Rileigh Wheeler dealt a 23-point performance Monday night as Moore Catholic rode past St. Joseph Hill, 60-51, in a CHSAA girls' basketball game Monday night in Arrochar.
Hill held a slim lead after the first quarter but the Mavericks' stifling defense held the opposition to just four points in the second quarter en route to a 27-18 halftime lead. In the second half, the Hilltoppers could not erase a constant 10-point deficit.
"Hill played very well tonight," Moore coach Gela Mikalauskas said. "They were very scrappy and we had spots where we played very well and some where we didn't. I didn't think we were firing on all cylinders the entire game."
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Wheeler's consistent scoring and dominant presence on the boards and in the paint helped the Mavericks build a stable lead, which at one point was a 16-point advantage.
"She played well," Mikalauskas added, "and she always competes strong on both sides of the ball and we were happy with her play tonight."
DEFENSE WINS GAMES
Francine Russo was "key" to the win as her fiery, hard-nosed defense led to multiple turnovers and capped Hill's scoring.
"She was the key of the game," Mikalauskas said. "She's very intense on defense and was communicating well with the rest of the team, plugging up holes in our man to man defense."
Kayla Schmitter was also a strong presence inside.
TURNING POINT
Trailing 49-33 with six minutes remaining in the game, the Hilltoppers went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to single digits. Lauren DiMartino led the home squad with 25 points, including nine points in the fourth. Erin Carey supplied 16 points, nine of which came in the final five minutes.
However, after two timeouts to abate the momentum, Moore recovered with a 6-0 run of its own and never looked back. Kristin Minunno scored nine of her 14 points in the fourth, including four of six from the charity stripe.
"She missed all of last season due to an injury," Mikalauskas noted, "but she has a good head on her shoulders, is tough-minded and got us those important points down the stretch."
Hill flipped the three-pointer switch in the fourth, sinking four from downtown, but it was too little too late.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Mavericks (3-2 overall, 1-1 CHSAA) travel to Preston Sunday for a 2:30 p.m. matinee. The Hilltoppers host Preston Saturday at 1:45 p.m.
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