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Strong start to second half lifts Rockets
BEAVER TOWNSHIP
Like most basketball coaches, Lowellville’s Tony Matisi says that the two most important segments of a game are the initial four minutes of the first and third quarters.
“You can destroy teams wills, or it’s going to be a battle,” Matisi said after his Rockets defeated Western Reserve, 38-29, in Saturday’s Division IV district final at South Range High.
In the opening quarter, it was a battle. After halftime, the Rockets destroyed the wills of the Blue Devils as Lowellville scored the first 10 points of the third quarter and coasted to the Rockets’ fourth-straight district title.
“There were about five or six possessions where we just missed an assignment and they killed us,” Western Reserve coach Josh Scott said.
Emily Carlson pulled the trigger on back-to-back 3-pointers to spark that large lead. Normally the point guard, Matisi moved her off the ball and let Taylor Hvisdak bring it up. It countered Western Reserve’s “junk defenses” that keyed on Hvisdak in the paint throughout the first half.
“I got butterflies after I made that first one,” Carlson said. “I was so happy because I was so nervous. I knew we needed to get some points.”
They also held the Devils scoreless in the third.
Lowellville (22-2) had its own troubles early on, shooting just 5-32 from the field in the first half. The Blue Devils slowed the game down on its offensive end to psych out the Rockets and take them out of their run-and-gun style.
“We showed absolutely no patience in the first quarter, even though we were ready for them to change the style,” Matisi said.
Carlson added, “the initial shock of it was the most frustrating part.”
Hvisdak experienced the grunt of it when she was tangled up with Colleen Kennehan at half-court midway through the first quarter. They bumped into each other, words were exchanged and Hvisdak was whistled for a technical.
“I give props to Western Reserve,” Hvisdak said, “they put us out of our element.”
After the Rockets grew their sizeable margin with more passes and reverses, the Devils idled their pace.
Out of a time out, Kennehan held the ball a foot in front of the half-court line from the six-minute mark to until 3:03 of the third.
“We wanted to make it an eight-minute game and just slow it down even more,” Scott said. “They have the horses to get up and down the court. We had to take away what they’re great at.”
Carlson finished with a game-high 16 points, while Kaye Solak tallied 14 with four steals. Ashley Moore scored six.
Western Reserve (20-4) was led by Kennehan’s 13 points. Linley Mamonis contributed with six points and eight rebounds.
Cutting down the district nets is nothing new to the Rockets doing it year after year after year after year. Although with three talented seniors making their final push — this time around may be the most unique.
“It doesn’t get old,” Matisi said. “Each one is totally different and it’s a lot of fun.”