OLMA Basketball Falls to Strong St. John Team

Despite the final score, the Mustangs have plenty to be proud of. No, it isn’t the fact that they fell 63-37 to St. John the Baptist on Tuesday night in Syosset - It’s the fact that they competed with one of the best teams on Long Island for three quarters.

St. John's Anastasia Williams led all scorers with 17 points, while Kathryn Wildes led Mercy with nine points.

“I thought we played one of our best games of the year against the second best team on Long Island,” Head coach John Kiffel said. “St. John is rated number two for a reason, they could be number one.”

The talent for the Cougars is outstanding. Already, the team is boasting three Division-1 commitments with a potential for more. They are invited to play in tournaments such as the New Jersey/USA showcase this weekend. Simply put, they aren’t going to lose many games.

Despite all that opposing talent, Mercy remained unfazed. Wildes tied the game at 18 early in the second quarter. Two Brittany Bentson free throws towards the end of the first half cut the St. John lead to nine.

But it didn’t stop there. The Mustangs finished off the third quarter strong, scoring six of the final eight points to the period to cut the St. John lead to 12. But the good vibes didn’t last. The Cougars scored 18 of the first 20 points of the fourth quarter to turn the tightly contested game into a route.

Mercy ran out of gas in the fourth, scoring only six points in the final period. The loss drops the Mustangs to 7-7 overall and 2-4 in the CHSAA.

Hero: Wildes – Although the scoring distribution was spread out, Wildes made the most of her opportunities. Her game-tying basket in the second quarter marked the last time the Mustangs would pull even.

Turning Point: While the Cougars put the game away in the fourth quarter, one of the bigger baskets of the game came at the end of the third. Thanks to six consecutive points, Mercy had found some momentum. The crowd was never louder then when Bentsen cut the Cougar lead to ten. St. John’s Alexis Smith stopped the run with a basket of her own, sending the lead back to 12 points and stopping the last shred of Mercy momentum.

Quotable: “I love the way our girls played,” Kiffel said. “We just didn’t make a couple shots in the fourth quarter. It could have been a different game. We got kicked in the teeth and kicked right back.”

Bottom Line: Mercy has had an incredibly tough schedule. They have played four of the top six teams on Long Island. It’s clear that they are getting used to it, too. The Mustangs weren’t intimidated by the Cougars. St. John tried to overpower Mercy with their physicality and was answered with the same kind of play. While the talent was clearly sided with one team, the heart and desire was not. With two freshman in the starting lineup, Mercy played the team that they someday hope to emulate. If the game was any indication, the Mustangs are on their way.

Key Stat: Louise Lehmuller and Olivia Walsh both had eight points.

Who’s Next: Saturday @ East Islip, 12 p.m.

 OLMA: Wildes 4-0-9, L. Lehmuller 3-1-8, Walsh 3-1-8, M.Lehmuller 1-1-3, Pia 1-0-2, Bentsen 1-1-3, Cerrone 1-2-4 Totals: 14 – 6 – 37

 St. Johns: McMahon 6-1-14, Smith 4-2-10, Williams 4-9-17, Thomas 2-0-4, Thompson 4-1-11, Rohlehn 0-2-2, Minor 1-0-3, Peck 1-0-2 Totals: 22-15- 63 Three Pointers: OLMA: Walsh, M. Lehmuller, St. Johns: McMahon, Minor