In a tight game going into the final quarter, top-ranked St. Mary’s did all the right things down the stretch yesterday against visiting Archbishop Carroll of D.C.
The Saints hit the defensive boards, often limiting the Lions to just one shot. They cut down on their turnovers to get the most of each of their possessions. And they hit their free throws throughout the final eight minutes.
The reward for St. Mary’s was a solid 69-58 win.
Junior point guard Emily Lipton scored 20 points to lead the Saints, who also got 15 points from Terri Daniels and 12 more from Maria Smear in a balanced effort in Annapolis.
After a slow first half which saw them turn the ball over 11 times, the Saints (7-2) picked up their play in the second. The Lions, behind a 23-point effort from 6-3 junior forward Schuye LaRue, were able to stay even through three quarters, but with the game tied at 45 to start the fourth, the Saints took over.
“We started doing what we needed to do in the first three quarters,” said St. Mary’s coach Harry Dobson. “All throughout the game we should have been taking the ball to the basket. We started making the good cuts and getting some easy baskets.”
The Saints also spent a lot of time at the free-throw line, making 13 of 18 in the last quarter. Smear made two with 3: 46 left to end a pivotal 9-1 run for a 60-52 lead.
“They got a run and we weren’t able to recover from it,” said Archbishop Carroll coach Robert Ager, whose Lions are ranked 17th in the D.C. area by The Washington Post. “We didn’t box out, losing our man and letting them cut right in front of us. And they can shoot some free throws. They played good fundamental basketball.”
The Lions (5-3) tried to pull away in the second quarter when LaRue started dominating. She hit a three from the left baseline, went to the other side for another long jumper, got a steal and assist on a Candace Wilkins basket and then drove inside for two more to give the Lions a 22-15 lead.
“We knew she [LaRue] was going to get a lot of points; she’s really something. We were looking to limit their other players from points,” said Dobson.
St. Mary’s answered LaRue’s run with a 9-0 run of its own and Lipton’s jumper with eight seconds left in the half provided the Saints with a 24-22 lead.
Pub Date: 12/23/97
