Cardinal Spellman’s Onia Webb tallied 15 points. (Denis Gostev)
Teresa Tartarone has been a spark off the bench for Cardinal Spellman all season. On this night, the sophomore guard was more than that. She was the difference.
“Today was the game,” senior forward Onia Webb said. “She did great, when we needed her to.”
Tartarone scored six of her 12 points in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer to put the host Pilots ahead for good, in an eventual 60-53 win over Bronx rival Truman in non-league girls basketball Monday night. The game featured the best Catholic school in the borough versus arguably its top squad from the PSAL.
Tartarone made sure the CHSAA came out on top when she buried an open 3-pointer from the left side to give Spellman a 52-49 lead with 3:02 left in the game. It was part of a 9-2 run that finally gave her team a cushion in a back and forth affair with a 57-51 advantage with just 24.3 remaining.
“It felt so good,” Tartarone said of the trey. “I knew once I released it was good. I knew it.”
Coach Jane Morris said Tartarone, who had a 3-pointer taken away in the fourth on a travel call, has been good for six to eight points a game off the bench this season. She is often forgotten about by defenses, which focus their attention on Spellman’s front line and Northeastern-bound wing Onia Webb.
“The kid has just been consistent from the very first day and that’s what you need,” Morris said of Tartatone.
Webb tallied 12 of her 15 points in the second half and grabbed eight rebounds. Vanessa Stephens had nine points and five rebounds and Joye Tirado added six points and five steal for the Pilots (8-2).
Spellman needed to overcome the first half performance of Truman star Krystal Pearson. She scored 20 of her 24 points before the break and grabbed eight rebounds. The Pilots, who trailed 30-28 at the half, double-teamed Pearson and guard Lynda Fields, who had 15 points and six rebounds. Morris credited reserve guard Danelle Gibson with making it difficult for Pearson, who shot 6-of-8 in the first half, to get the ball. As Pearson cooled down, Webb heated up, both attacking the rim and knocking down jump shots.
“First half I did horribly,” Webb said. “Second half I noticed we were slacking so I thought to myself I have to step it up. I’m the leader here.”
While Spellman’s star and a few reserves stepped up, Truman was lucky to have bodies to put in the game. The Mustangs (12-4) played without DeQuana Smith (knee) and Joella Gibson (personal reasons) and Queen Holquin left at halftime to work her shift at McDonald’s.
Coach John Burke called up forward Dalia Martin from the junior varsity and she fouled out with 4:00 to play in the fourth. He got six points and 13 rebounds from center Marika Gordon. Burke saw the game as a gut check after getting embarrassed by South Shore last Friday with games against Murry Bergtraum and Francis Lewis this week.
“They showed the right attitude and they scrapped,” Burke said. … “After a very disappointed night on Friday this was a step in the right direction.”
Morris felt the same way win or lose with her squad, which she felt was still in a funk after the holidays, including a loss to Ursuline. The Pilots got a game to build off of moving forward as well as some bragging rights in the borough in front of a crowd that had some enthusiastic Truman supporters. Tartarone was a big reason they were able to silence them.
“It’s at the top,” Tartarone said of where this game ranked for her. “It’s on my Top 10. I’m proud of what I did.”