Durr spurs Raiders to win

February 23, 2014 at 12:04a.m.

BEAVER TOWNSHIP

Describing the South Range High girls basketball team’s offense as lethargic during the first three quarters of Saturday’s tournament game against Girard would be generous.

“Our offense was horrible,” said Tony Matisi, the Raiders’ first-year head coach, who was facing his first sectional elimination in who knows how long. “Horrible.”

Seeking their 21st win, the Raiders struggled to score for 24 minutes, missing 39 shots.

Then senior Starla Sharp and juniors Jordan Youngs and Sara Durr ignited South Range to a 24-point fourth quarter in a 46-40 Division III victory in the Raiders’ gymnasium.

“Luckily, our defense played well,” said Matisi, whose last five seasons at Lowellville ended in the Division IV regional tournament.

Trailing 28-22 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Raiders (21-3) posted a 15-9 run, tying the game at 37 when Durr made a basket with 2:36 remaining.

“She’s our sixth man, comes off the bench — she’s been doing that all year,” Matisi said of Durr, who led the Raiders with 13 points, five rebounds and four blocks. “She gives us a lift.”

Youngs scored all of her nine points in the fourth quarter. Her three baskets included the only 3-pointer of the game.

“It’s been a while,” Youngs said of South Range’s last district title. “This feels so good.”

Sharp finished with seven points and eight rebounds. She and Sierra Petrella (six points) are the team’s only seniors.

Asked if the slow start inspired visions of the end of her varsity career, Sharp responded with a laugh.

“Every game, I see flashes of my career coming to the end,” Sharp said. “We just pray that we keep working hard ... to make sure my senior year doesn’t come to an end.”

After being limited to four points in the first quarter and 14 in the first half, Sharp didn’t deny there was frustration going to the locker room.

“We always come back stronger,” Sharp said.

Saying she wouldn’t use the word frustrated to describe her team’s mood at halftime, Youngs admitted the Raiders were a little down.

“We expect more from ourselves,” Youngs said. “At halftime, we were focusing on not getting mad at ourselves.”

Powered by senior Bree Bishop and junior Alasjia Dykes, the Indians (13-10) jumped out to a 13-4 lead early in the second quarter.

Dykes finished with 15 points while Bishop scored 12 points and pulled down 15 rebounds.

Their opening spurt was stifled when Durr entered the game as she scored eight points, blocked two shots and made a rebound, all in the second quarter.

“She is so focused, just knows what to do to put the ball in the hoop,” Youngs said. “She loves the game the most.”

Playing for Matisi “has been a blast,” Youngs said.

Told their coach looked a little flustered in the third quarter, Youngs laughed.

“I think we all were,” Youngs said. “None of our shots were really falling, but it started to change in the last quarter.”