Falcons work way past Saints
With its shots not falling in the fourth quarter, Severna Park had to do the little things to pull out a win over St. Mary’s on Thursday.
After Julia Ryan scored down low to give the Falcons a six-point lead 30 seconds into the fourth, they didn’t hit a field goal the rest of the game. They hit some key free throws and pulled down some timely rebounds over the final two minutes and escaped with a season-opening 38-31 victory over the Saints.
Ryan had 12 points and nine rebounds to lead the Falcons, who led by as many as 13 points early in the second half.
“We know we need to shoot better than that,” Severna Park coach Kristofer Dean said. “We were hanging on for dear life.”
Though the Falcons shot just 40 percent from the line for the game and 50 percent in the fourth quarter, they hit six of their final eight over the final 46 seconds to pull away from a one-score game. In addition to grabbing an important offensive rebound with 34 seconds left, Jess Albert went 4 for 4 from the line in the final minute to help the Falcons hang on. She finished with six points and eight rebounds.
“We knew if we kept working we’d get something to go our way,” Dean said. “I’m real proud of them.”
After the teams were tied at 8 after the first quarter, Severna Park (1-0) gave up just two points in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 16-10 lead. The Falcons kept pounding the ball inside in the third and went up by 13 when Ryan scored down low off a nice feed from Rachel Spilker.
St. Mary’s (1-2) started to chip away at the lead and went into the fourth down by just four. Ashley Roy, who finished with eight points, hit a pair of 3-pointers a minute apart and
Claire Richardson scored four points in the quarter to give the Saints some life.
The Saints missed their chance to take over the game in the fourth though, when like the Falcons, they hit just one field goal in the quarter and scored their other five points from the line. They were down by just a point with 2:40 left in the game, but scored just one point the rest of the way.
Thursday’s offensive performance was nothing like Tuesday’s when the Saints put up 69 points in a victory over St. StephensSt. Agnes.
“I thought we did a pretty good job on the boards, but we just couldn’t shoot the basketball,” said St. Mary’s coach Chuck Miller, who was going for his 300th career win. “You have to be able to score.”
Richardson and Karry Kelliher each added seven points for St. Mary’s, which will try to get Miller win No.300 on Friday when the Saints host Key.
Lena McLaughlin had a team-high 16 rebounds (11 offensive) to go with her four points for the Falcons, who will host Southern on Friday.
CHESAPEAKE 66, CATHOLIC 27: Haley Downin had 18 points, six rebounds and four assists and three Cougars scored in double-figures in a lopsided win.
Ashley Chew followed with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists and Corinne Castle had 12 points and six rebounds for Chesapeake.
Summer Smith had 10 assists and six rebounds, Morgan Gray led the team with seven rebounds and added eight points and Karlie Stracke had six points, five rebounds and three steals for the Cougars. MT. CARMEL 56, SEVERN 22: Morgan Skinner had seven points and Camryn Levin added five points as the Admirals lost.
Boys basketball
GREATER GRACE 74, ROCKBRIDGE 42: David Lytikainen scored 16 points, hitting five three-pointers, but the Scots fell.
Benjamin Ault had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Scots (1-2), who also got eight rebounds from Tobi Ajuwon.
Wrestling
OLD MILL SWEEPS TRI-MEET: Trinity Killip (106, 113), Walter Lundstrum (120), Levi Garren (182) and Stephen Nisewiesner (HWT) recorded two pins each as Old Mill defeated Annapolis, 47-20, and Meade, 63-18.
Damion Mansapit (126) and Caron Tull (138, 145) also won twice for the Patriots (2-0).
Brent Newland won by pin at 152 pounds and Nate Fleming did the same at 220 pounds for Old Mill against Meade. Old Mill heads to North Hagerstown this weekend for a dual tournament. SOUTHERN SWEEPS TRI-MEET: Justin Knapp (106), Andrew Ruel (120), Devin Ball (126), Christian Taylor (152) and Averum White (170) all won twice as the Bulldogs defeated Severna Park, 37-36, and Arundel, 45-36.