Mounties overtake Cosmos

Girls basketball, Friday's first round of the Green Mountain Holiday Tournament.
http://rutlandherald.com/article/20131221/SPORTS02/712219953

Published December 21, 2013 in the Rutland Herald MountiesovertakeCosmos By POODY WALSH Correspondent CHESTER — Down 43-38 with 2:43 to play, Mount St. Josephoutscored Springfield 15-2 the rest of the way to post a 53-45 win during the first round of the Green Mountain Holiday Tournament Friday at Nason Gym. Keying the victory was the Mounties’ 9-of-10 fourth-quarter free throw shooting and their composure in the frantic final minutes. “That’s something we didn’t do against Bellows Falls,” said MSJ coach Dan Elliott of the MSJ composure. That composure the Mounties had was absent from the Cosmos’ final moments as they were in the game at 48-45 with 1:19 to go and then had three consecutive turnovers. “We didn’t compete tonight,” said Springfield coach Joe Brown. “We had some girls that didn’t show up.” The win moves MSJ into the championship game Dec. 27 at 6 p.m. MSJ took a 34-28 lead into the fourth quarter then hit a dry spell as Springfield, sparked by six points from Chelsea McAllister, went on a 15-4 run to take a 43-38 lead. Then the Mounties turned the game in their favor when Claire Schmelzenbach made a pair of free throws, followed by a steal and lay-in from Monica Schmelzenbach. Claire Schmelzenbach followed with a shot from in close as the Mounties took the lead and never gave it up; while Springfield eventually tied that game at 44-44, the Mounties ran off a 9-1 spurt and put the game away. “This should not have happened,” said Brown, who saw his team fall to 1-2. MSJ used a box-and-one on McAllister with Megan Eaton the one chosen to pay the most attention to McAllister, who had 16 points. She has 66 points in three games this season and 796 for her career. Sophomore Brooke Willey had a nice game for the Cosmos with 13 points. Kendra Dana contributed 10. McAllister had some foul issues in the first half, picking up her third with 3:45 to go and had to sit until the third period. Monica Schmelzenbach had 16 points for the Mounties while Claire Schmelzenbach added 10 and Eaton eight. The Mounties tested Elliott’s blood pressure early as they flopped around in the first quarter, falling behind 10-4. But it was Brown’s turn in the second quarter as the Mounties used a 16-4 second period to take a 20-14 halftime lead.