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| Followed by teammate Meghan Sabia (right),
Sarah McGorry brings the ball upcourt for Mount St. Joe.
(photo by Lene White) |
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Mount wins fifth tournament title
by
TOM UTESCHER
Some habits are hard to break, and last week neither a previously unbeaten
team from the George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and
Science nor an improved Kennedy-Kenrick club could keep Mount St. Joseph
Academy from winning the Catholic War Veterans Holiday Basketball Tournament
for the fifth year in a row.
Sponsored by the Bridgeport Post (No. 1683) of the CWV, the event is
hosted by Kennedy-Kenrick, whose Wolverines defeated Plymouth Whitemarsh
Senior High School, 55-43, in one of last Thursday’s semifinal games.
On the same night, Mount St. Joe outlasted Engineering & Science in
overtime, 60-52.
On Friday, the MSJ Magic (6-2) led Kennedy-Kenrick (6-5) by a single
point at the interlude, then pulled away smartly in the second half to
win the championship game, 53-28. In the third-place playoff, Plymouth
Whitemarsh (5-4) was a 49-42 winner over the Lady Engineers (9-2).
After putting up 28 points in the two tourney games, Magic sophomore
Laura Johnson was crowned MVP of the affair, and was named to the All-Tourament
Team along with her Mount classmate Sarah McGorry. The other all-tourney
picks were seniors Danielle DelBuono and Kim Vennera of Kennedy-Kenrick,
sophomore Shamyra Hammond of Engineering & Science, and PW senior
Taylor Magnus, who also won the tourney’s sportsmanship award.
The victory in the tournament semifinal was the Magic’s second
straight overtime win; they’d beaten Paul VI High School (NJ) by
a score of 40-39 in their last contest before Christmas. In the first
quarter of their CWV opener Johnson and McGorry each had five points and
senior Rebecca Naab added four, but the Engineers rallied in the second
period and were just two points back at halftime, 26-24.
“They were quick and fast and tall and athletic,” said Mount
coach Rick Torresani, “We’re not quite as fast and athletic,
and we had to play solid, physical basketball.”
The teams were neck-and-neck through most of the second half, and the
contest proceeded into overtime at 48-all. Mount St. Joe took command
in the OT, outpointing E & S, 12-4.
“We took the ball at their two scorers, we got them in foul trouble,
and they fouled out,” commented Torresani, referring to the Lady
Engineers’ Hammond (15 points) and Keisha Hampton (23).
In the extra session the Magic hit six of their eight free throws, including
two “makes” by Johnson, who also put in a pair of field goals
as the locals secured their spot in the championship game. She came away
with 17 points, and McGorry (13 rebounds) and Meghan Sabia (five steals)
each scored 13 points. The Magic also got eight points from Naab, seven
from Ryann Gallagher (eight rebounds), and two from Shannon Bridges.
In the first frame of the finals, Naab hit a midrange jumper and a lay-up,
and four other Mounties added single field goals to forge a 12-8 advantage.
Midway through the second period the Magic were up 17-10, but the Wolverines
drew closer by making three of their four fouls shots during the period,
while the Mount converted just one of four. Following a late three-pointer
by Kennedy-Kenrick guard Andrea Ronca, Mount St. Joe was only up 19-18
at the half.
Torresani noted, “The girls came back out after halftime knowing
that they had to pick up their game, especially on defense.”
In the third quarter Johnson got the Magic started with a trey from the
right wing, but just 90 seconds in, she committed her third personal foul
and sat out the rest of the period.
“It turned out to be a big pick-me-up for the team, because the
other kids stepped up big-time,” observed Torresani. “Claire
[Kueny] came out and did a great job playing defense and scored a couple
baskets, and Sarah [McGorry] stepped up her game, hitting her free throws
and getting some clutch rebounds.”
Although Johnson saw only limited playing time in the fourth quarter,
as well (she picked up her fourth foul early in the period), she shared
high-scorer honors with McGorry, as each deposited 11 points. McGorry
rang up nine points after halftime, making the Wolverines pay for their
fouls by sinking seven of eight shots from the line. The MSJ forward was
active all over the court, finishing up with nine rebounds and three steals
on the night.
Kueney and Elle Hagedorn (eight points, seven rebounds) each added half-a-dozen
points during the Mount’s second-half surge. Naab had a game-high
10 rebounds to go with seven points, Kate Hagedorn added four points,
and Sabia, Gallagher, and Jenny Sabia had two points each.
Kennedy-Kenrick’s marquee guard, Kim Vennera, was held to 10 points
and four steals, and Erynn Grady posted nine points and seven boards for
the Wolverines.
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