Upper Perkiomen entered Tuesday's game against Pope John Paul II with a chance to earn a share of first place in the Pioneer Athletic Conference's Frontier Division. However, the team couldn't take advantage of its opportunity.

            The visiting Indians suffered a 49-30 loss, their second in their last seven

Hannah Keeney tries to navigate through a pair of Perk- iomen Valley defenders trying to strip the ball from her. Keeney scored nine points in the game on Jan. 13.

games. They trail Pope John Paul II, which leads the division, by two games.

            Grace Galbavy scored a game-high 21 points for the Tribe (4-3 PAC, 8-6 overall), which trailed 20-15 at halftime and 33-24 after three quarters. Erin States added five points.

            Amelia Kennedy and Tess Crossan combined to outscore the opposition for the host Panthers, who swept the season series. Kennedy delivered a team-high 18 points. Crossan added 17 points.

            Abigail Davidheiser, a sophomore guard, made her first start of the season against the Panthers. According to Bowe, Davidheiser's gradual offensive improvement has allowed her to ascend in the Tribe's rotation.  "Her defensive pressure is phenomenal," the coach said. "Abby has delivered just enough offense to complement our top scorers."

            A halftime adjustment led the Tribe to a 49-32 road victory over Upper Merion on Saturday, Jan. 15. Natalie Kearney's successful implementation as the point guard allowed the team to extend a five-point halftime lead.  "We learned to play through a different person," Bowe said.

            Galbavy's shift to the frontcourt helped facilitate a 16-point outburst during the third quarter as the Indians extended their halftime edge from 22-17 to 38-23. She finished with a game-high 15 points in the Frontier Division game.

            Eight players scored for the Indians, who posted their fifth win in six games. Hannah Keeney finished with eight points on two 3-pointers. States posted seven points. Gabriella Neal and Bailey Cahill posted six and five points, respectively.

            "It was great to have everyone contribute," Bowe said.

            The coach came ...

            Defensive issues have plagued Upper Perkiomen's boys basketball team. The inability, at times, to contain the opposition has impacted its performance at the other end of the floor, according to head coach Michael DeCarolis.

            "When we are playing good defense, it gets other aspects of our game going," he said.

Despite the emergence of Aidan Keyser and the surprising return of Nick Aron, the Indians have lost five consecutive games, including their most recent game in the Pioneer Athletic Conference. On Tuesday, they fell 65-39 to visiting Pope John Paul II.

            Over the weekend, Upper Merion utilized effective outside shooting to hand Upper Perk a 66-47 loss. On Thursday, Jan. 13, early foul trouble helped doom the Tribe to a 67-38 loss to Perkiomen Valley.

            Against Upper Merion the Tribe exceeded its season average of 41 points. Adam Shaak delivered a team-high 14 points while Marco Montero added 10. Aron, playing with a soft cast on his right hand, finished with eight points in 16 minutes off the bench.

            Upper Perk couldn't overcome a solid shooting performance by the Vikings, who tallied 11 3-point buckets. DeCarolis said his team tried to prevent Upper Merion from driving to the basket, but, early on, the Vikings forced the action offensively.

            The Tribe's focus on attempting to shut down Upper Merion drives opened up

Upper Perk's Peter Nguyen attempts a shot as an  Upper Merion player goes up for the block in Sat- urday's game

multiple shooting opportunities, noted DeCarolis.

            Upper Merion took advantage, building a 23-11 lead through one quarter. The Vikings registered five 3-pointers in the initial eight minutes. Ethan Ngyuen delivered four of them. "They have some outstanding athletes," DeCarolis said.

            In the second quarter, Shaak scored five of his team's eight points. The Indians – who trailed 43-19 at halftime – had a lot of offensive opportunities, note DeCarolis. However, he said the several close shots did not fall.

            The Tribe tried numerous defenses in the first half with the intent of delivering a spark, related DeCarolis. However, he said Upper Merion "played a real sharp game."

Three days earlier, against Perkiomen Valley, foul trouble contributed to an early disadvantage for the visiting Indians who played the majority of the first half against Perkiomen Valley with three starters on the bench.

            Still, UP trailed by only 14 points (28-14) at halftime. DeCarolis credited his reserves for keeping them in the game.

            Perkiomen Valley made the most of eight offensive rebounds in the first quarter to build a 16-5 lead. The Indians were also dealing with a significant height disadvantage. "It was harder for us to rebound because their size forced us to ...