Karin Robinson took Monday’s loss to Bishop Loughlin personally. Before that game, the only league team the Lions had beaten since a winless season last year was St. Francis Prep.
“I felt like it was an insult,” the Mary Louis star said. “We shouldn’t have lost to Loughlin. There’s no way. Literally no one came to play.”
Robinson took it upon herself to get the Hilltoppers back into the win column 24 hours later.
The George Mason-bound guard poured in a school-record 39 points to lead Mary Louis in a 70-63 win over Bishop Ford in CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Division I girls basketball Tuesday night in Jamaica Estates. Robinson was superb in transition, beating the Falcons press by herself at times, and relentless going to the basket from start to finish.
“The coaches kind of got in her head,” TMLA junior guard Reana Mohamed said. “They said real good players, they put their team on their back. They make sure that they win at the end of the day. She took that criticism and just applied it.”
Robinson had 11 points after one quarter and 18 at halftime when Mary Louis (14-5, 8-4 B/Q) led 32-29. At the break, Hilltoppers coach Kevin White implored his team to finish this game, to put two halves together – something TMLA has done only sparingly this season.
Robinson responded with 13 third-quarter points as her team got some separation. Her 3-point play gave Mary Louis a 51-39 lead with 29.9 seconds remaining in the frame.
“She showed leadership,” White said. “She played hard the whole game. She played with poise. She led the team. She rebounded. She did every aspect of the game. I expect this from Karin every game.”
The Hilltoppers led by as much as 61-45 with 5:50 to go in the game. Robinson tied the Mary Louis record of 36 points, set by current St. John’s University guard Amanda Burakoski on Jan. 21, 2009 against Christ the King, with a free throw at the 1:27 mark of the fourth. Less than a minute later, she stole an inbounds pass from Ford (10-12, 5-7 B/Q) and banked in a short jumper to set the new mark. Robinson had a chance for 40, but she missed the first of two free throws with 25.2 seconds left.
“I think the game yesterday made her a little mad,” said Falcons senior guard Diani Mason (16 points), who called it the best performance she’s seen from an opposing player. “She took it out on us.”
The Loughlin loss didn’t sit well with anyone from Mary Louis, which also got 16 points from Mohamed and nine from Jasmine Nwajei. The Hilltoppers led 34-33 at halftime, yet trailed by as much as 18 points in the fourth quarter of a 72-57 defeat. In the teams’ first meeting, TMLA won 80-56.
“I told them I’ve been coaching for 30 years and it’s the worst game I’ve ever been involved in in 30 years,” White said.
The bounce-back victory Tuesday eased the sting slightly. Mary Louis slowed the game down more in the second half and was more patient, not falling into Ford’s wish to make it an up-and-down affair like it was before halftime. White’s halftime speech set in and Robinson did the rest.
“We just had a mindset that we just would refuse to lose,” she said. “Last night was a disgrace. … I think yesterday is gonna always hurt. It’s always gonna be in the back of our minds. We just know that we’re never gonna lose like that again.”