By PAUL GOTHAM
WEBSTER, N.Y. — Audrey Hintz and Brooke Wormley combined for eight points as part of a 12-0 run to close the game, and No. 12 Our Lady of Mercy defeated No. 5 Webster Thomas, 46-41 in Section V Class A Girls’ Basketball action. Tuesday.
Trailing 41-34 with less than seven minutes remaining, Hintz followed an Anna Lynch layup with back-to-back buckets in the lane to pull the Monarchs within one at 41-40.
Lynch converted a rebound and putback for a lead Mercy did not surrender.
At the same time, the Monarchs’ defense held Thomas scoreless for the last six-plus minutes of the game, a span of 12 possessions.
“That’s been our focus in the second half of the season,” Mercy head coach Kara Ingalls said. “We changed our entire defensive game plan then what we did in the beginning of the year. The girls have been really committed to it, and it showed in the fourth quarter.”
Audrey Hintz grabs her own miss and converts for her first of back-to-back buckets. 5:00 on the clock in the fourth: Thomas 41 Mercy 40 pic.twitter.com/dLZrVpVxIV
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 21, 2023
The Monarchs forced three turnovers and limited the Titans to one shot on each of their last nine trips down the floor.
“We have just really been focusing on what’s the other team’s go-to players and limiting their touches. Trying to frustrate them as much as possible by having that face-guard mentality with good help-side defense and just getting solid rebounds. Trusting that if you’re doing the work face-guarding the girl, then the rest of the team is going to clean it up for you.”
Hintz and Wormley iced the game with baskets on consecutive possessions. Hintz scored coming out of timeout with less than a minute remaining to give the Monarchs a two-possession advantage.
Brooke Wormley connects along the baseline. pic.twitter.com/HhERfGDkRB
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 21, 2023
Audrey Hintz gives Mercy a 46-41 lead with 40.5 to go. pic.twitter.com/ZzOdSTj9ld
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 21, 2023
“On offense we just wanted to move the basketball,” Ingalls said. “If you got a shot, you shoot it. If not let’s get it inside. Our high-low game came alive in the second half.”
Mercy endured its own drought, a four-plus minute stretch that started in the first quarter and extended into the second. The Monarchs connected on just four field goals in the second stanza.
“Halftime was a blessing,” Ingalls said. “I looked at them and I said ‘Listen, we beat ourselves up. We beat ourselves up in the first half, and we’re down five.’ The credit was all to defense.”
That Mercy had a chance in the fourth quarter was due in large part to Wormley who buried three 3-pointers including back-to-back triples coming out of halftime. The 5-foot-7 junior guard gave Mercy its first lead of the game at 24-23.
Brooke Wormley hits her first of two triples to open the third quarter. Mercy has its first lead 24-23. pic.twitter.com/v928kDQbfa
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 21, 2023
“We knew that if we were going to break away in this game, we needed one shooter to get hot and Brooke stepped up.”
Hintz finished with a team-high 17 points. The 6-foot-1 senior center also grabbed 12 rebounds. Wormley scored 13. Lynch had six points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
“I told them ‘this game’s is going to have ups and downs, but all you need to do is play lock-down defense, and the offense will come.’ “
Lauren Loiacono (3), Natalie Casale (3), Mia Lusardi (2) and Olivia Luchetti (2) rounded out the scoring for the Monarchs.
Mercy (9-12) will face No. 4 Honeoye Falls-Lima on Friday.
Mady Kelly connects on her second triple of the third. pic.twitter.com/DZTLj51wbs
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 21, 2023
Webster Thomas senior guard Mady Kelly led all scorers with 21 points. Kelly’s triple with five minutes remaining in the second quarter gave Thomas its largest lead of the game at 17-7. She hit three more 3s in the third quarter when the Titans absorbed Mercy’s push coming out of halftime. Teammate Kristina Baller added nine points. Baller’s free-throw line jumper made it a 41-34 game. Ruby Marrapese (5), Raja Mosher (3) and Maggie Smith (3) also scored for the Titans.
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