Pennsylvania) Brothersvalley at 7 p.m.

"Berlin's the real deal, we just talked to our kids," O'Neal said. "We're looking forward to that, it's gonna be a heck of a game."

Jordan Kendall is a Sports Writer for the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @JKendallCTN.