Friday’s match was a game of runs, with each team stringing together strong offensive stretches. However, Scarborough made just a few more shots to pull away with the win.
After and a tightly-contested three quarters, the Red Storm built up an eight-point lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Trojans battled back and brought the score within two in the final minutes, but Scarborough would use last-minute free throws to put the game away.
“If only we had another minute … I felt that we had most of the momentum in the second half but we had a few balls bounce the wrong way. We knew going into the game that it would be a game of runs,” said TA coach Eric Marston.
The Red Storm picked up the early lead and momentum in the first half. Despite falling behind 10-9 at the end on the first quarter, Scarborough managed to take a 27-20 lead into halftime thanks to three late 3-pointers, one coming from Sophie Glidden at the buzzer.
The Trojans came out hot in the third, quickly going on a 6-0 run. Although TA was poised to take control, guard Alex Hart received her fourth foul and was taken out of the game for the remainder of the third quarter, and Scarborough took the 34-28 lead into the fourth.
“It was disappointing — I thought the girls responded phenomenally in the second half and they executed right off the bat. Those little baskets throughout the game, those little nuances, they can come back to haunt you,” said Marston. “That three at the end of the half was huge, the turning point in the game was Alex getting her fourth foul. I was happy with how hard she played and how smart she was down the stretch by not picking up her fifth foul, but it was hard.”
Alisha Aube led the Trojans with 14 points while Hart added 12. Scarborough’s Glidden scored a game-high 22 points on the afternoon.
Marston was also pleased with his club’s effort and intensity throughout the contest.
“I’m really proud of the way the girls maintained their composure and stayed focused,” said Marston. “We had all 14 girls involved and 100 percent into the game. We knew it was a great battle, (Scarborough) coach (Mike) Giordano is a great coach and his kids play hard every night. I expected the back and forth.”
The Trojans finish the year with a 9-10 overall record. Despite qualifying for another postseason, TA is sad to face the conclusion of the season.
“It was kind of like we ran out of time this season, just like this game. If only we had a few more games in the regular season, I thought towards the end the girls really hit their stride and started to come together,” said Marston. “It took us awhile to gel but we got to a point in the season where I thought we were playing really well … it’s unfortunate that it’s come to an end.”
— Associate Sports Editor Alex Sponseller can be reached at asponseller@journaltribune.com or at 282-1535 ext. 323.
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