NTL GIRLS' BASKETBALL: CANTON USES LATE PUSH TO DOWN SOUTHERN COLUMBIA IN DISTRICT OPENER (2025-02-19)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
CANTON — Early in the fourth Canton girls’ basketball was down by seven to Southern Columbia, in a low scoring game where seven points like 14. They’d been plagued by foul trouble, and the Tigers had the momentum. However, the Warriors weren’t done yet as Kendall Kitchen hit a 3-pointer, spurring them to finish the game on a 13-3 run for the 48-45 win in District IV, Class AA Girls’ Basketball quarterfinal action Tuesday.

“It feels amazing,” Kitchen said. “I don’t know the last time the girls’ team won a game against a team that good, so it feels amazing.”

Canton’s last district win came when Kitchen was a freshman, but that was a preliminary contest. They ended up going down and losing to top seeded Southern Columbia that year, but this time it was the Warriors walking away victorious.

“I honestly don’t know,” Canton coach Ryan VanNoy said about the last time the girls’ team reached the semifinal stage of districts. “It might be 1983 to be honest with you, the last time they won an NTL title, so it’s been a long time.”

Kitchen tied her season high with 23 points, going 7-for-12 from deep, while adding four boards.

“It helped that I was shooting well early in the game,” explained Kitchen. “So then I just kept shooting, and it just made me feel more together.”

Lydia Roupp chipped in with 11 points, including the game tying lay-up with two minutes to go, while grabbing five boards.

Alexis McRoberts had two points, but 17 rebounds, and two steals, as Cailyn VanNoy notched nine points, five assists, and four boards.

Stella Rockwell chipped in with three points, five boards, and some tough defense when Canton went box-and-one.

“Stella did a great job tonight,” said VanNoy. “She’s got a motor, she plays hard all the time, and she gave her some fits. We took her out of the game, which we knew we had to. I thought, ultimately, our team effort defensively was fantastic, and that’s what did it for us.”

The Warriors led at the half, 28-26, but as Cailyn VanNoy went to the bench with four fouls in the third things took a precarious turn. 

VanNoy, though, felt his team played their gustiest game of the season.

“I was very proud of the way we handled the second half, because we’ve had quite a few games this year where we’ve been in it in the first half, and we kind of made some silly turnovers, some mental mistakes in the second half that made us lose the game,” he said. “Tonight, I think we were down seven at one point, and we just kept battling. We stayed within ourselves, we were engaged defensively, and made them kind of make some mistakes. I think when they made that seven point run we were pressing a little bit, and the lead started to get a little bit more than what we wanted, but then I think we just started chipping away, and I think the tide completely switched. All of a sudden they started pressing, and they started making some silly turnovers, and I think that’s ultimately what ended the game.”

Freshman Kailee Helwig had 15 points to lead Southern with Tatum Klebon scoring nine. 

Macie Swank and Sierra Martino had seven points apiece, as Olivia Jones netted four, and Alana Reuter notched three.

It was a fast and furious start to the game, as the two teams combined for 36 points, and were tied at 18-all after one.

Kitchen hit three 3-balls to pace Canton, while Helwig scored seven to lead the Tigers.

Defensive settled in some as Canton out scored Southern 10-8 in the second behind five points from VanNoy.

Up 28-26 going into the third Kitchen opened the second half with a 3-ball to make it a 5-point game.

Martino came back with a jumper, followed by free throws from Helwig and Retuer to cut it to 31-30.

A VanNoy jumper off a Kitchen assist made it 33-30, but Southern came back with a 4-0 spurt as they got buckets from Klebon, and Reuter to take a 34-33 lead.

Kitchen would get a reverse lay-up at the other end to put the Warriors back up by one, but a Klebon runner saw the Tigers get back o top 36-35.

On Canton’s next possession VanNoy was called for a moving screen, sending her to the bench with four fours.

Southern took advantage going on a 6-0 run into the fourth quarter for their 42-35 advantage.

Kitchen’s 3-ball ended that run, with VanNoy coming back. 

“We definitely panicked a little bit, especially for me, because she’s normally my outlet, and I get in trouble sometimes,” Kitchen said about that big Southern run. “But our other younger guards really stepped up, and took care of the ball like we needed until she could come back in.”

A Swank freebie made it 43-38 Tigers, but with 4:02 on the clock Kitchen buried another 3-ball for a 2-point game.

Southern’s final basket came on a Jones lay-up for a 45-41 score with 3:20 left on the clock.

After the two teams traded possessions Roupp hit a put back to a make it a 2-point game, then had the game tying lay-up on their next possession for a 45-all score.

The Warriors got a stop on Southern’s ensuing drive, followed by McRoberts going to the free throw line, where she made 1-of-2 with 1:40 left.

At the other end Reuter got an offensive rebound on an initial Canton stop, and was fouled with 1:14 to play. She missed both, though, as Canton retained possession.

At the other end it was Roupp getting fouled, as she made 1-of-2 for a 47-44 scored with 1:01 on the clock.

“I was just so proud of them that they could step in when it counted,” Kitchen said. “I was just so proud to see them start making them.”

Southern would turn it over at the other end with 50.5 seconds left. Canton worked to run the clock while the Tigers put on the press.

There was loose ball, but Kitchen fell on it, with VanNoy calling timeout to retain possession with 16.8 seconds to go.

Southern appeared to get the break they needed with a steal, but the pass ahead was too far, and it went out of bounds, turning the ball back over to Canton.

Finally, they were forced to foul, sending VanNoy to the line, where she went 1-of-2 for a 3-point game 4.4 seconds to play.

Southern’s final heave was off, and the celebration was on.

“We had some foul trouble tonight, but we knew that it was going to be a game of possessions tonight,” VanNoy said. “We had to rebound the basketball. They’re a very physical team, and the fact that half of them are freshmen is scary because they are so physical, but we did a good job. We got bodies on people, we were strong with the basketball. I was very impressed that, after we got our rebound, for the most part we secured it, and pivoted, and scraped the ball around, and didn’t turn the ball over there, which I was worried about.”

In the final three minutes Southern Columbia went 0-for-8, with two turnovers in the final minute.

Both teams also left points on the table, as Canton went 11-for-25 from the free throw line, while the Tigers were 8-for-18. In the fourth, though, Canton did enough - 3-for-6 - to scrape out the lead, and win.

Now it’s a rematch with NEB in the semifinals, who beat East Juniata 53-34 in their quarterfinal. The time, place, and date have yet to be determined.

“It’s definitely going to be a challenge, but we know all the girls,” said Kitchen. “We know how they play. We beat them once, so I think we have a lot of confidence going into the game.”

At least for the coaches, they won’t have to pour over obscure video to get ready.

“It’ll be a lot less film watching, so maybe I’ll get a little bit more sleep,” VanNoy said. “It’s fun to play against Northeast, Northeast has been on the top of the mountain for a long time, and that’s where we’re trying to get to. To split with them in the regular season, and have an opportunity to play them in the semifinal is absolutely fantastic for our girls, for the program, and for the town of Canton. We’ll line-up with them, we’ll swing away, and see what happens.”

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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING

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