NBC Girls Basketball
Dave Adams used the term “gutsy” time and time again during the 1990 record-breaking Lady Panthers basketball season. This “gutsy” group with just 10 ladies on their roster, went further than any NB girls’ basketball team had gone before them, or since, in their 23-5 season that ended in the PIAA elite 8.
The small roster, battling through some injuries during the season, had some victories during the season in which the team showed some mettle defined this group. Head coach Dave Adams said “It was a small squad, but they weren’t short on intensity. We preached 100% effort 100% of the time, and those girls bought into it.”
The Lady Panthers went 18-4 in the regular season. Two of the losses were to a much larger neighboring school, Central of Martinsburg, and they split with McConnellsburg.
Also in the mix was an upset loss at Fannett-Metal, a difficult place to play that was redeemed by a 22-point win when the Lady Tigers visited NBC.
NB went 10-0 in the Bedford County league, capturing that championship. Their closest county game was a 42-37 win over Tussey Mountain in a game that saw NB struggle to their lowest offensive output of the season. They won 6 county league games by more than 20 points.
After pounding both Berlin and Shanksville by 30+ points in the District 5-A quarterfinal and semifinal, NB would get a much-anticipated matchup with McConnellsburg in the final. Based on the Sideling Hill League bylaws, this game would also decide that league’s championship. 
Bad luck hit the Lady Panthers at a practice preparing for the championship game when leading scorer Betsy Van Horn went down with an ankle injury and had to watch from the bench on crutches. But according to Coach Adams, it was the “guts and desire” of the NB squad that prevailed in an exciting back and forth game. Cathy Rightenour put the Lady Panthers up 49-48 with just over 2-minutes to play and NB never trailed again enroute to a 59-54 District 5 championship victory. 
“Great teams overcome adversity,” said coach Adams after the game.
Still without Van Horn, the Panthers next faced Ferndale, the 6-A runner-up, in the state tournament. NB, behind the 23-point effort of Stacy Decker, came back from a 2-point halftime deficit to bounce Ferndale by a 52-45 final score.
The Lady Panthers then made school history as the first girls’ team to ever crack the elite 8 with a dramatic victory over Father Geibel in the Western Quarterfinals. A Stacy Decker inside shot with 3 seconds left gave NB a 41-40 win. Adams credited Heather Leidy with “a gutsy defensive effort,” and point guard Amy Clouse led the Lady Panthers with 12 points.
A familiar foe awaited in the Western semifinals. McConnellsburg has also advance two rounds and met the Lady Panthers on a cold snowy Saturday afternoon at Everett High School. Northern’s shooting was colder than the weather early on, and the Spartans broke open a 10-10 first quarter tie with big advantages in each of the middle two quarters to hold as much as a 19-point lead before NB fought back to make it a 53-40 final.
Northern finished 23-5 and was crowned BCL, SHL, and District 5 Class A Champions.
Stacy Decker and Betsy Van Horn were named All-Bedford County All-Stars, while Amy Clouse and Cathy Rightenour earned second- team honors. Van Horn, Decker, and Clouse averaged 12 points per game while Rightenour and senior Melinda Reed averaged 9.8 and 8.8 respectively for the well -balance NB squad. Heather Leidy, Johanna Brown, and M.J. Foreman were the key subs for this outstanding team.
Head coach Dave Adams had 4 20-win seasons and 4 District Championship squads in his 11-year tenure at NBC. His 1990 Elite 8 squad is #2 on the all-time list for wins in a season by a Lady Panther basketball squad. The #1 1979 squad was inducted previously to the Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame.
 
1990
Coach: Dave Adams 23-5
Sideling Hill and Bedford County League Champions
District 5 Class A Champs
Pa. Elite 8
 
Results

Forbes Road          56-23
Southern Fulton     67-36
McConnellsburg    50-53
Central                    33-45
Everett                     55-27
Bedford                    61-53
Forbes Road          67-35
Claysburg               61-23
Claysburg               59-16
Tussey Mt.             58-47
Chestnut Ridge      72-17
Hyndman                84-20
Fannett-Metal        52-60
Bedford                  59-37
Everett                    50-32
McConnellsburg    55-54
Central                    47-65
Tussey Mt.             42-37
Fannett-Metal        62-40
Chestnut Ridge      61-24
Southern Fulton     66-37
Hyndman                69-20
District 5 Playoffs
Berlin                      68-33
Shanksville             66-36
McConnellsburg    59-54
State Playoffs
Ferndale                  62-45
Father Geibel         41-40
McConnellsburg    40-53
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