By PAUL GOTHAM
WEBSTER, N.Y. — Three players found the range from long distance late in the third quarter as the Webster Schroeder girls’ basketball team built a double-digit lead and held on to beat Hilton, 44-40 Thursday night.
Andraia DiPisa, Bria Watkins and Mariah Watkins combined for three 3-pointers in a four-possession sequence to give the Warriors a 37-26 lead heading into the final eight minutes of play.
“That was a great quarter for us,” first-year head coach Codi Mrozek said. “We played great team basketball, moving the ball. That’s what we’re really trying to work on this season.”
Clinging to a three-point lead earlier, Mariah Watkins finished in the lane to push the advantage to five. DiPisa sparked the attack from distance when the senior guard took a pass from Watkins and buried a triple from the left corner.
Next trip down the floor, Mariah Watkins took an inside-out feed from Anna Rogers and delivered from the right side of the floor. Bria Watkins hit her second three of the quarter to cap the scoring.
Andraia DiPisa buries a 3, and @SchroederSports has a 31-23 lead with 3 minutes remaining in the third. pic.twitter.com/QTlrMZdTcy
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 17, 2021
“We haven’t made a lot this season,” Mrozek said of her team’s success from behind the 3-point arc. “That’s something we’re working on in practice. Not living and dying by the three-ball, but moving the ball inside-out. That’s where you going to open it up and knock down those shots.”
Mariah Watkins connects from behind the arc. pic.twitter.com/7ePyxCGeoi
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 17, 2021
Julia Perales pushed the lead to 12 at 42-30 early in the fourth with a three-ball of her own.
But Hilton scored six straight to pull within four in the final minute of play.
Mallory Heise found Leah Thompson on a pick-and-roll in the lane for two points. Heise connected on a runner along the baseline next trip down the floor to make it a six-point game at 42-36.
Pick-and-roll action Mallory Heise feeds Leah Thompson @LadyCadetsHoops pic.twitter.com/b2Rw33sVWc
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 17, 2021
Two possessions later, Ella Clark led Thompson for another bucket, and the lead was four at 42-38.
The Cadets, though, could not get any closer.
Ella Clark gets the floater in the lane to fall, but @LadyCadetsHoops trail @SchroederSports 39-30 pic.twitter.com/iLrGqBb7Qy
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 17, 2021
“I was proud of the girls for pulling that one out,” Mrozek said. “We talk a lot about composure and how we present ourselves. I was really proud of the way that we finished that game. Having two seniors out there and then two 10th graders and one ninth grader to finish the game, I thought it was pretty impressive. All five keeping their composure and knowing what to do to secure the win. It was a great team effort.”
Mariah Watkins finished the game with a team-high 16 points. Bria Watkins added 14. Perales had nine, DiPisa accounted for five points.
The victory was the second straight and third in four games for Schroeder (3-2).
“That was a great team win,” Mrozek noted. “That to me was our best win because it was a gritty one.”
Hilton’s Heise led all scorers with 20 points. The ninth-grader also grabbed nine rebounds. Thompson had 10 points and nine rebounds. Clark finished with eight points and 11 rebounds. Riley Letta rounded out the scoring for Hilton with two points.
The matchup featured a head coach facing a former player. Hilton’s Kurt Graupman was the junior varsity coach at Aquinas when Mrozek, the former Codi Battaglia, was playing for the Li’l Irish.
Schroeder will host Fairport next Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
Hilton travels to play at Greece Athena on Monday. That game is scheduled for a 6:45 p.m. start.
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