Spartans / Raiders Rematch

St. Mark’s 37, Ursuline Academy 36

by Jim Charles

(02-21-2010)

 

So many things can be said about this game that it is difficult to figure out where to begin.  For starters, it was St. Mark’s closest score of the year.  They came – literally – a basket away from taking their first defeat of the year.  The key pivot points that let St. Mark’s escape Ursuline’s gym with their perfect record intact Saturday night were the 6 point lead they established in the first quarter, an interior defense that Ursuline could not get the better of, and crucial foul shots in the waning moments of the game by Amanda Farrell.  Other than those factors, UA would’ve pulled out a nice victory.  After all, take away the first quarter, the score would’ve been 31 – 26, Raiders.  Take away one of Farrell’s made free throws, and the teams would’ve had to settle it in overtime. 

 

Still, it’s a four quarter game.  A team won and a team lost.  If Ursuline meets St. Mark’s in the tournament, they will have to have an answer for all the green shirts on defense, particularly in the key.  St. Mark’s more or less dictated Ursuline’s offense in this latest matchup by setting up shop in the paint while lightly defending, for the most part, the low percentage shots out on the arc.  Ursuline took the bait, trying long jumper after long jumper.  True, they hit 6 threes, but at the expense of better opportunities underneath that were left untried.  Ursuline’s bigs – Kelsey Miller, Alex Witt, Caly Wendel, Jill Lyons and Mary Kate Williams – combined for an anemic 8 total points.  Going hand in hand with the Ursulinians not being able to establish offensive position the key was the collateral effect that UA was in bad position – especially on offense – to grab rebounds.  So, many UA possessions ended up one shot and done – that shot generally originating outside of the key.

 

For St. Mark’s, this is a team that is all about defense.  Offensively, they find a way to cobble together enough points to get the job done.  Unlike their opponents, Spartan scoring was balanced between the front and back court players.  Guards Kat Durbano and Amanda Farrell combined for 14; forwards Lindsey Nichols and Briana Goodge came up with 16; and swing player Alison Zimny another 7.

 

More and more, St. Mark’s is developing the look of a State Champion.  However, as well as they executed their latest game with Ursuline, they nevertheless came within a whisker of losing.  St. Mark’s looks like they are beatable.  Why then hasn’t anyone been able to prevail over them?

 

Should be an interesting tournament!

 

 

Saturday, February 20, 2010 7:00PM

 

Box Score	1	2	3	4	FINAL
St. Mark's HS (16 - 0 - 0)	11	11	11	4	37
Ursuline Academy (10 - 8 - 0)	5	11	13	7	36

 

Game Summary

 

ST. MARK’S-Durbano 1 0-0 3, Farrell 3 4-7 11, Nichols 4 0-3 10, Grey 0 0-0 0, B.Goodge 3 0-0 6, L'Italien 0 0-0 0, Zimny 3 1-2 7, Gallagher 0 0-0 0, Bonvetti 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 4-10 37.
 

URSULINE-Perrotti 5 1-2 13, Carter 2 1-2 7, Cranston 2 2-2 8, Williams 0 0-0 0, Miller 2 2-2 6, Wendel 1 0-0 2, Witt 0 0-0 0, Lyons 0 0-0 0, Curtis 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 6-8 36.
3-point goals-SM 5 (Nichols 2, Durbano, Farrell, Zimny), U 6 (Perrotti 2, Carter 2, Cranston 2).