Lady Rams edge Belle Vernon, 53-48
Darnell Graham
Ringgold’s Taylor Mendicino (21) dribbles past Belle Vernon’s Taylor Kovatch (3) during Tuesday’s non-section girls basketball game at Belle Vernon Area High School.
Darnell Graham
Belle Vernon’s Taylor Kovatch (3) battles for a rebound as teammate Kelsey Green (5) looks on during a game against Ringgold, Dec. 20. The Lady Leopards play Laurel Highlands this afternoon in the Herald-Standard Girls Game of the Week.
Darnell Graham
Belle Vernon’s Taylor Kovatch (3) recovers the ball and heads toward the basket with Ringgold’s Taylor Mendicino (23) in pursuit during their non-section girls basketball game Tuesday at Belle Vernon Area High School.
ROSTRAVER TWP. — Ringgold picked up a road win Tuesday night at rival Belle Vernon Area, 53-48, behind the dominating performance of junior Ashley Briscoe.
The 6-foot-1 junior finished with 16 points, 22 rebounds and five blocked shots to help Ringgold (3-2) pick up its third straight win.
“I tell her every game that she is the key to our success this year but she is a team player,” said Ringgold coach Erika McCarthy. “This is a huge win for us as a rivalry game and our spirits were down after starting 0-2.”
BVA coach Lisa Fairman talked about Briscoe’s performance against her team which did not start a player taller than 5-8.
“She is a tough match-up and I told the team that the difference would be rebounding as she is bigger, taller and stronger than us,” she said. “We needed to box out better and we didn’t do that.
“You can do every box-out drill imaginable but come game time, if we don’t have that mental focus to put a body on someone, it’s not going to matter.”
Briscoe almost single-handedly out-rebounded BVA as the Lady Leps only had 30 for the game.
Despite the size disadvantage, Belle Vernon (4-2) led 18-13 after the first quarter and held a 27-18 lead halfway through the second although it could have been a bigger lead.
“We had a lot of missed opportunities early and even in the fourth quarter,” Fairman said. “We missed too many layups.”
But Ringgold went on a 10-0 run, capped by a three-pointer by junior Taylor Costa, to give the guests its first lead, 28-27, with 1:10 to play in the half.
Junior Keira Boff gave BVA the lead back on a jumper with 38 seconds to go before halftime, and the score held into the third quarter.
The teams played an even third quarter as they both scored 10 points, but the Lady Leopards missed a key opportunity when a pair of Ringgold starters, Costa and freshman Nya Adams, picked up their fourth fouls and had to sit until the fourth quarter.
A Briscoe basket moments into the third quarter gave Ringgold a 40-39 lead and the Lady Rams maintained it the rest of the way with the exception being a steal and layup by BVA’s Caitlyn Trombley halfway through the period.
Trailing 52-48 with 40 seconds to go, Belle Vernon had to start fouling to send Ringgold to the line, but the problem for the Lady Leps was that they had only committed four fouls up until that point and it took them 18 seconds to foul three times.
Briscoe made one of two free throws with 22 seconds to go, and BVA could not get closer.
Fairman said her team will have to regroup quickly.
“We are back at it in section play Thursday and that one counts,” she said.
Costa finished with 15 points and Taylor Mendicino added 10 for Ringgold while Ashley Russell (12) and Kelsey Green (10) led BVA.
Both teams return to the court Thursday as Belle Vernon hosts Southmoreland in a Section 3-AAAA contest while Ringgold opens up Section 3-AAAAA play at Connellsville.