Mooney gets hot, beats JFK in overtime

The Cardinals scored the game's last 16 points en route to a 52-41 victory.
By JOHN BASSETTI
Vindicator sports staff
YOUNGSTOWN -- Maybe what Dave Konczal said about his girls tiring out in the fourth quarter made sense.
When the opponent scored only two points against your team during the previous quarter and you're ahead, 41-36, the momentum should be on your side.
Warren JFK was in that position against Cardinal Mooney on Wednesday, but the Cardinals suddenly scored 16 straight points to win in overtime, 52-41.
"We lost two players before the start of the game to injuries," Konczal said of freshman starter Stephanie Cervi, and Arielle Ambrosy, a backup post player.
Drop-off
Need more proof? Just look at the point drop-off per period: 14, 10, 8, 9, 0.
Undoubtedly, JFK's injuries did play a part in the late stages, but Mooney's remarkable recovery made the Cardinals deserving of the Steel Valley Conference victory.
Sam Brys and Michelle Chaves kept JFK (3-11, 1-2) in the game with 14 and 11 points, respectively, but Sarah Pelini scored 12 points and Dayna Daltorio and Morgan Ucchino added 11 apiece for Mooney (5-6, 2-1).
The turnaround started after Chaves made two free throws to put the Eagles up 41-36.
Danielle Daltorio scored a basket, then sister Dayna Daltorio popped in a 3-point goal from the right wing with 13.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 41.
That's when the Cardinals smelled blood.
Chaves went to the hoop, but missed a layup to send the game into an extra four-minute session.
Free throw parade
Gretchen Haug came from nowhere to make four of her six points at the line in overtime, while Ucchino made five foul shots.
Prior to overtime, Mooney was 0 of 5 at the line.
"I think we got tired, defensively," Konczal said. "I told the girls, 'I don't think we lost because we missed shots down the stretch, I think we lost because we gave them too many open shots.'"
Of Dayna Daltorio's 3-point goal that tied the game, Konczal said: "I know we didn't have a girl within 12 feet of her."
Incidentally, Dayna received a pass from her sister, Danielle, prior to the big basket.
Haug is a sophomore who came over from Springfield over the summer.
"We've been getting her in the games," Mooney coach Jack Bermann said of Haug's play Wednesday. "The first couple times she wasn't having a normal game, turning ball over, etc. I told her, 'Hang in there, you never know what's going to happen.' She's one of our best free throw shooters, so I figured, get the game in overtime, then throw her in.
Earned her keep
"I was only going to play her for a minute or two, just to change things up and rest my other center, but she gets fouled, gets to the free throw line and away she goes. I thought, I'm not going to take her out now."
Of Mooney scoring the game's last 16 points, Bermann said: "We decided to suck it up on defense. I think they got tired. They had some substitutions they normally don't do because of injuries and they played a tough game on Tuesday. Once we tied, I knew we could take over and see what happens and play four more minutes of basketball. I don't think they could."
The game was JFK's fourth overtime loss; the others were Newton Falls, Maplewood and Lowellville.