Ursuline’s Harris catches fire for Mooney sweep

March 2, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

STRUTHERS

Ursuline sophomore Dayshanette Harris didn’t love the question, but answered it with a smile.

Although she scored nine points in the first two quarters on Wednesday against Cardinal Mooney, five came from the free-throw line as most of her shots missed. Asked if that wasn’t one of her best halves of the season, Harris said, “Actually, that was probably one of my worst.”

Harris more than made up for it in the second half as the Irish (14-10) pulled away for a 68-62 victory in the Division III semifinal at Struthers Fieldhouse.

In the fourth quarter, Harris scored 15 points and made four steals.

“When I’m down, my teammates pick me up,” said Harris who scored 29.

Ursuline advances to Saturday’s district title game against undefeated Columbiana.

The victory was Ursuline’s third of the season against Mooney (12-11). The previous scores were 62-51 and 76-71 in double-overtime.

In the third round, the Irish had several opportunities to run away but the Cardinals would not quit.

“It’s the Ursuline-Mooney rivalry,” Irish coach Vannessa Dickson said. “It doesn’t matter what sport, it doesn’t matter what the records are or who has done what in the past, it’s a rivalry.

Dickson called it Ursuline’s biggest game of the season “only because we beat them twice and this is the chance for somebody to go home.”

Midway through the second quarter, the Irish led 24-16 after Simone Comer scored from underneath and took a six-point lead to the locker room.

The Irish opened up a 39-32 lead in the third quarter, then the Cardinals surged. After Lauren Frommelt scored a basket and two free throws, Taylor Martin hit the two of her five 3-pointers as the Cardinals reduced the lead to 43-42.

“We play hard, we lean on each other as a family,” Mooney coach Erica Wilson said. “We did not want to go home tonight.

“Couldn’t be prouder that four of the five starters [Martin, Frommelt, Camden Hergenrother, Carolyn Kay) [scored] in double digits and the one who didn’t [Conchetta Rinaldi] had nine and seven [rebounds]. That’s what team basketball is about.”

Martin led with 17 points. Frommelt had 12 points while Hergenrother and Kay each had 10.

”And they did it against a good defense,” Wilson said. “Trying to get the ball around Simone Comer’s long arms is not always an easy task and they handled it with composure tonight.”

Things because extremely interesting when Martin’s fifth trey tied the game at 51 with 5:56 remaining.

“It’s honestly such an amazing feeling, from air-balling my first shot in the first half to getting give big 3s,” Martin said. “I didn’t think it was going to happen — I just kept shooting.

“I knew we had to get points.”

So did Harris.

With the game tied for the last time, Harris made two free throws then scored a layup. After Comer scored a basket, Harris add two more free throws for a 59-51 lead.

“They did a really nice job defensively on her in the beginning,” said Dickson of the Cardinals’ defenders. “Big-time players step up in gig-time moments. She completely took over.”

Comer finished with 20 points, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks.