Lady Mikes fall, 82-14, to defending Class A champions, Vincentian Academy
DORMONT – The top-seeded Vincentian Academy girls basketball lived up to all the hype of a defending Class A champion, as Carmichaels surrender the game’s first 30 points and had their season end after an 82-14 defeat in the first round Wednesday at Keystone Oaks High School.
The Lady Mikes (8-15), who beat Monessen on Saturday in the preliminary round and was on a four-game winning streak, had not answer for the opposition’s press, outside shooting and overall speed.
“Vincentian’s speed is the number one thing that jumps out at you when you watch their film and see them in person,” Carmichaels coach Jim Lane said. “It’s a constant thing and they come at you in waves with their pressure and their trap. They can also shoot the ball very well and they are well-coached. I can see them making a run at another title this year.”
Brenna Wise led all scorers with 14 points for the Lady Royals (19-3), followed by 12 points apiece from Torrieonna Cash and Sarah Marusic. Kiersten Elliot collected 10 points, while Maia Joiner added nine.
A total of 13 players reach the score sheet for Vincentian, as the Lady Royals connected on 13 3-pointers in the lopsided victory.
Vincentian, who has won three out of the last four Class A titles, will now play Frazier on Saturday at a time and site to be determined.
The Lady Royals got things started fast, as Cash opened the game with a trey. A bucket by Wise made it 8-0 and the Lady Mikes called a timeout.
Carmichaels, who was without one of its leading scorers in Caroline Cree with an illness, called two more timeouts to stymie Vincentian in the first, but nothing could slow them down.
A free throw by Katie Reagan with 33 seconds left in the first quarter finally put the Lady Mikes on the board. Carmichaels trailed 54-3 at halftime, with Kaitlyn Wilson garnering the Lady Mikes’ first basket of the night.
Vincentian held an 18-9 scoring advantage in the third stanza and a 10-2 scoring edge in the final eight minutes with the mercy rule in effect for the second half.
“This team could have easily quit during the middle of the season, but they didn’t,” Lane said. “They are a fun bunch to coach and they make coaching fun. They kept their heads up, they kept on coming to practice and they kept on working hard. I’m really proud of their effort this year.”
Wilson was the top scorer for Carmichaels, who will move up to Class AA next year, with six points, while Reagan and Amanda Brown tallied four points each.
“This is Amanda’s last year and she has been involved in a lot of battles,” Lane said. “She is very versatile and she has literally played all five positions for us this season. She had to be our point guard tonight with Caroline out and she has been a joy to coach. She is a team-first player.”