By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Mariah Watkins once scored in a varsity summer league game during the months after her fifth-grade year, so it should come as no surprise that she is currently the leading scorer with that same program.
What might raise an eyebrow or two is that Mariah Watkins is still just a freshman.
Watkins scored 25 points Friday night, and the Webster Schroeder girls won their third straight game defeating Monroe County Division I rival Hilton, 60-46.
The effort marked the third time this season the 6-foot guard has scored 25 or more points in a game and was nearly seven points better than the 18.1 points per game she averages.
“This has been her coming-out party,” third-year head coach Mike Grasta said. “Last year, she averaged 12 and a half, but this year’s different. People can see it. She’s a game-changer now. We’re lucky to have her.”
Combining range beyond the 3-point arc and a quick first step along with the ability to finish in traffic, onlookers are seeing a player who can beat opponents in a variety of ways.
Watkins scored 12 in Friday’s second quarter. With a smooth motion and quick release, she buried a pair of 3-pointers from the left wing. She converted a pair of free throws and followed with a steal and layup. She capped the stanza with a catch and finish in the lane off a pass from teammate Lill Northrup.
“Perfect finish,” Northrup said of the play. “She will always finish the ball. I work really well her just because I find her, and she can finish it. Every game, win or lose I find her. That’s just how it works.”
A cutting Mariah Watkins takes a Lill Northrup and finishes. Watkins has 12 points and an assist in the second quarter. @SchroederGBball 35-22 pic.twitter.com/faKc0uraTr
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 6, 2021
What might separate Watkins from others, though, is what happened late in that same second quarter and did not directly factor into the scoring.
With two and a half minutes remaining before halftime, she picked up her second foul. Usually that is more than enough reason to bring a player to the bench with the purpose of avoiding further foul trouble.
Grasta chose to leave his player on the floor.
“She’s a cerebral kid,” he said. “She has like a 99-average (in the classroom). I just told her ‘be careful.’ I knew that she would. Her aggressiveness, she can dial it up or down based on the situation in the game.”
Watkins proved her coach right, and the gamble (if one wants to call it that) will pay dividends down the road when the young player may have to perform under similar conditions in a contest that is not decided by double digits.
“She’s really smart,” Grasta added. “You’d never know she’s a freshman by the way she plays and how well she knows the game. I didn’t think she’d get one because I trust her. She did a nice job not picking another one up.”
In third quarter, with Hilton’s defense stepping out on her, Watkins used a quick first step to get to the basket where she drew contact to get to the stripe on two separate occasions. She then grabbed a defensive rebound and went the length of the floor for two more. Her final field goal of the night came in the fourth quarter, a running one-hander along the right side.
Mariah Watkins hits the running 1-hander. @SchroederGBball 57 @LadyCadetsHoops 44 2:11 remaining pic.twitter.com/8YCjfyrC6s
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 6, 2021
Grasta pointed to the influence of older teammates as a reason for the freshman’s success.
“Mariah’s talent just pops when you see it; what people don’t see are all the sacrifices her teammates make,” he said referring to Northrup, Julia Perales and older sister Anya Watkins. “Her teammates do things to help her get better looks. They sacrifice some of their looks, so that she can get extra looks sometimes. They understand and they kind of allow her. They’re threats too.”
Northrup started the scoring Friday with a three. The senior guard followed with a bucket in the lane off a feed from Perales. A few possessions later, Perales hit a three of her own. Anya Watkins, who has transitioned into a nearly exclusive role of playing in the post, added a baseline drop step.
Julia Perales finds a cutting Lill Northrup. @SchroederGBball 6 @LadyCadetsHoops 0 pic.twitter.com/wRdxEITm8A
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 6, 2021
Schroeder led 17-5 after eight minutes of play.
And with Hilton forced to step out on her teammates, Mariah Watkins took advantage.
Work in the post from Anya Watkins. End 1st: @SchroederGBball 17 Hilton 5 pic.twitter.com/WFe3AphOxs
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 6, 2021
“They’re all great players,” Mariah Watkins said of her teammates. “They all keep their heads up, getting me the ball. We all get each other the ball. It’s really fun. We work really well as a team together.”
Schroeder led 38-25 at halftime.
Ella Clark gets baseline and finds Maddie Manetta. @LadyCadetsHoops cuts the deficit to 6. @SchroederGBball 38-32 early 3rd. pic.twitter.com/wu8cGsGDTC
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 6, 2021
Hilton opened the third quarter with a 9-1 run. Senior Sydney Carpenter drained a three. Eighth-grader Mallory Heise connected on a pull-up jumper. Senior Maddie Manetta scored off an assist from freshman Ella Clark, and freshman Leah Thompson converted a pair of free throws.
Mariah Watkins answered with the next four points, and Schroeder did not allow the Cadets within seven points for the remainder of the contest.
Mariah Watkins corrals the carom and goes the length of the floor for 2. @SchroederGBball 43-34 pic.twitter.com/tajhD0WcLL
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 6, 2021
With the win, Schroeder swept the season series from the Cadets. Hilton had taken five straight in head-to-head matchups leading into the season.
“We’ve always struggled against Hilton,” said Northrup. “They’re a solid team. It was a good win when they came to us, but coming here we all knew they were really going to want to beat us. They fought back, but it was a solid win for us.”
The Warriors improved to 7 wins and 4 losses on the season. A win Saturday over Victor and Schroeder and they would claim a share of the division title. Something the Warriors have only done once in the past.
“We had some lumps in the beginning, and I can attribute a lot to the senior leadership,” Grasta said mentioning Northrup and Anya Watkins. “They see that road coming to an end and have really pulled the team together. They’ve really bought into our defense. We’ve been living on our defense creating some offense for us.”
Northrup finished with 14 points. Anya Watkins had 10. Perales added six points. Sarah Ferruzza (3) and Bria Watkins (3) also scored for the Warriors.
Anya Watkins uses the drop step in the lane. @SchroederGBball 53 @LadyCadetsHoops 42 pic.twitter.com/t3J2SMPmSK
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 6, 2021
Heise paced Hilton (2-7) with 12 points. Thompson added 10. Carpenter and Manetta scored eight apiece.
Mallory Heise converts the rebound and putback. pic.twitter.com/td18KUNmw0
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 6, 2021
Clark and Sarah Jorgensen had four apiece. Hilton finishes its season Saturday at Fairport.
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