Terriers’ streak is short-lived

In winning their last two league games, St. Francis Prep basketball Coach JoAnn Wagner has seen vast improvement, but the Terriers’ awakening took a detour last Wednesday night when they were blasted by Bishop Kearney, 69-24, in their final divisional game.
“It was just a bad game,” Wagner said. “We’ll write it off and come back.”
The absence of their starting point guard and leading scorer Gina Catherall, due to the flu, played a significant role in the blowout, although Wagner didn’t see it that way. “One player doesn’t make that much of a difference,” she said. “It was our overall intensity [that was lacking].”
Catherall scored 29 points the last time the two teams faced one another - an overtime victory for Bishop Kearney.
“As a coach, I know sometimes one player can make a big difference,” Bishop Kearney Coach Cathy Crockett said. “They’re a better team than they showed.”
Not only was Catherall sidelined, but St. Francis was also easing their two injured starters - Maiza Mock and Ashley McQuillan - back into the lineup for the first time in a month. Considering all that was conspiring against St. Francis on the Tigers’ senior night, the result was, perhaps, not unforeseen.
St. Francis managed just four points in the first quarter, and trailed 28-9 at halftime. They were unable to penetrate the Bishop Kearney zone, settling for perimeter shots instead. When they did look to get inside, the Terriers repeatedly turned the ball over or saw their shots rejected or altered by Maria Laterza, the Tigers’ 6-foot-2 center.
Lisa Abitante led the Tigers (17-5, 9-3 CHSAA I) with 12 points and Jill Brady, Kaitlin Marshall and Marissa Maffei each added 10. Senior Kate Puccio was the lone bright spot for St. Francis (6-14, 2-10 CHSAA I), scoring a team-high nine points. Mock added four points in her return.