Mehl’s 3-pointer helps Steinert hold off Trenton

TRENTON » Steinert High girls basketball coach Kristin Jacobs would have been more upset if Natalie Mehl didn’t shoot.

After all, that is what Mehl does best.

But the junior still had to have the confidence to take and make the biggest shot of the game.

Mehl buried a 3-pointer with 1:10 remaining after Trenton had cut the lead to one and the Spartans held on for a 45-39 win on Thursday night at Rivera Middle School.

“We knew we wanted to run our fastbreak play only up by a few and we knew we needed a big basket,” Mehl said. “I do shoot 3s ... that’s what I’m good at. Down low is not my (game). I like shooting the 3s.”

Mehl finished with a game-high 17 points and made a trio of 3-pointers.

Her third and final trey came immediately after Jada White converted a three-point play to pull the Tornadoes to within 40-39.

“She’s got the green light to shoot whenever she’s open,” Jacobs said. “For good shooters to get hot, you got to shoot the ball.”

Jacobs encourages all her players to have confidence to shoot.

“I get more upset if kids don’t shoot when they are open because I assume they are an offensive liability,” she said. “These girls know they can shoot.”

Tatianna Dorner added 12 points and Jayda Bing chipped in 10 for the Spartans (2-1).

Neither team shot the ball particularly well. Steinert connected at a 29.7 percent rate (14-for-47), while Trenton hit for just 27.7 percent (15-for-54).

Thanks to the relentless offensive rebounding of White, Ishuana Hunter and N’Dia Stepps, the Tornadoes remained close and took a brief 30-28 lead with 3:34 remaining in the third quarter.

Despite attempting fewer shots, Steinert made 6-of-18 from behind the arc. Trenton, meanwhile, was 0-for3.

Mehl’s 3-pointer in the final minute of the third quarter gave the Spartans a 35-32 edge heading into the final eight minutes.

“She can drop seven or eight 3s if she gets hot,” Jacobs said. “That first game against Notre Dame, we were beating them at halftime because she had 21 points in the first half. She’s a scorer. We’ve got kids who know their roles, and she knows she has to but the ball up to get points for us.”

Hunter paced the Tornadoes (0-3) with 10 points and White had nine.

The Spartans have won two in a row since falling to Notre Dame in the opener. In that game, they led at halftime before a miserable third quarter allowed the Irish to take control.

“We left it all on the floor in the first half and won three of the four quarters, but had a tumultus third quarter and that was it,” Jacobs said. “It was tough on us because we were pleased with our effort and we know we can hang with a team like that.” Mehl echoed that. “Coming into the season, we know what our strengths are,” she said. “We know we can push the ball. We know we have to communicate on both offense and defense. We worked really great as a team today and the hustle was there. We started out the game strong, and if we can start every game like this, it’s going to be a good season.”

Golik 0-3-3, Dorner 5-2-12, Mehl 5-4-17, Bing 3-2-10, Collazo 0-0-0, Diszler 0-0-0, Huth 0-0-0, CWood 1-0-3, VComfort 0-0-0.

Totals —

White 3-3-9, Stepps 2-3-7, Daley 1-2-4, MRobinson 3-0-6, Hunter 5-0-10, Pickett 1-1-3.

Totals — Steinert (2-1) Trenton (0-3) 3-point goals —

(S).

14-11-45.

15-9-39.

11 7 15 12 9 13 10 — 7 —

Bing 2, Mehl 3, CWood

45 39