Press Time
SLIPPERY ROCK — In Wednesday’s PIAA Class 5A first-round girls basketball playoff game, Slippery Rock was never able to loosen the grip of Moon’s early stranglehold.
The Tigers opened up a 12-0 lead in the first quarter and cruised into the second round with a 54-16 win over the host Rockets.
The initial onslaught was spurred by Moon’s press defense which limited Slippery Rock to just six shot attempts in the first eight minutes and caused eight turnovers in that span.
“We knew it was coming,” said Rockets’ coach Amber Osborn. “Moon is extremely athletic and they have fast players with good hands.
“We didn’t take care of the ball, either, were throwing the ball all over the gym. But a lot of that can be attributed to the pace they were playing at.”
The Rockets had four of their shots blocked in the first quarter. Gianna Bedel sank the team’s first points of the game with a 3-pointer taken several feet beyond the arc with just under two minutes remaining.
“We’ve lived by our defense this year, whether it’s trapping or pressing,” said Moon coach Megan Abbenante. “That kind of start tonight gave us momentum and it allowed us to do some different things during the course of the game.”
Brianna Toal’s trey just before the buzzer gave Moon an 18-5 lead after one period. They scored just 10 points in the second, but held Slippery Rock to only five and enjoyed a 28-10 advantage at the half.
Much of the Tigers’ prowess on both ends of the court was due to the play of Emma Theodorsson, a 6-foot senior swing player headed to Bucknell University. She led all scorers with 17 points and added nine rebounds.
Reilly Sunday added 12 points in the win, Olivia Logan had 10 and Toal chipped in with nine.
“That’s the best balance we’ve had with scoring this season,” said Abbenante. “We’re into the state playoffs, so this is a good time to see it.”
The Tigers (20-5) received stiff tests during the regular season. They play in the WPIAL’s Section 1, which also includes South Fayette and Chartiers Valley, the district’s champion and runner-up, respectively.
Slippery Rock (14-10) played in the District 10 championship game for the sixth straight year this season. The offense struggled at times, but Osborn appreciated her players’ approach, even as the final seconds of their season ticked away Wednesday.
“There are going to be things in a game that you can’t control,” she said, “but you can always control your effort and attitude.
“I wasn’t going to let them throw in the towel in any game and no matter what the score was. I told them, ‘You owe too much to yourself and to this program to do that.’”
MOON 54
Olivia Logan 5 0-0 10, Emma Theodorsson 7 1-1 17, Sarah Santicola 1 0-0 2, Reilly Sunday 5 0-0 12, Brianna Toal 3 1-2 9, Gabby Larson 2 0-0 4, Jayla Brown 0 0-0 0, Sara Alvetro 0 0-0 0, Ellie Kairys 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 2-3 54.
SLIPPERY ROCK 16
CJ Sabo 1 0-0 2, Ella McDermott 2 0-0 4, Bronwyn McCoy 2 1-2 5, Gianna Bedel 1 0-0 3, Katie Book 1 0-0 2, Julia Coffaro 0 0-0 0, Allie Popovec 0 0-0 0, Hannah Holfman 0 0-0 0, Leah Double 0 0-0 0, Libby Campbell 0 0-0 0. Totals: 7 1-2 16.
Moon 18 10 18 8 — 54
Slippery Rock 5 5 2 4 — 16
3-point goals: Moon 6 (Theodorsson 2, Sunday 2, Toal 2); Slippery Rock 1 (Bedel).
