By Joseph Staszewski
“We didn't run one set offense,” he said. “It was a pretty simple game plan. Play good defense, see what the defense gives you, and then hopefully our shots go down”They did.The Hilltoppers went on a 15-2 run spanning most of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth and beat St. Francis Prep, 50-37 Friday night at Mary Louis.A jumper by Maiza Mock, who led all scorers with 18, cut the Hilltoppers' lead to 27-23 with 5:30 left in the third quarter. Mary Louis (9-7, 3-3) countered by fast breaking and working to get quality and sometimes open shots.Casey Shevlin connected on a jumper from the corner to put Mary Louis up 31-23 with 2:26 to play in the third quarter, prompting a Terriers' timeout. With 51 seconds left, Amanda Burakoski hit a three-pointer.Thirty seconds later, after a long miss by Prep guard Emma Gorynski, the freshman started a fast break that ended with her finding Elizabeth Zecca for an easy lay in to give the Hilltoppers a 36-23 lead going into the fourth quarter.Shevlin (17 points) hit another jumper to start the fourth. Mock would get a driving layup to fall before Burakoski (11 points) capped the run with a layup of her own to give Mary Louis a 42-25 lead with 6:20 left.”We run really well when she is in the game,” said Shevlin of the reserve guard Burakoski. “When she gets in it's just fast break, fast break, fast break.”St. Francis Prep (4-10, 0-5) was able to keep Mary Louis from getting into any offensive rhythm in the first half, but looked out of sync during the game turning run.”There were times where we lost our focus and nobody stepped up to put that focus back on track and that's when they went on a run,” St. Francis coach JoAnn Wagner said. “We did not stay in the defense the way we were supposed to stay in the defense.”The Terriers' back court and outside shooting threats Gina Catherall and Bonnie DeFina were all held to single digits for the game. Mock, who dislocated her shoulder in the game's final minute fighting for a loose ball with Julia Serewko, was the team's only consistent scorer in the second half. “In this gym you can't shoot from the outside,” Wagner said. “We practiced to take the ball in because that is the only way you are going to score in the gym.”Mary Louis had similar outside shooting troubles in the first half. But according to Shevlin they are a second half team. They surely were on this night.”I'd rather the shots go in in the second half than the first half,” Lewinger said. “I don't questions the powers to be. If that is going to be the case, I'll take it.”Reach contributing writer Joseph Staszewski by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
