Fitch hangs on for win at Girard

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William D. Lewis/The Vindicator Desiree DeFrank of Girard tries to keep the ball from fitch's Erica Braxton during Thursday action at Girard.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Byanca Henderson’s 19 points helped the Falcons win, 55-51.

By TOM WILLIAMS

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

GIRARD — After being limited to 15 points in the first half, the Fitch High girls basketball team rebounded to find its scoring touch and first victory Thursday night.

Propelled by senior Byanca Henderson’s 19 points and taking advantage of Girard’s foul trouble, the Falcons (1-1) ignited to score 40 points in the final 16 minutes.

Key free throws down the stretch by Henderson, Megan Carney and Marissa Matozzi enabled Fitch to defeat Girard, 55-51, and give Stacie Cepin her first win as Fitch coach.

“One of our last scrimmages was like that,” said Cepin of Thursday’s seesaw battle with the Indians (1-2). “It went into overtime.”

So did last week’s opener against Poland.

“We like to make it interesting, I guess,” Cepin said.

Henderson described playing another tight game as being “all right. I think we could have come at them a little harder.

“We had a few mistakes, but I think we put it together in the second half,” Henderson said. “There was a lot of pressure but we pulled through. Erica Braxton did a really good job in the post.”

The Falcons led 50-43 when the Indians surged to close the gap. Caila Carter’s basket and free throws by Chelsea Guerrieri and Katelynne Brainard sliced the lead to 52-51.

“It was an up-and-down game and I thought the girls played well defensively,” Girard coach Andy Saxon said. “We’re learning. We missed some easy shots, some layups that could have made a difference.”

In the final seconds, Guerrieri fouled out to join Desiree DeFrank on the bench.

“The girls that came off the bench did a nice job,” Saxon said. “Fitch is a good team, a Division I school. I told the girls that they were going to be physical and we fouled hard.”

Cepin said what her players experienced in the final scrimmage and last week’s overtime loss to Poland “helped us to sustain the lead here, [decide] which shots we should take and how to take care of the ball in the last couple of minutes.”

Carney scored 11 points and Braxton 10.

For the Indians, Guerrieri scored 13 points while DeFrank and Brainard each netted 10.

The Falcons started out fine, jumping out to a 12-8 lead in the first quarter in the Indians’ gymnasium.

But the home team took charge in the second quarter, limiting the Falcons to three points to grab a 19-15 lead at halftime.

“This was a big step for us tonight,” Cepin said. “I guess what we learned from the last two experiences is that when we’re out in front [how] to execute on both ends of the floor.

Henderson provided senior leadership.

“Basketball is my only love,” said Henderson who has been playing for 11 years. “It’s the only sport I do.”

She credited her brothers Devon, Michael and Christian for inspiration.

“I watched them and I just went hard, I did what they did,” Henderson said.

Cepin said, “She just does so much for our team. She probably plays the most minutes, she plays the most important position on the floor.”

Cepin said her squad needs to improve its free-throw shooting. The Falcons made 14-of-28 attempts and missed eight in the final quarter.

“That’s definitely something we need to work on. We knew the press was going to come,” Cepin said of the Indians’ surge. “It’s a lot of baby steps right now. We’re growing, they’re learning. We play a lot of kids and there is a lot of learning going on.”

williams@vindy.com