In a game where both teams had trouble scoring at first, McGann-Mercy proved its dominance as everything began to click in the third quarter.
Southold, which scored only one point in the first quarter, kept the game close at first by playing solid defense. The Monarchs only scored six points in the first quarter themselves.
“It’s discouraging seeing a slow start,” Monarchs head coach Meaghan Macarthur said. “Especially because of so many missed layups but we kept our heads in the game and turned out a complete team effort.”
The Settlers (2-6 League VII, 2-8 overall) got some offense going in the second quarter thanks to two three pointers by Madison Tabor who did everything she could to keep the game close.
The half would end 15-9 in favor of the Monarchs and the deficit would only get worse as a red-hot McGann-Mercy side came to play in the third quarter.
The Monarchs (6-1 League VII, 6-2 overall) came out on a 14-1 run, scoring time and time again until the lead ballooned to double digits and beyond. Southold could never recover and McGann-Mercy left Southold High School on Monday 45-25 winners.
“When everything is on and we’re in our flow, I think we’re unstoppable,” Macarthur said.
Everyone was scoring in that third quarter: Mia Behrens, Jules Cintron, Olivia Kneski, Melina Santacroce, Dayna Young – it was a scoring frenzy.
“We got a lot of people in the game today,” Macarthur said. “It was a total team win.”
The X-Factor going forward for the Monarchs may be 8th-grader Chastin Giles, who started on Monday. She played as if she has been on varsity for years, forcing turnovers and taking over the brunt of the ball handling.
“She’s promising,” Macarthur said of Giles. “It’s exciting. She brings a fire and it sets a spark to the rest of the team and drives them to do better.”
After losing to Mattituck (7-1 League VII) the game before, 63-43, for their only league loss, revenge is stapled in their minds as they’ll play them on Wednesday at home.
“I don’t even have to keep them motivated or focused,” Macarthur said. “They want to beat Mattituck so bad, I don’t even have to tell them anything.”
That game will start at 6:15.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by George Faella.
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