Mars comes up short
ADAMS TWP — Fox Chapel and Mars entered their Section 2-5A girls basketball game Monday night both hoping to find a performance to build on.
The Planets are still searching.
Twenty-three turnovers and a 37-21 deficit on the boards doomed Mars in a 54-45 loss at home to the Foxes.
It is the fourth straight defeat for the Planets, who had defeated Fox Chapel 53-49 Jan. 9 in a game in which the Foxes were not healthy. It began a stretch in which Mars won three of four games in the span of six days.
“But we weren't playing well, even then,” said Mars coach Dana Petruska. “We hit those teams at the right time.
“What we ran into tonight was a team whose top two players (Domenica Delaney and Ellie Schwartzman) are seniors and they have that leadership.”
Mars grabbed its only lead of the final quarter when Ava Black's basket put the Planets up 33-32 with 6:55 to play. The Foxes (2-5, 2-3) responded with a crucial 7-0 spurt.
Olivia Donnelly's trey pulled the Planets to within 39-36 with 4:30 left, but an inability to rebound the ball kept the Planets from getting any closer.
With 42 seconds remaining, Fox Chapel's Sarah Slember missed two free throws, but she retrieved her own rebound and that led to two points from the charity stripe from teammate Sammi Dunlap, pushing the Foxes' lead to 52-43.
Fox Chapel had dropped three straight games prior to Monday's contest. Though they led the Planets 18-11 after one quarter, they scored just two points in the second and trailed 22-20 at halftime.
Delaney, a guard, led all scorers with 22 points and Schwartzman added 16.
“We finally started to see two things we talk about — resiliency and the ability to adapt,” said Fox Chapel coach Marty Matvey. “This was the first game all season that we've had a healthy starting five. I'm proud of our girls.
“I am a bit surprised that we rebounded as well as we did,” he added. “Especially against a team like Mars, whose bigger and more athletic than we are.”
The Planets (3-6, 2-3) have been without senior guard Alek Johnson for two weeks with an injured ankle. It is not known if and when she will return.
Petruska said Johnson fits best at shooting guard and the team is having trouble finding someone to consistently run the point.
“It's tough. It takes a certain mentality to play point guard,” said Petruska. “You have to know all the plays and who needs to get the ball.
“The time off hurt all the teams, but it really hurt us. We're missing that leadership.”
Sophomore guard Donnelly paced Mars with 15 points, including four treys. Junior forward Black added 13 points.
Mars' next opportunity to snap its losing streak will come Thursday at Indiana.
“We'll work hard and try to figure it out, but it's frustrating,” Petruska said.
FOX CHAPEL 54Domenica Delaney 5 12-15 22, Sarah Slember 3 0-4 6, Ally Hager 2 0-0 4, Elsie Smith 1 2-5 4, Sammi Dunlap 0 2-2 2, Ellie Schwartzman 7 2-2 16. Totals: 18 18-28 54.
MARS 45Alexa McDole 1 0-0 2, Ava Black 5 3-7 13, Kylee Fredericks 0 4-4 4, Kaitlyn Pelaia 3 1-2 7, Olivia Donnelly 5 1-2 15, Lauren Atwell 1 2-2 4. Totals: 15 11-17 45.Fox Chapel 18 2 12 22 — 54Mars11 11 9 14 — 453-point goals: Mars 4 (Donnelly 4).Thursday: Mars at Indiana
