North girls handle pressure, top Warren 59-32
EDINBORO — Talent has certainly played a major role in North Catholic’s tradition of success in girls basketball, but behind the statistics put up by skilled players lies an acute level of preparation.
In the team’s recent practices, much of the focus was on preparing for Warren’s press defense, which North coach Molly Rottmann knew was coming.
“They pressed the entire game, including overtime (in a PIAA first-round win over Elizabeth Forward), so we spent a lot of time getting the girls ready for it,” Rottmann said.
Sure enough, as Wednesday’s Class 4A second-round meeting got underway, the Dragons pressed and they continued to do so for nearly the entire game.
Aside from a few turnovers, however, it did little to impede North’s march into the quarterfinals. Alayna Rocco led a trio of Trojanettes who scored in double digits with 19 points as North slayed the Dragons 59-32 at Edinboro University’s McComb Fieldhouse.
The Trojanettes used a 10-3 spurt late in the first quarter to take a 16-5 lead. The double-digit deficit caused Warren to start hurrying its shots, making just one of eight attempts from beyond the arc in the second quarter and North led 26-12 at halftime.
“We were scoring well in transition,” said North senior guard Lauren Mihm, who scored 16 points in the victory. “Playing against their press, it just came down to making the right passes.”
Not to be outdone, North’s defense never allowed the big run to Warren that the Dragons desperately needed. When Alana Stuart sank a basket for Warren with 5:58 left in the third period, the Trojanettes led 29-16 and the edge swelled to 41-22 by the end of the quarter.
“Our defense was really good tonight,” Rottmann said. “Sarah Loughry did an amazing job on (Warren’s Samantha Ruhlman). She’s their point guard and everything runs through her.”
Stuart scored 14 points to pace the Dragons (21-6) and Ruhlman added 10.
Lauren Reitz drained 12 points for the Trojanettes.
Mihm is in her first and only season playing for the Trojanettes. She moved into an expanded role when senior guard Ava Walker was lost for the season to injury less than a month into the campaign.
“I was pretty comfortable getting more playing time,” Mihm said. “It was a big loss for us with Ava going down, but I just had to focus.”
A key cog in North’s recent run to the WPIAL title, Mihm is hoping the Trojanettes have three more wins in them.
“We’re all working very hard, but it’s been super-exciting,” she said.
North (19-7) will face Wyomissing (27-0), which defeated Neumann Goretti Wednesday, in a state quarterfinal Saturday at a site and time to be determined.
The Trojanettes topped Wyomissing in last year’s quarterfinal round.
NORTH CATHOLIC 59
Brady Wehner 3 0-0 8, Alayna Rocco 9 0-0 19, Sarah Loughry 2 0-0 4, Lauren Reitz 5 2-2 12, Lauren Mihm 6 3-6 16, Anna Lazzara 0 0-0 0, Emma Shoemaker 0 0-0 0. Totals: 25 5-8 59.
WARREN 32
Samantha Ruhlman 4 0-0 10, Halle Kuzminski 2 2-4 6, Alana Stuart 6 0-2 14, Peyton Wotorson 1 0-0 2, Alyssa Farr 0 0-0 0, Meea Irwin 0 0-0 0, Emma Roell 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 2-6 32.
North Catholic 16 10 15 18 — 59
Warren 5 7 10 10 — 32
3-point goals: North Catholic 4 (Wehner 2, Rocco, Mihm); Warren 4 (Ruhlman 2, Stuart 2).
Saturday: North Catholic vs. Wyomissing, PIAA Class 4A quarterfinal, TBA
