Despite injuries, Rockets not ready to play for pride

By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

LOWELLVILLE

At the beginning of the season, if you had told Lowellville High girls basketball coach Tony Matisi that he’d be coaching in the second overtime of the district final despite having two starters out with torn ACLs and another out with foul trouble, you could probably guess what he’d say.

Then again, maybe you couldn’t.

“I would have signed right there,” he said. “I’d say, ‘Can you promise me that? I’ll take it.’”

Despite missing two injured starters and losing junior guard Ashley Moore to foul trouble in the second overtime, the Rockets held off Warren JFK Saturday, 50-47, to win their third straight district title.

Lowellville (24-0) will meet Shadyside (24-0) at 6:15 p.m. tonight at Massillon Perry High School in a Division IV regional semifinal. The Rockets will do so without leading scorer Taylor Hvisdak (15 points per game), who tore her ACL in the sectional final and missed the last two games. She was the second Rocket starter to tear her ACL this season, joining sophomore Kaye Solak, who injured her knee in December and has not played since.

“I sure would like to have Kaye and Taylor,” said Matisi. “But heck, I’m done going there for the experience.

“We’re going to work to win this thing.”

Lowellville, which also went to the regional in 2004 and 2005, fell to Cuyahoga Heights in last year’s regional semifinal and Berlin Hiland in 2009. With Hiland already out of this year’s tournament (courtesy of Shadyside), Matisi’s team may have its best chance of reaching Columbus.

To do so, they’ll rely heavily on junior guards Emily Carlson (12 points per game, six assists, five steals) and Moore (13 points per game, seven rebounds), who are both three-year starters.

Shadyside, which beat Hiland and Bishop Rosecrans in the district tournament, is trying to reach the state final four for the third time, having also advanced in 2002 and 2003. The Tigers are led by senior Kelsey Holloway, who averages 13 points per game. Sophomore guard Karli Bonar (12 points per game) is a potent 3-point threat and sophomore guard Hayley Holenka (nine points per game) is a strong defender.

“They’re pretty much a mirror image of us [before Hvisdak got hurt],” said Matisi. “They’ve got three really good guards, a couple nice post players and they push the ball.”

The Rockets have had to adjust their play since Hvisdak’s injury. Rather than pressure the ball, they’ll try to play more of a half-court game with an emphasis on defending the 3-point line.

“We’ve got to get back on defense,” Matisi said. “They’re not as efficient in the half-court, so we’ve got to make them play a half court game. We’re just hoping our [regional] experience helps us.”