Murray scores 36, pulls down 20 rebounds in Lady Red Raiders’ victory
Uniontown鈥檚 Mya Murray runs the floor alongside Destiny Hall in Friday鈥檚 non-section game at Elizabeth Forward High School. Murray scored a game-high 36 points and pulled down 20 rebounds, which broke 1,000 for her career in the Lady Red Raiders鈥� 69-58 victory.
Jonathan Guth
Uniontown鈥檚 Mya Murray fires a pass over Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Haven Briggs in their non-section game at Elizabeth Forward High School on Jan. 31. Murray has been selected to the FCCA Girls Basketball Recognition Team.
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Uniontown鈥檚 Jersey Greer drives to the basket while being chased by Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Tamar Herchhelroath during their non-section game on Friday at Elizabeth Forward High School.
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Brooke Markland puts up a jump shot in Friday鈥檚 non-section game against Uniontown at Elizabeth Forward High School.
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Uniontown鈥檚 Karsyn Chiado puts up a jump shot while being guarded by Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Anna Resnik in Friday鈥檚 non-section game at Elizabeth Forward High School.
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Haven Briggs passes over Uniontown鈥檚 Destiny Hall in Friday鈥檚 non-section game at Elizabeth Forward High School.
ELIZABETH 鈥� Mya Murray has the ability to take over a game 鈥� and the Uniontown senior did just that in the Lady Red Raiders鈥� 69-58 victory over Elizabeth Forward on Friday in non-section play at Elizabeth Forward High School.
Murray, who is a Brown University recruit and the leader in the WPIAL in scoring, had a game-high 36 points on 13 field goals (two 3-pointers) and was 8 of 8 from the foul line. She also had 20 rebounds to surpass 1,000 for her career. Murray has pulled down 1,006 boards in her career.
鈥淚 am glad that we are growing as a team,鈥� Murray said. 鈥淚 am scoring less now because I want them to get used to scoring for next year so they don鈥檛 depend on me. It is more of a team win. They are going to look for me to handle the ball more and shoot more in college, so I am working on improving on that. I am glad to get my 1,000th career rebound. I am able to use my height to my advantage, and rebounding and playing good defense are just as important as scoring.鈥�
鈥淪he (Murray) took over,鈥� Uniontown coach Penny Kezmarsky said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be more proud of her and what she has accomplished. I have coached her for three years and she makes my job a lot easier.鈥�
Murray had a 鈥渟low鈥� start in the first quarter with seven points, as Uniontown (4-8, 6-14) had a 20-19 lead, as the Lady Warriors (6-6, 8-10) stayed in the game by making five 3-pointers, including three from Brooke Markland, but Murray scored six straight to open the second period and 12 in the frame to extended the Lady Raiders鈥� advantage at halftime to 40-35.
鈥淪he (Murray) is very talented and has a lot of size,鈥� Elizabeth Forward coach Krystal Gibbs said.
Uniontown outscored Elizabeth Forward, 13-7, in the third quarter for a 53-42 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Both scored 16 in the final period.
The Lady Raiders鈥� Abigail Bellina had 11 points on four field goals and three free throws and teammate Summer Hawk scored six.
Markland scored 25 points on seven field goals, including five 3-pointers, and was 6 of 8 at the foul line. Teammate Anna Resnik added 18 points on six field goals (1 three-pointer) and was 5 of 9 at the line. The Lady Warriors鈥� Haven Briggs scored nine points on three 3-pointers.
鈥淚 have two of my starters out tonight and they did a phenomenal job of playing together,鈥� Gibbs said. 鈥淚t is good competition for us. We have to win our last two games and we need to make sure that Southmoreland beats Belle Vernon to get in the playoffs, so anything can happen. Not in the position that we want to be in, but we are in the push.鈥�
鈥淲e have to do a better job with guarding against the three-point shot,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淭hat has been probably our No. 1 issue this season.鈥�
Uniontown is 4-5 in its last nine, which is pleasing to Kezmarsky and Murray, but it is bittersweet due to Murray only having two varsity games left.
鈥淚t is definitely bittersweet to know that I only have a couple of games left in my high school career,鈥� Murray said.
鈥淚 feel like they are coming into stride,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淎re we coming into stride too late in the season? Yes, but they are really starting to realize that they can score, too. That is my No. 1 thing with them. We will have a lot of points to make up for next year with Mya graduating. I am excited about this group of sophomores.鈥�