LYNN — Despite getting off to a slow start Monday night, the St. Mary’s girls basketball team turned up the heat in the second half and rolled to a 63-34 win over Catholic Central League foe Cathedral at Tony Conigliaro Gymnasium.
“I think there were some nerves and excitement early on just to be out here competing and playing in a game again,” said St. Mary’s coach Jeff Newhall. “A lot of the girls didn’t get much of a chance to play summer ball or AAU this year, so the rust was there early. But we played strong defense from start to finish and I think that really kept us in the game until we could start making some shots on the other end.”
Senior Nicolette D’Itria led the way for St. Mary’s with 14 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore Yirsy Queliz notched 11 points and four rebounds. Senior and reigning Item Player of the Year Maiya Bergdorf had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and senior Alyssa Grossi had nine points and six rebounds. Sophomore Kellyn Preira (eight points, three rebounds) and senior Van Nguyen (six points, two rebounds) also played well in the win.
“It was a well-balanced night offensively, which is always great to see,” said Newhall.
It was a slow start for both teams in this one, as the rust from not playing much basketball this year was evident early on. But St. Mary’s played strong defense from the opening sequence and kept the energy up, eventually taking a 13-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Spartans opened things up a bit in the second quarter, stretching their lead to 11 points with just over three minutes left in the half. But Cathedral went on a small run from there, cutting the deficit to as little as three points before St. Mary’s took a 25-19 lead into the halftime break.
In the third quarter, St. Mary’s flipped the switch. All of a sudden the shots were falling, and the defensive intensity never let up. The Spartans eventually extended their lead to 14 points midway through the third, and by the end of the quarter they were in complete control with a 46-22 lead.
“I thought at the end of the second quarter and through the third quarter we really took over,” said Newhall. “We were up 10 late in the second and they cut it to three with three minutes to go, and I told the girls that we needed to outplay them from that point, and we did.”
The Spartans pushed their lead to as many as 31 points in the fourth quarter, coasting to a season-opening victory on their home court.
Next up for St. Mary’s (1-0) is a road game against CCL newcomer Bishop Stang Wednesday evening (6).
“For us, we just have to keep practicing the things that make you a good basketball player and a good basketball team,” Newhall said. “With our skill and our depth, if we go out and play good, solid basketball then we’ll be in good shape. We don’t have a ton of time to get ready, but it’s nice to get back into this rhythm.”
