Lady Pioneers ride press to win at Monessen
Monessen鈥檚 Mercedes Majors looks for an opening as West Greene鈥檚 Katie Lampe defends during a game at Monessen on Jan. 31. Both teams play WPIAL Class A quarterfinal games tonight with the Lady Pioneers hosting Bishop Canevin and the Lady Greyhounds at Aquinas Academy.
Holly Tonini
West Greene鈥檚 Anna Durbin looks to make a move around Monessen鈥檚 Sidney Campbell during Monday night鈥檚 game at Monessen.
West Greene鈥檚 Kiley Meek (20) and Monessen鈥檚 Hailey Johnson (5) and Avanti Stitch battle for control of the ball during Monday night鈥檚 game at Monessen. (Photo by Holly Tonini)
West Greene鈥檚 Katie Lampe defends Monessen鈥檚 Kinsey Wilson during Monday night鈥檚 game at Monessen. (Photo by Holly Tonini)
Holly Tonini
Monessen鈥檚 Avanti Stitch makes a pass around West Greene鈥檚 Kasie Meek to Hailey Johnson during Monday night鈥檚 game at Monessen.
MONESSEN 鈥� West Greene moved closer to its sixth straight section title with a 61-43 win at Monessen Monday night as the Lady Pioneers won their 62nd consecutive section game.
鈥淲e played very composed and did a really good job on their top two scorers,鈥� said West Greene coach Jordan Watson following the Section 2-A game. 鈥淎fter playing well in the first quarter, taking a nine-point lead into the half was good considering our foul trouble.
鈥淭hen we were able to get back to our press.鈥�
Monessen coach Janine Vertacnik spoke about the difference in the game, which was found in the turnover column on the statistics sheet.
鈥淎gainst this team, you can鈥檛 turn the ball over,鈥� she said of her team鈥檚 34 turnovers. 鈥淲e turned it over in the backcourt and that was easy points for them.
鈥淏ut I am proud of the effort, and I am measuring ourselves through (West Greene).鈥�
Anna Durbin led West Greene with 20 points, and it leaves her seven points shy of 1,000 for her career.
鈥淎nna led us tonight,鈥� said Watson. 鈥淪he should get her 1,000th point Thursday, if the weather cooperates.鈥�
Early on, the game was a defensive battle as the two teams combined for a total of four baskets over the first 4:26.
But then West Greene started hitting shots, and this allowed the Lady Pioneers to get into their patented 鈥淧ress Greene鈥� mode. The Pioneers forced the Greyhounds into 13 first-quarter turnovers, although they gave it back to Monessen seven times in the frame.
Monessen went on an 8-0 run to open the second quarter and when Sidney Campbell banked in a three-pointer with 5:38 to go in the half, the Lady Greyhounds had trimmed the lead to 21-18.
With West Greene up 23-20 with 5:07 to go until halftime, the Lady Pioneers embarked on a 7-1 run to take a 30-21 lead into the break.
That was also the middle of a stretch in which West Greene did not allow a Monessen basket for almost a full quarter of game action.
When Mercedes Majors made a shot with 5:07 to go in the second quarter, the Lady Greyhounds would not make another basket until the 5:17 mark of the third when MyAsia Majors scored.
During the stretch, West Greene went on a 19-3 run and its lead went from 23-20 to 42-23.
鈥淲e came out flat in the third quarter and we were tired going into halftime,鈥� said Vertacnik. 鈥淚t was good being down nine at the half, but when you are tired, your mind goes, and you aren鈥檛 moving quite as fast.鈥�
Watson also spoke about the run as well as the third quarter when it forced Monessen into 12 turnovers.
鈥淭hat was almost a quarter there without a field goal. We varied the pressures a little bit and went from full court to half court,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e did a good job of that, and if we kept them off the foul line, then we would be fine because we knew they couldn鈥檛 outscore us (from the field).
鈥淥nce we got into foul trouble a little bit (in the second), we had to drop back and play a little more half court. It got us to halftime and then we were able to come out and press (in the third).鈥�
West Greene turned the ball over 18 times.
Katie Lampe made four 3-pointers in scoring 14 points and Kasie Meek had 11 to join Durbin in double figures while Mercedes Majors led Monessen with 12 points and Campbell added 10.
Both coaches spoke briefly about where their respective programs are.
鈥淲e feel we own the section right now, and we knew this was a big game for them,鈥� Watson said. 鈥淲e told the girls we like playing our big games in late February and in early March.鈥�
Vertacnik was proud of her team fighting to the last second and she also appreciated the vociferous home crowd.
鈥淲ith how hard we played to the last second, that is what I want to see,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are hungry, we want to win, and the girls are disappointed. Playing in front of this crowd tonight was special, and the girls fed off of it.鈥�
Wednesday will mark the six-year anniversary of West Greene鈥檚 last section loss (at Jefferson-Morgan), and Vertacnik respects what the Lady Pioneers have done.
鈥淚 have to give them credit, and I am proud of them, because they are representing our section in a positive way,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey have played for a WPIAL title four years in a row and that is saying something because they aren鈥檛 a Catholic school or a private school.鈥�
Both teams return to section play Thursday as West Greene goes to Jefferson-Morgan while Monessen hosts Avella.