Majors scores 29 as Monessen ends playoff drought
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Monessen鈥檚 Mercedes Majors splits two Riverview defenders after making a steal in Monday night鈥檚 WPIAL playoff game at Monessen.
Monessen's Hailey Johnson looks for an opening as she dribbles the ball against Riverview聽during Monday night's WPIAL playoff game at Monessen.
Monessen's Sidney Campbell (15) flings a pass to Mercedes Majors聽during Monday night's WPIAL playoff game at Monessen.
Monessen's Mereceds Majors puts up a shot in the lane against Riverview during Monday night's WPIAL playoff game at Monessen. Majors scored 29 points in the Lady Greyhounds' 51-16 victory.
Monessen's Kinsey Wilson drives past a Riverview defender聽during Monday night's WPIAL playoff game at Monessen.
Monessen coach Janine Vertacnik signals to her players during a WPIAL playoff game against Riverview at Monessen on Feb. 21. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
MONESSEN 鈥� Janine Vertacnik put it best on Monday night.
鈥淟et鈥檚 get that monkey off my back,鈥� the Lady Greyhounds coach said.
Monessen had gone 10 years without a WPIAL girls basketball playoff win and Vertacnik was 0-2 in the postseason in her first three years as coach there.
The fifth-seeded Lady Greyhounds (12-8) put a resounding end to both streaks with a dominating 51-16 first-round victory on their home court over Riverview.
Mercedes Majors rang up a game-high 29 points for Monessen which advanced to Thursday鈥檚 Class A quarterfinals at fourth-seeded Aquinas Academy.
The Lady Greyhounds鈥� last playoff win before Monday night was 60-52 over Rochester on Feb. 18, 2012, when former great Gina Naccarato was their coach. Monessen lost to, ironically, Riverview in the quarterfinals that year which began a string of five straight postseason defeats.
The program had been struggling until veteran coach Vertacnik took over before the 2018-19 season following stints at Yough, Jeannette, Greensburg Salem and the University of Pitt-Greensburg.
鈥淭hey won three games in two years before I got here,鈥� Vertacnik pointed out. 鈥淲e missed the playoffs that first year by one game. I think we鈥檝e come a long way. I鈥檓 just excited for this program.鈥�
The playoff losses under Vertacnik were 39-24 at home to Union last year and 34-30 to Aquinas Academy at Peters Township two years ago. The latter loss came in a game the Lady Greyhounds led 13-0 after one quarter and 17-3 at halftime.
鈥淎quinas, we鈥檙e looking for that game now,鈥� Vertacnik said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been haunting me. I just looked at the film again the other day.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to be a hell of a game. They鈥檙e good. I think we鈥檙e good. Whoever has the ball last could be the winning basket. I think it鈥檚 going to be that close. I know we want revenge.鈥�
The Lady Greyhounds took control against Riverview right from the start, outscoring the 12th-seeded Lady Raiders 15-2 in the first quarter.
Majors tallied seven points in the opening frame while teammates Hailey Johnson, Avanti Stitch, Kinsey Wilson and Myasia Majors each dropped in two points.
鈥淢ercedes has come a long way,鈥� Vertacnik said. 鈥淲e ride her back. And Kinsey being that ballhandler, it鈥檚 tough to take the ball off her.鈥�
Riverview鈥檚 lone basket of the first quarter came at the 3:40 mark by Kat Tsambis. The Lady Raiders (5-14) wouldn鈥檛 get on the board again until Lily Bauer made a free throw with 3:26 remaining in the third quarter, ending a scoring drought of 16:14.
Monessen led 25-2 at halftime and 40-4 after three periods.
鈥淚 really felt like we should鈥檝e won these last two years,鈥� Vertacnik said. 鈥淲e just didn鈥檛 want to let up tonight.鈥�
The Lady Greyhounds dominated the boards thanks in large part to Johnson and Myasia Majors.
鈥淲hen I saw them on film I thought we could box them out,鈥� Vertacnik said. 鈥淚 thought we were a little bit bigger and a little more physical. We pride ourselves on defense and boxing out and rebounding. That鈥檚 got to be our strengths right now.鈥�
Wilson wound up with eight points for the Lady Greyhounds, Stitch had six points and Johnson and Myasia Majors added four points apiece.
Tsambis and Maddie Deem each scored six points to lead Riverview.
After the game the players gave Vertacnik a Gatorade shower of sorts.
鈥淚t was water,鈥� she said with a smile. 鈥淚 told them they could. They鈥檝e been waiting to do that.鈥�
Vertacnik was pleased with her team鈥檚 performance for the most part.
鈥淲e started off so-so then we got that momentum going,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y kids never let up. They played hard from the beginning to the end. I was able to get everybody in the game which is nice because we don鈥檛 have any JV. I think everybody contributed.
鈥淲e always pass the ball to the open girl. That鈥檚 one thing about this team, they鈥檙e very unselfish. They make that extra pass if they need to.鈥�
Vertacnik dedicated the win to her former players who came up short in the playoffs.
鈥淭he last two years the kids that aren鈥檛 here now,鈥� Vertacnik said. 鈥淲e did it for them.鈥�