Polonia punished by brilliant Buddies
St Mirren senior women bounced back from their first league defeat with a rearranged home National League game against Polonia Phoenix.
Missing the influential Nicole Davidson due to injury, Saints rearranged their starting five and immediately took the game to the Edinburgh side.
Early baskets from Swedish import Maddie Ingemarsson and Canadian Taryn Turnbull had Saints ahead, but dogged resistance from Polonia’s hardworking guard Laura Lochhead had Phoenix back on level terms.
Captain Rebecca Cleary soon got into her groove and hit two sparkling three-pointers to put the home side back in control, before Polonia’s Cochrane hit three baskets in succession to leave Saints with a narrow advantage at 12-11 at the end of the first quarter.
St Mirren came out in a determined fashion and dominated the second quarter with early points from Clare Dewar and Jennifer Harris, before Cleary, again, punished the Edinburgh side on the break with three unanswered baskets to put pressure on the visitors, who were finding it difficult to score.
Anna Mitchell got inside to increase Saints’ lead, before Turnbull had a strong lay- up and soon followed it with a fine three-pointer.
Coach Cleary ran his bench and, as the buzzer approached for half time, both teams traded baskets, with Saints comfortably ahead at 35-20 at the break.
Perhaps some complacency crept into St Mirren’s play in the third
The last week of the A superb solo effort by regular season saw what Thomson to bring up 41 would turn out to be an points was the highlight easy victory over the of the quarter. winless Glasgow City. A half-time score of
St Mirren junior men 44-29 to St Mirren were already assured a flattered Glasgow, who second place finish and, could count themselves boosted by a convincing lucky that Saints weren’t win last week against as clinical as they could be.WestLothianWolves, took the early advantage. The third quarter saw
Four points came from the hosts continue to defence stalwart Louis dominate proceedings. McLean, the first a City had nothing in rebound from Ross response to the Saints’ Piggot and the second an movement and a couple easy layup. of three-pointers from
The opening rounds of Euan Birch, another from the quarter were scrappy Irvine and a further layup and Glasgow took a from Stuart Berry meant surprise 8-6 lead thanks the game was effectively to two three-pointers.
This seemed to shake St won before Saints Mirren into action, with swapped the whole team Brad Low and captain for the final five minutes Jack Thomson scoring six of the third. between them to edge Again, the points their side in front. rattled in and the third
Mikey Irvine’s quarter ended with St introduction to the game Mirren 72-41 up. saw a further seven points Coach Stevenson took added and the Saints took the opportunity to rotate control of the quarter, the team again in the ending it 20-13 in front. fourth quarter, which will
St Mirren continued to be useful practice for the dominate possession in forthcoming play-offs. the second quarter and Final quarter points this encounter was were added by Birch, shaping as a mirror image Berry, Mark Sanderson to when these two sides and Louis Mclean, before last met. Thomson, Brad Low and
With points shared Irvine finally hammered amongst all of the players, home the points for the the second quarter was Saints to romp to a when the rout of Glasgow comfortable 94-50 really started. victory. quarter, as Polonia upped their game and reduced the deficit to seven points.
Coach Cleary immediately called a time- out to address the errors and turnovers which had crept in to Saints’ play.
The home side soon got back in to the game as Harris, Ingemarsson and Dewar got on the scoresheet to give St Mirren a healthy 54-38 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Dewar was in sparkling form with her fast breaks and scored four baskets as Polonia began to tire in the final quarter.
Fiona Harris hit a couple of good three pointers as Saints finally ran out 79-58 winners.
Saints’ top scorer was Cleary on 23 points, with Turnbull on 12 and Dewar with 11.