Falcons win finale on senior night

February 19, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

Austintown

Fitch junior Alysoun Mukaabya scored 23 points and led three teammates in double figures as the Falcons took an early lead, withstood a third-quarter rally and then ran away from Poland in a 70-46 home victory Wednesday.

Allexis Sallee scored 13 points and Sarah Obradovich’s versatility led to 11 of her own.

Coach Stacie Cepin’s team, which began the season with a 4-5 record after losing five contributors to graduation last season, ended this one winning 12 of 13.

But the night belonged to the Falcons’ lone senior in forward Aaliyah Sadler, playing in her last regular-season home game.

“Senior nights are always special,” said Cepin, “especially when you get a victory.

“With Aaliyah Sadler being our leader and our sole senior, what a great night for her to go out in her last game. I’m just proud of them and they all played for her tonight. That was the word of the night.”

Sadler scored nine points as Fitch’s size and numbers overwhelmed the young Bulldogs in the latter stages of the third quarter and through the fourth. Her presence has been a steadying foundation for a team which won the All-American Conference Red Tier title last season, but was gutted by injury.

The uneven start to the season meant Sadler’s seniority was even more necessary. Just being on the floor meant more than she would ever realize two short years ago.

“It’s pretty good knowing that coming back from a hard injury and putting in all the hard work to get to play,” Sadler said. “It’s pretty good going out with a win on your home court.”

Sadler’s promising sophomore season was cut short by a torn ACL and she spent that offseason and her junior season finding herself on the court.

Said Sadler: “Kind of coming back and realizing how my knee was feeling before I could play at 100 percent my senior year.

“I had a good support system who pushed me along the way. I didn’t give up and I wanted to be back on the court for a night like tonight.”

Mukaabya’s six points inside and two Obradovich 3-pointers helped Fitch jump out to a 25-13 first-quarter lead and the Falcons led 40-27 at halftime.

Out of the locker room, Poland (15-7) rallied.

Jillian Penman scored two of her team-high 10 points on the Bulldogs’ first possession and Emily Melnek followed on their next.

Point guard Bella Gajdos converted two free throws and Penman made another basket in the lane to bring Poland to within eight with 5:40 to go in the third.

The Bulldogs got no closer.

Mukaabya rebounded a miss and made an easy put-back in response before Fitch got the ball back on a travel call.

Out of the inbounds pass, Obradovich found Maddie Scrocco streaking upcourt. Scrocco immediately hit Taylor Franczkowski, who found Mukaabya under the basket for an easy two points and a 47-35 lead.

By the time Sadler departed with just over a minute to play, the Falcons had substituted the rest of their starting lineup.

“We have some numbers that we can rotate in and I think it’s our leadership that’s really staring to step up and it’s starts with Aaliyah,” Cepin said, her team now awaiting the winner of Walsh Jesuit and Howland in a Division I sectional.

“She’s had an amazing career and hopefully it keeps on going.”