New Mission, Latin Academy girls pass semifinal tests

It may have taken an extra frame, but the New Mission girls are back in the Boston City League final for the second straight season.

It took an 11-0 run down the stretch after going down 44-40, but the Titans came away with a 5144 victory over O’Bryant at Madison Park on Wednesday afternoon in the first of two semifinals tilts.

“I told them, ‘Everything is 0-0 now,’ ” said New Mission assistant coach Hassan Fisher, who is filling in for coach Aliyah Stoner this week. “Every game from now on, plus states and cities, is win or go home. So, they have to adjust their mentality. We kind of crumbled a little bit, but we stayed afloat.”

It was senior Amy Mariano who came away with 23 of her game-high 38 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, including 10 of the 11 in overtime.

“Amy has been doing that for us all year,” Fisher said. “We had an up-anddown year, but she kept us afloat. Even though she fouled out in the last minute, she kept it afloat and she brought us home.”

Mariano also netted 13 points in the fourth while grabbing 17 boards, six steals and a pair of blocks.

“In my head, it’s all speed,” Mariano said about being able to find open space in the paint. “With the agility, you have to put in that work — the same way we put (the work) in practice. So, when I’m in the game, we have to do it together.”

Nursing a 16-15 lead at the half, New Mission (6-12) and O’Bryant (119) exchanged seven lead changes in the third, with the Tigers going up 27-25 on a triple for sophomore J’Niyah Cannon (eight points) with six ticks left in the frame.

In the fourth, the Titans started on a 10-2 run to go up 35-29 after a layup for Mariano. O’Bryant responded with a 6-0 run to knot it up 35-35 as the teams exchanged buckets down the stretch. None bigger than a three-pointer for sophomore Amira Mohamed (12 points) with just 14.1 left in regulation. Neither team was able to get a quality shot off before the overtime started.

In the first half, O’Bryant opened up strong to go up 6-1 and led 10-7 thanks to four points each for sophomores Cannon and Marisol Roach (six points).

New Mission railed with a 5-0 run to start the second to go up 1210 about midway through the frame. Mariano could not be stopped as she netted nine of her 15 first half points in the second as the teams had five lead changes in the second with the Titans up 16-15 at the break.

The Titans will face Latin Academy in Thursday’s final (4 p.m. at Madison Park). The Dragons built up a 45-8 halftime lead and cruised to a 69-34 win over Boston United. Amiah Noel scored 26 points, while teammate Kiara Collins added 15 for Latin Academy.