West Greene presses hard, flattens Monessen
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
West Greene’s Kiley Meek (20) tries to keep the ball out of the hands of Monessen’s Hailey Johnson (5) and Avanti Stitch.
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
West Greene’s Anna Durbin looks to make her next move around Monessen’s Sidney Campbell.
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
Monessen’s Mercedes Majors looks for room to pass around the defense of West Greene’s Katie Lampe.
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
Monessen's Avanti Stitch makes a pass around West Greene's Kasie Meek to Hailey Johnson.
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
Monessen's Kinsey Wilson drives the ball past West Greene's Katie Lampe.
MONESSEN – West Greene moved closer to its sixth straight section title with a 61-43 win at Monessen Monday night as the Pioneers won their 62nd consecutive section game.
“We played very composed and did a really good job on their top two scorers,” said West Greene coach Jordan Watson after the Class A Section 2 game. “After playing well in the first quarter, taking a nine-point lead into the half was good considering our foul trouble.
“Then we were able to get back to our press.”
Monessen coach Janine Vertacnik spoke about the difference in the game, which was found in the turnover column on the statistics sheet.
“Against this team, you can’t turn the ball over,” she said of her team’s 34 turnovers. “We turned it over in the backcourt and that was easy points for them.
“But I am proud of the effort, and I am measuring ourselves through (West Greene).”
Anna Durbin led West Greene with 20 points, and it leaves her seven points shy of 1,000 for her career.
“Anna led us tonight,” said Watson. “She should get her 1,000th point Thursday, if the weather cooperates.”
Early on, the game was a defensive battle as the two teams combined for a total of four baskets over the first 4:26 of the game.
But then West Greene started hitting shots, and this allowed the Pioneers to get into their patented “Press Greene” mode. The Pioneers forced the Greyhounds into 13 first-quarter turnovers, although they gave it back to Monessen seven times in the frame.
Monessen went on an 8-0 run to open the second quarter and when Sidney Campbell banked in a three-pointer with 5:38 to go in the half, the Hounds had trimmed the West Greene lead to 21-18.
With West Greene leading 23-20 with 5:07 to go until halftime, the Pioneers embarked on a 7-1 run to take a 30-21 lead into the break.
That was also the middle of a stretch in which West Greene did not allow a Monessen basket for almost a full quarter of game action.
When Mercedes Majors made a shot with 5:07 to go in the second quarter, the Greyhounds would not make another basket until the 5:17 mark of the third when MyAsia Majors scored.
During the stretch, West Greene went on a 19-3 run and its lead went from 23-20 to 42-23.
“We came out flat in the third quarter and we were tired going into halftime,” said Vertacnik. “I was good being down nine at the half, but when you are tired, your mind goes, and you aren’t moving quite as fast.”
Watson also spoke about the run as well as the third quarter when it forced Monessen into 12 turnovers.
“That was almost a quarter there without a field goal, we varied the pressures a little bit and went from full court to half court,” he said. “We did a good job of that, and if we kept them off the foul line, then we would be fine because we knew they couldn’t outscore us (from the field).
“Once we got into foul trouble a little bit (in the second), we had to drop back and play a little more half court. It got us to halftime and then we were able to come out and press (in the third).”
West Greene turned the ball over 18 times.
Katie Lampe (14 points) and Kasie Mack (11) joined Durbin in double figures while Mercedes Majors led Monessen with 12 points and Campbell added 10.
Both coaches spoke briefly about where their respective programs are.
“We feel we own the section right now, and we knew this was a big game for them,” Watson said. “We told the girls we like playing our big games in late February and in early March.”
Vertacnik was proud of her team fighting to the last second and she also appreciated the vociferous home crowd.
“With how hard we played to the last second, that is what I want to see,” she said. “We are hungry, we want to win, and the girls are disappointed. Playing in front of this crowd tonight was special, and the girls fed off of it.”
Wednesday will mark the six-year anniversary of West Greene’s last section loss when it lost at Jefferson-Morgan, and Vertacnik respects what the Pioneers have done.
“I have to give them credit, and I am proud of them, because they are representing our section in a positive way,” she said. “They have played for a WPIAL title four years in a row and that is saying something because they aren’t a Catholic school or a private school.”
Both teams return to section play Thursday as West Greene goes to Jefferson-Morgan while Monessen hosts Avella.