Perkiomen girls lose to Collegium Charter School

        In December, Kristen Burdo reached the 1,000-point plateau in a road game against Westtown School. Last week, at its first home game of 2016, Perkiomen School honored Burdo for the accomplishment. During a pre-game ceremony on Friday, Jan. 8, the senior forward received the decorated ball.

        Head coach Randy Littlefield described Burdo's feat as significant. The player called it a great accomplishment.

        "Kristen is an extraordinarily smart player," the coach said. "She is equally skilled inside and outside."

        The Panthers followed with a lackluster offensive performance in a 44-32 loss to visiting Collegium Charter School in the Tri-County Independent School League.

        They managed just two points in the first quarter and four in the second, and trailed 17-6 at halftime.

        The Cougars opened the third quarter with 10 conseutive points. Kiara Brown's 3-pointer midway through third quarter staked them to a 27-6 advantage.

        "We did too much freelancing on offense in the first half," Burdo said.

        Maimua Kenna, a 6-foot-2 center, posted a game-high 15 points to pace Collegium Charter School. Kiana Brown delivered seven points.

        Nicolette Ciocari and Stephanie Falcone each scored a team high nine points for the Panthers (1-1 league, 3-5 overall), who absorbed their first league loss in four seasons after capturing three consecutive league titles.

        According to Littlefield, Perkiomen School expected a challenging effort from the Cougars. Littlefield said he expects the teams to meet in the league championship game.

        "Collegium is very tough," the coach said. "It is a team on the rise."

        In the second half Friday, the Panthers' offense came alive. They scored eight consecutive points in the final half of the third quarter, including seven from Ciocari.

        In the fourth quarter, they posted an 18-13 advantage. Falcone highlighted the flurry with seven points, including a four-point play in the waning seconds.

        "We went back to our original offense in the second half," Burdo said.

        Littlefield described Perkiomen School's sluggish first half first half performance as an aberration. He said the team has two go-to scorers in Burdo and Falcone.

        "In the league, I expect to be competitive and possibly win it," the coach said.

        According to Burdo, all five of the Panthers' starters have the capability to contribute offensively.

        "Everybody is doing their part," she said.

        A native of Audubon, Burdo is playing with a dislocated left shoulder. The injury occurred last summer during an AAU game. She said her arm got interlocked with an opponent going for a rebound.

        According to Littlefield, injuries have impacted Perkiomen School's starting lineup since the beginning of practice. Falcone suffered a concussion, while post players Jordan Barth and Helena Tang suffered knee injuries.

        "The girls are going to have to learn how to step up and hit a big shot," the coach said. "We used to be an outside in team."

        Barth will not play this season after undergoing surgery, according to Littlefield. He said Tang will miss significant playing time, but could return by the end of the season.

        "If we get Helena back, we will be very happy," the coach said.