Grant scores 29 points as Ursuline tops Rayen

The Penn State-bound standout also had 10 rebounds.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- No wonder Penn State wants Tyra Grant: She is that good.
The 5-foot-11 Ursuline senior, who has signed a letter of intent to play for PSU, has all of the moves and shots and determination to make things happen on the court. And she knows what to do with the ball: Go to the hoop or find an open player to pass to so she can go to the hoop.
Grant demonstrated these special abilities Thursday night, scoring 29 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to lead Ursuline to a 58-32 romp past Rayen in a Steel Valley Conference showdown at the Irish gym. The teams entered the game unbeaten in the league.
"She's excellent," said first-year Rayen coach Taniesha Franklin, a former Rayen and Thiel College basketball player. "She is one of the top players in the city. She is an all-around athlete."
Ursuline (11-4, 4-0 SVC) coach Sean Durkin said that Grant's determination to persevere and make things happen, coupled with her smooth playing ability, make her a special weapon on the court.
"Probably tenacity," is her greatest asset as a player," said Durkin. "She's played great all year. She has been a very consistent player and a real leader.
Poor start, big finish
It did take Grant awhile to get going on offense, but when she did she did it in her usual big way, finishing with 12-for-25 from the field and 5-for-5 from the foul line. Grant finished with 10 points in the first quarter.
She had strong support from sophomore Brittany Armour with 11 points and eight rebounds and senior playmaker Vannessa Dickson with nine points and five assists. Tiffani Miller chipped in with eight rebounds and six points.
"Armour will be a good player. She has made a lot of progress," said Durkin. "Dickson has been with us for four years. She is one of our leaders. She gets us into our offense."
Sophomore Brittany Taylor led Rayen with 10 points while junior Tierra Jones added eight with 11 rebounds, four blocks and three assists. Kenysha Tennant contributed seven points and five rebounds.
Rayen's strategy falters
Franklin said that Rayen (9-4, 3-1 SVC) was able to contain Grant early when the Tigers began were defending her man-for-man. But when Jones, who was guarding Grant, injured her ankle in the second quarter and had to leave the game temporarily, Rayen had no one else to watch Grant man-for-man and switched to a zone defense.
The coach said that she didn't want to assign Taylor, also one of her top players, to guard Grant because Taylor had two fouls and the coach didn't want her to foul out.
"Jones came back in the game in the second quarter but I felt that she couldn't stay man-to-man on Grant because of her ankle, and so we stayed in a zone," said Franklin.
Grant finds the range
But while Grant was missing shots early, Rayen bounced to an 8-3 lead before Grant persevered and the shots started dropping and she led Rayen to a 13-10 lead after one quarter, which encouraged her teammates.
The Irish then reeled off a 15-2 run led by Miller and Armour with six points apiece to give the Irish a 28-12 lead, before Grant went to work again with five points and Armour added two more for a 35-17 halftime command.
Then Grant poured it on in the third quarter with 12 points to help Ursuline boost its advantage to 53-25 entering the final quarter.
kovach@vindy.com