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By JOHN ERZAR jerzar@leader.net
Wednesday, March 12, 2003 Page: 1B
POTTSVILLE – Pregame emotions were running in all directions Tuesday night
at Martz Hall.
Meyers point guard Mary Mushock was relatively calm, except for some worry
about getting her broken nose bumped. Key reserve Lauren Trinisewski had an
edginess to her. And starting forward Rose Morgans’ optimism was hampered by a
dash of caution.
But as the case has been throughout most of this season, one emotion united
Meyers once on the hardwoods – intensity. And the Mohawks used it to run down
an opponent, Southern Columbia, which was expected to run with them for a
60-50 victory in a PIAA Class 2A girls basketball game.
“We like to get up and down the court,” Meyers coach Curt Lloyd said. “I
think once again our press took its toll late in the game. They’d throw the
ball and we were just reacting. Good things happen when you go after the
basketball.”
District 2 runner-up Meyers (27-3) built on its school record for victories
in a season and moved to the state quarterfinals on Friday. The Mohawks will
play District 3 champion Delone Catholic (26-5) at a site and time to be
announced. Delone ousted District 1 champion Saint Pius X 44-37.
District 4 champion Southern Columbia ended its season at 21-8.
Meyers digested a Southern Columbia game tape Monday and left feeling
confident … sort of.
“We watched a tape of one of their games during lunch period,” Morgans
said. “But they could have had their worst game of the year.”
They left the locker room prior to the game with differing thoughts.
“It was much more difficult because it was such a big game for us and our
team has never gone this far,” Trinisewski said.
“It wasn’t harder,” interrupted Mushock, “because all of our nerves are
finally out. We just played two big games, so we just come in and want to have
fun.”
Fun means run, and that’s just what Meyers did. A few misses prevented the
Mohawks from pressing early. Then they started hitting some shots, allowing
them to begin their usual defensive harassment.
And while Southern Columbia led 14-10 after one quarter and held the lead
twice again for about two minutes total in the second, the Mohawks had the
tempo in their favor. They forced 21 first-half turnovers, and even when
Southern Columbia broke the pressure, it was an awkward endeavor.
“They made it very difficult to get the ball up the court,” Southern
Columbia coach Mick Fleming said. “They made it very difficult to get the
ball inside.”
A 7-2 run to end the first half, highlighted by a three-pointer by Heather
Antolik, gave Meyers a 28-23 lead it held for the rest of the game. Southern
Columbia managed to get within 42-40 early in the fourth quarter, but another
Antolik three-pointer triggered an 11-5 run.
Mushock, who postponed surgery on her nose Monday in order to play, scored
a team-high 16 points. Morgans, playing with a respiratory infection, added 10
points, as did Antolik. Lisa Dierolf had nine.
The bench of Trinisewski, Sabrina Gibson and Sameerah Woods once again
outscored the opposing reserves, this time 11-2.
Southern Columbia guard Kami Roth scored 16 points, most of which came from
the perimeter. Center Chelsea Lononconus added 14.