Mary Louis learned its lesson from its loss to Christ the King. The Hilltoppers got off to a slow start and trailed by 20 points at the break last Saturday. They then revved up their pressure defense, scratching and clawing to within five in the fourth before the comeback fell short.
“We wanted to come out aggressive and get the early lead and not get ourselves in a hole like we did against Christ the King,” senior guard Camille Romero said. “We noticed in the second half when we pressed King, we cut the lead to five. We wanted to do that in the beginning of this game.”
So that is exactly what they did. Mary Louis’ fullcourt trapping press flustered St. Francis Prep into numerous turnovers. Romero scored 11 of her 18 points in a three-minute span in the second quarter that allowed TMLA to open up a 20-point lead. St. Francis Prep tried to rally, but TMLA went on for a 71-55 win in CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Division I girls basketball in Jamaica Estates Tuesday.
“I think it gave them a picture in mind,” Mary Louis coach Joe Lewinger said of his team’s loss to the Royals. “An example of what they need to do.”
TMLA led, 26-19, with 4:53 left in the first half after a jumper by Stacy Kurumusis for SFP (8-4, 2-2). Behind its press, which got the Terriers throwing the ball away and right to defenders, Mary Louis (7-3, 4-1) went on a 15-0 run. Romero was ahead of the fast break, scored three times in transition, and knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to help give the Hilltoppers a 41-19 lead with 1:46 left in the quarter.
“I think by us pressing and getting steals back to back off the press it gets us hyped,” guard Karin Robinson said. “We have that extra burst of energy to go out and get more steals.”
The junior scored 19 points and collected eight steals. Reana Mohamed had eight points and seven rebounds and Avis Benjamin added eight points for the Hilltoppers, who saw 10 different players score. It was a balance that delighted Lewinger.
“I think that’s our formula,” he said.
The Terriers used their own press to get themselves in position to get back in the game. Shatira Hamlet, who scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half, and Jenna Halaby (nine points) went aggressive to the hoop and helped get SFP within 15 points early in the third quarter. They then turned Mary Louis over three straight times, but could not score and missed two free throws the possession prior. Robinson took it from there by continually jumping passing lanes to spark transition.
“I kind of knew where they were going,” she said. … “I knew it was a steal every time.”
It was all part of Mary Louis making sure it grows from its loss to one of the city’s best teams.
“We were really upset. We felt like we could have beat King,” Romero said. “We knew Prep really wanted to beat us and make a statement. We had to come out aggressive.”