Wilson’s big game keeps her team unbeaten

Through four games of the Steel City Summer Girls Basketball League, Marie Slagus Howard Hanna Simon stands alone as the only unbeaten squad.

Their fourth victory of the season was not an easy one Wednesday, as they used a strong, second half push and had four players in double- figures in a 68-62 triumph over BeeGraphix at the Marx Sports Courts in Elizabeth.

“Our girls did a great job of keeping their composure tonight,” Slagus Howard Hanna coach Nick Dizon said. “BeeGraphix has a lot of talented players over there and their quickness gave us some problems early in the second half. But our kids stayed in the moment and they were engaged. We just chipped away at their lead and carried the play the rest of the way.”

Allie Wilson had a monster game in the interior for Slagus Howard Hanna (4-0) with 29 points and 14 rebounds in the win.

“She’s the No. 1 pick for a reason,” Dizon said. “She obviously has a ton of talent and she has that ability to take over any game she plays. Our shots were not falling from the outside tonight, so we needed that consistent, scoring punch on the inside. She was smart and made some plays.”

In her first three games of the season so far, the 6-foot forward only averaged 11.3 points per game.

Rounding out the scoring for SHH was Delaney Amato (13), Sutton Williamson (10) and Isabella Niles (10).

BeeGraphix (2-2) was down by a basket at halftime, but stormed back with a 10-0 spree to start the second half. BeeGraphix had a nine-point lead at one point in the second half, before SHH turned the tide with their relentless scoring and tenacious defense in the final 10 minutes. “I know we are a good team, but you got to play defense the whole game,” BeeGraphix coach Larry Cash said. “We had too many lapses on that end of the court. They had the size advantage all night and their one big was dominant. We tried to go zone, but they still got it inside. It was a tough loss, but a good learning experience.”

Lauren Borella (25) and Emma Larkin (23) scored 48 of the 62 points for BeeGraphix in the setback.

“I like our start in the second half,” Cash said. “We just have to carry that over for the entire game. I always tell them to do what they are doing, but to do it better. I really like this team and with those two guards we can compete with anybody in the league. We will get better.”

SHH jumped out to an early 7-2 lead before BG knotted things up with five straight points via a 3-pointer by Laci Bernotas and a hoop by Mya Glisan.

Williamson, who celebrated her 16th birthday on the day, gave SHH a 10-7 advantage with a shot from beyond the arc and then the unbeaten squad went up 21-14 with a trey from Wilson, who had 10 early points in the first eight minutes of play.

BG battled back with six unanswered points to make it 21-20, but SHH rebounded with a 12-4 spree to push its lead to 33-24. Larkin kept BG in the game with two straight threes in a quick sequence.

After four straight points by SHH, BG rallied with the final five points of the first half, including three points at the free throw line by Borella when she was fouled trying to heave a last-second shot.

With Slagus Howard Hanna Simon only holding a 37-35 lead at intermission, BG exploded with a 10-0 run and took its first lead of the contest, 39-37, after a pair of foul shots by Borella. SHH regrouped for the next three points, but BG stretched its lead to 50-41 after a shot from beyond the arc by Borella and a layup from Larkin.

SHH responded quickly to get the momentum back with nine consecutive points, the final three coming off a three-point play by Williamson that made it 50-49 with 8:59 left in regulation.

After another three by Borella and another bucket by Larkin for BG extended their lead to 55-49, but SHH ripped off a 13-2 run that turned the tide in their favor. Wilson started the spurt with a three-point play, as Amato and Niles collected 3-pointers in the spree.

SHH tallied four of the next six points before a trey from Savaugh Wimbs cut BG’s deficit down to 64-62 with about 1:45 remaining. The final points of the evening were scored by Amato and Wilson, as BG was held scoreless for the remainder of the contest.

“Our kids accepted the challenge on defense,” Dizon said. “They have two quick guards and we threw a lot of different defenses at them. With good scorers, you can’t keep on doing the same thing. You can’t shut them down, but you hope to contain them. I was just happy that we contested every shot and made them jump shooters.”

The league will be idle next week, as both squads return to action July 8. SHH takes on Monessen Florist at 7 p.m. and BG battles it out against Trailside at 8 p.m.

“It’s still early, but I like our makeup,” Dizon said. “It is a pickup league, but we want to emphasize to the girls that they are here to work on their individual skills. But we also want to work on playing the type of basketball that will translate to success at the high school level. We are making the extra passes and trusting each other. It is all about playing with energy.” Cedarbrook 87, Monessen Florist 64

Cedarbrook (1-3) picked up its first win of the season, taking advantage of Monessen Florist playing the second half with four players, then three players.

Michelle Jellison and Madison Johnson each finished with 21 points for Cedarbrook, who led by only four at halftime.

Monessen Florist’s Emma Altavilla led all scorers with a game-high 23 points. Hayley Gibson added 15 and Lynsey Bernotas added 11, all in the first half before fouling out. The league will be off next week and will pick back up July 8.