Mars girls defeated in OT
ADAMS TWP — The well went dry for the Mars girls basketball team.
After forcing overtime against visiting Gateway, the Planets missed all four of their field goal attempts and turned the ball over twice while scoring just two points in the extra period in a 57-50 section loss Monday night.
“Not having a (true) point guard is really hurting us,” said Mars coach Dana Petruska. “We had Bella (Pelaia, senior forward) in there and she knows the plays, but there's a lot of younger kids who don't understand what to do and it leads to breakdowns in our offense.”
Three straight turnovers late in regulation had Mars down 48-46 with just 15 seconds remaining. Pelaia stole the ball and drove to the basket for two points to tie the game and Gateway was unable to get a shot off before the buzzer.
But the Gators (11-4, 6-2) scored the first seven points of overtime, including a 3-pointer from Kira Pavlik.
Kaitlyn Pelaia halted the momentum momentarily with a pair of free throws with 34 seconds left, but the Planets (10-4, 5-3) scored no more.
“Our girls settled down in overtime,” said Gateway coach Curtis Williams. “We executed better and were able to get some easy baskets.”
Gateway had already defeated the Planets, 35-34, last month.
“For us to sweep the season series against Mars, this is a big win,” said Williams. “It's always a battle with them. They're talented and well-coached.”
The Gators held a 28-27 lead early in the third quarter when the Planets managed an 8-0 run. The spurt was bookended by a trey from Bella Pelaia and a conventional 3-point play from Kaitlyn Pelaia.
Gateway carried a 38-37 lead into the fourth quarter. Mars' last lead of the game when Ava Black's bucket put the Planets up 46-44 with 2:26 left in regulation.
The Planets' talent allowed for runs and three players did score in double figures — Black (14), Bella Pelaia (14) and Kaitlyn Pelaia (13). But the team needs more consistency.
“It's a hard crew to figure out,” said Petruska, “but I take a step back and look at our youth. There are times we start two or three freshmen and sophomores.”
Gateway senior forward Lexi Jackson scored her 1,000th career point with a free throw late in the fourth period. She finished the game with 18 points and teammate Alexis Margolis scored 15.
“Lexi also has a thousand rebounds in her career,” Williams said. “She draws a lot of attention and opens things up for her teammates.”
GATEWAY 57
Alexis Margolis 5 1-2 15, Lexi Jackson 7 4-7 18, Kira Pavlik 2 0-0 6, Dynasty Shegog 3 4-9 10, Marina Grado 1 2-2 4, Annie Garness 0 4-4 4, Jayla Oliver 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 15-24 57.
MARS 50
Ava Black 6 0-0 14, Kaitlyn Pelaia 5 3-4 13, Alek Johnson 1 0-0 3, Bella Pelaia 6 0-0 14, Madeleine Horvath 2 0-0 4, Olivia Donnelly 1 0-0 2, Kylee Fredericks 0 0-0 0, Lauren Atwell 0 0-0 0, Megan Yanief 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21 3-4 50.
Gateway 7 16 15 10 9 —57
Mars6 18 13 11 2 — 50
3-point goals: 6 (Margolis 4, Pavlik 2); Mars 5 (Black 2, B. Pelaia 2, Johnson).
Tuesday: Mars at Shaler
