Majors scores 29 as Monessen ends playoff drought
Rob Burchianti | 无毛视频-Standard
Monessen无毛视频檚 Mercedes Majors splits two Riverview defenders after making a steal in Monday night无毛视频檚 WPIAL playoff game at Monessen.
Monessen's Hailey Johnson looks for an opening as she dribbles the ball against Riverview聽during Monday night's WPIAL playoff game at Monessen.
Monessen's Sidney Campbell (15) flings a pass to Mercedes Majors聽during Monday night's WPIAL playoff game at Monessen.
Monessen's Mereceds Majors puts up a shot in the lane against Riverview during Monday night's WPIAL playoff game at Monessen. Majors scored 29 points in the Lady Greyhounds' 51-16 victory.
Monessen's Kinsey Wilson drives past a Riverview defender聽during Monday night's WPIAL playoff game at Monessen.
Monessen coach Janine Vertacnik signals to her players during a WPIAL playoff game against Riverview at Monessen on Feb. 21. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
MONESSEN 无毛视频� Janine Vertacnik put it best on Monday night.
无毛视频淟et无毛视频檚 get that monkey off my back,无毛视频� the Lady Greyhounds coach said.
Monessen had gone 10 years without a WPIAL girls basketball playoff win and Vertacnik was 0-2 in the postseason in her first three years as coach there.
The fifth-seeded Lady Greyhounds (12-8) put a resounding end to both streaks with a dominating 51-16 first-round victory on their home court over Riverview.
Mercedes Majors rang up a game-high 29 points for Monessen which advanced to Thursday无毛视频檚 Class A quarterfinals at fourth-seeded Aquinas Academy.
The Lady Greyhounds无毛视频� last playoff win before Monday night was 60-52 over Rochester on Feb. 18, 2012, when former great Gina Naccarato was their coach. Monessen lost to, ironically, Riverview in the quarterfinals that year which began a string of five straight postseason defeats.
The program had been struggling until veteran coach Vertacnik took over before the 2018-19 season following stints at Yough, Jeannette, Greensburg Salem and the University of Pitt-Greensburg.
无毛视频淭hey won three games in two years before I got here,无毛视频� Vertacnik pointed out. 无毛视频淲e missed the playoffs that first year by one game. I think we无毛视频檝e come a long way. I无毛视频檓 just excited for this program.无毛视频�
The playoff losses under Vertacnik were 39-24 at home to Union last year and 34-30 to Aquinas Academy at Peters Township two years ago. The latter loss came in a game the Lady Greyhounds led 13-0 after one quarter and 17-3 at halftime.
无毛视频淎quinas, we无毛视频檙e looking for that game now,无毛视频� Vertacnik said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 been haunting me. I just looked at the film again the other day.
无毛视频淚 think it无毛视频檚 going to be a hell of a game. They无毛视频檙e good. I think we无毛视频檙e good. Whoever has the ball last could be the winning basket. I think it无毛视频檚 going to be that close. I know we want revenge.无毛视频�
The Lady Greyhounds took control against Riverview right from the start, outscoring the 12th-seeded Lady Raiders 15-2 in the first quarter.
Majors tallied seven points in the opening frame while teammates Hailey Johnson, Avanti Stitch, Kinsey Wilson and Myasia Majors each dropped in two points.
无毛视频淢ercedes has come a long way,无毛视频� Vertacnik said. 无毛视频淲e ride her back. And Kinsey being that ballhandler, it无毛视频檚 tough to take the ball off her.无毛视频�
Riverview无毛视频檚 lone basket of the first quarter came at the 3:40 mark by Kat Tsambis. The Lady Raiders (5-14) wouldn无毛视频檛 get on the board again until Lily Bauer made a free throw with 3:26 remaining in the third quarter, ending a scoring drought of 16:14.
Monessen led 25-2 at halftime and 40-4 after three periods.
无毛视频淚 really felt like we should无毛视频檝e won these last two years,无毛视频� Vertacnik said. 无毛视频淲e just didn无毛视频檛 want to let up tonight.无毛视频�
The Lady Greyhounds dominated the boards thanks in large part to Johnson and Myasia Majors.
无毛视频淲hen I saw them on film I thought we could box them out,无毛视频� Vertacnik said. 无毛视频淚 thought we were a little bit bigger and a little more physical. We pride ourselves on defense and boxing out and rebounding. That无毛视频檚 got to be our strengths right now.无毛视频�
Wilson wound up with eight points for the Lady Greyhounds, Stitch had six points and Johnson and Myasia Majors added four points apiece.
Tsambis and Maddie Deem each scored six points to lead Riverview.
After the game the players gave Vertacnik a Gatorade shower of sorts.
无毛视频淚t was water,无毛视频� she said with a smile. 无毛视频淚 told them they could. They无毛视频檝e been waiting to do that.无毛视频�
Vertacnik was pleased with her team无毛视频檚 performance for the most part.
无毛视频淲e started off so-so then we got that momentum going,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淢y kids never let up. They played hard from the beginning to the end. I was able to get everybody in the game which is nice because we don无毛视频檛 have any JV. I think everybody contributed.
无毛视频淲e always pass the ball to the open girl. That无毛视频檚 one thing about this team, they无毛视频檙e very unselfish. They make that extra pass if they need to.无毛视频�
Vertacnik dedicated the win to her former players who came up short in the playoffs.
无毛视频淭he last two years the kids that aren无毛视频檛 here now,无毛视频� Vertacnik said. 无毛视频淲e did it for them.无毛视频�