Tyra Grant leads Ursuline past Mooney, 50-37

The senior scored her 1,000th career point in the SVC game.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Regardless of the sport, Cardinal Mooney against Ursuline defines itself with intensity. Thursday night at the Ursuline gym, the status quo was maintained.
A girls basketball game that saw seven ties and seven lead changes until the final three minutes of the third quarter, saw Ursuline pull away in the final period to defeat its rival, 50-37.
For the defending Division III state champion Irish (3-1), who won their Steel Valley Conference opener, it was a night of celebration for 5-foot-11 junior Tyra Grant. Grant with 10 points in the first half, including the 1,000th of her career, which came with 2:50 remaining before the intermission.
Grant scored a field goal on an acrobatic drive to the basket for the final lead change at the 3:24 mark of the third quarter. It gave Ursuline a 30-28 lead.
Through the first half it was Grant and Mooney's 5-9 junior, Amber Bodrick, who were in a fierce one-on-one competition.
Leader in rebounds and assists
Grant scored a game-high 24 points, four below her season average, which left her at 1,016 career points, She also had nine of her team's 25 rebounds and four assists.
"It is always something to reach 1,000 points, especially when you do it against a good team like Cardinal Mooney," said Grant.
"To be perfectly honest, I was so focused on winning, that I wasn't aware of it [1,000 points] until it happened and then it was a bonus," she added. "Winning was the real bonus in a close game against a tough team, that happened with us shutting down their key people when we had to."
The Cardinals took an 11-8 near the end of the first quarter on Gina Brunetti's 3-point basket pointer. It was 13-10 entering the second period and 19-12 with 6:03 remaining in the first half on another Brunetti field goal.
Grant, with two field goals and a pair of free throws, led a comeback that had the Irish ahead 32-30 at the half.
Other Ursuline standouts
Megan Saccomen, a 6-0 sophomore, finished with eight points and seven rebounds and helped keep Ursuline within striking distance in the first half.
"After the Rayen loss last week we were really pumped up for this game and Tyra got us going in the second half," said Saccomen.
Ursuline's 5-8 junior point guard, Vannessa Dickson, scored 13 points, including nine in the second half, and had four steals.
"We executed with better patience in the second half," said Dickson.
The Irish pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Mooney, 18-7.
"It was a good chess game, but we didn't execute well at all in the fourth quarter," said Mooney (2-2, 0-1) coach Jack Bermann.
"Ursuline is the best team we have played so far and Tyra Grant is a load for anybody," he added.
Mooney's scorers
The Cardinals were led by Brunetti, with 15 points, and Bodrick, who was below her 20-point plus average with 11. Colleen Zajac, a 6-0 junior, had five of Mooney's 15 rebounds.
Ursuline coach Sean Durkin said he made several halftime adjustments to change matchups.
"One of those put Tiffany Miller on Brunetti and she made a difference as we were better defensively after the break," said Durkin. "Then Tyra began to carry us with us getting her the ball in spots that picked up our offense."