January 31, 2008 Issue
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Classified Chestnut Hill Local Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or Winner of Two |
Mount calms ‘Canes a second time
In Catholic Academies basketball it’s never been easy to sweep a regular- season series against Villa Maria. Mount St. Joseph Academy won out at Villa, 48-39, at the beginning of the month, but last Tuesday’s rematch, Jan. 23, at the Mount was a nailbiter, with a 44-42 MSJ victory assured only when a final lay-up by the visiting Hurricanes avoided the cylinder with a second to go. The Magic kept their league ledger unblemished at 10-0 (17-1 overall), while second-place Villa (12-4 overall) returned to Malvern with an 8-2 record in the AACA. Pinballing all over the court, the Magic’s Elle Hagedorn scored all of her 12 points for the day before the intermission, including the Mount’s first three field goals of the game. “They played a lot of zone in the first half, and Elle was able to drive against the zone,” noted Mount coach John Miller. Villa was able to counter Hagedorn’s heroics in the first quarter, as forward Erin Mann deposited three baskets of her own and guard Lindsay Corcoran added a lay-up and a short jumper. The Canes took an 11-10 edge into the second period. During the next eight minutes, Hagedorn, Sarah McGorry, Laura Johnson, Claire Kueny and Alexa Gallagher all found the basket for the Magic, who won the quarter, 15-6, and enjoyed their biggest lead of the afternoon at the interlude, 25-17. In an earlier meeting at Villa, Mount St. Joe led by 19 points on two occasions, but this time the Hurricanes seemed determined not to let that kind of gap develop. The Magic retained most of their halftime lead through the first five minutes of the third quarter as the score climbed to 32-25, but Villa ended the period with seven straight points, winning the frame, 15-7, and tying the score at 32-all for the start of round four. The Canes had displayed an effective inside/outside blend with Mann netting a few more baskets down low while Corcoran canned two three-pointers and fellow guard Ellen Cannon added a third. Miller observed afterwards, “Villa played very physical today, and uncharacteristically for us, we gave up 13 offensive rebounds.” In the early minutes of the final period the Mount varied its own shots as Jen Sabia sank a “three” and Sarah McGorry spun in an unlikely lay-up, but Villa kept pace with free throws. With three minutes remaining, the game was tied, 38-38. The Magic then sandwiched a Ryann Gallagher three-pointer and another McGorry lay-up around two free throws by Mann, but freshman guard Brooke Angelos netted two fouls shots for Villa to make it a one-point game, 43-42. With half-a-minute to go Cannon missed a shot from the left baseline and the ball was rebounded by Gallagher. Later the MSJ senior (who will attend Catholic University) went to the foul line with 9.8 seconds remaining, making the front end of a one-and-one. VMA’s Allie Mongan rebounded the second shot, and when the visitors got the ball to midcourt they called time out with 4.9 seconds left. Angelos wound up driving along the right baseline, but couldn’t get her lay-up to drop, and McGorry grabbed the rebound as the buzzer went off. “It was a shot we knew we could get,” said Villa coach Kathy McCartney. “We knew they’d watch Corcoran outside and we knew they’d double-team Mann. Of course, you want to win the game, but I’m thrilled with the way we played today. They’re a very, very good basketball team, and we came to their place and battled right to the end.” Hagedorn supplemented her 12 points with seven rebounds, four steals, and three assists, while McGorry came away with 10 points and eight rebounds. Johnson recorded eight points, five assists and four rebounds, and Gallagher had six points and five boards. For Villa, Mann logged a game-high 16 points along with eight rebounds, Corcoran scored 10 points, and Cannon chalked up five points and three assists.
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