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Walsh reaches Division II state semifinals

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March 17, 2010

 

by Dean Raymond

Correspondent

Ontario — Perhaps Walsh Jesuit head girls basketball coach Pete Zaccari said it best after his Lady Warriors earned a 53-44 victory over Rocky River March 12 for the Division II regional championship at Ontario High School.

“You want it more for the kids than for yourself,” he said. “It was sweet to win it all in 2004-05 but we have two more steps to go.”

With the win, Walsh earned a berth in the Division II state semifinals. 

The Lady Warriors (23-2) are scheduled to play Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown March 18 at Value City Arena in Columbus. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

If Walsh wins, it is scheduled to meet the Kettering Archbishop Alter-Washington Court House Miami Trace winner in the state championship game March 20 at 2 p.m.

On March 12, the Lady Warriors were not to be denied after losing a 50-48 decision to Wapakoneta in last year’s regional championship game. 

Trailing 12-6 with 3 minutes, 19 seconds remaining in the first quarter thanks to a pair of trifectas from Lady Pirates’ senior guard Molly McNally, Walsh got a layup after a rebound from senior center Nneka Offodile and a jumper by sophomore guard Rachel Theriot as the Lady Warriors were down just 12-10 after eight minutes of action.

Theriot then exploded for 11 of her game-high 25 points in the second period, including a running jumper with 3:34 left in the second quarter as Walsh took its first lead of the game at 20-18.

The Lady Pirates led again at 21-20 when McNally canned a three-point goal (her third of three on the evening) with 2:32 to go in the second period.

Theriot, however, started a 9-0 run with a jumper at the 2:22-mark in the second quarter as Walsh Jesuit led for good at 22-21.

Theriot ended the 9-0 run by the Lady Warriors with a triple as Walsh led 29-21 with 54 seconds remaining in the second period.

The Lady Warriors had a 29-23 lead at the half.

A layup by senior forward Christin Vanatta late in the second quarter and a free throw from sophomore forward Hannah McCue early in the third period brought Rocky River to within five points (29-24) early in the third quarter.

However, senior guard Ariel McNair then capped a 5-0 run by the Lady Warriors with a three-point goal at the 3:51 mark in the third period as Walsh Jesuit led 34-24.

The Lady Pirates answered with a 6-2 run and trailed just 36-30 as junior forward Maeve Kessler completed a three-point play with 1:50 to go in the third quarter.

A pair of free throws from senior guard Kara Goliat capped a 5-0 run by the Lady Warriors as Walsh led 43-30 with 5:54 remaining in the fourth period.

Rocky River didn’t go away and trailed just 47-41 with 1:23 left in the game as McCue swished home her first of two triples in the contest.

Cheryl Yu then sank a jumper (a nifty assist to McNair) at 1:16 while Theriot converted both free throws with 23 seconds to go in the game to give Walsh a commanding 51-41 advantage.

“We all remember how we lost last year and we didn’t want that feeling again,” Yu said. “After the first quarter, we needed to calm down and play our game.”

Goliat gave credit to the Lady Warrior fans who made the 90-minute trip to Mansfield.

“The school support was great,” she said. “It’s nice to know we have their support and we appreciate it. I struggled offensively, but I made up for it on defense [five steals].”

Offodile (11 points and nine rebounds) chalked up the win to the team’s work ethic.

“It means a lot,” Offodile said. “When the final buzzer went off, all the hard work paid off.”

Zaccari tipped his hat to the Lady Pirates.

“I have a lot of respect for Rocky River,” he said. “They are big and physical. Once we got our feet underneath us, we were OK. 

“We made a lot of mistakes in the first quarter, but Rocky River also played good defense.

“We started to execute and play our game. Theriot (five rebounds, three assists) is a terrific player and she was double- and triple-teamed the entire game. That’s tough on Rachel.”

McCue led Rocky River with 16 points, including 10 points in the fourth period, while McNally added 15 points with all of them coming in the first half (10 in the first quarter).

E-mail: stowsports@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3914

 




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