Bay coach Chris Brewer draws up a play for Bay as the team tried to inbound the ball from Rocky River’s baseline in the final minute of their game last Wednesday. (Photo by Larry Bennet)

Bay uses veteran leadership to withstand River’s youth
By Zachary Dzurick
Sports
Published Jan. 18 2006, 2005

Click here for an archive of West Life Sports Editor Zachary Dzurick's "Red Right 88" weekly columns.

Bay is in the driver’s seat for the first ever WSC crown. With their 71-48 win over Vermilion, the Lady Rockets (10-2 overall) completed a perfect first pass through the conference at 7-0.

But coach Chris Brewer’s team needed every second of Wednesday night’s game against Rocky River to pull out the win.

With under a minute to go, Rocky River freshman Mary Beth Leitch followed her own missed shot, got the rebound and was fouled. She made the ensuing free throw to give River a 49-47 lead with 53 seconds left.  Bay senior Paris Pugliese tied the game with a drive of her own with 38 seconds left.

Rocky River coach Michael Murray waited until there was 15 seconds left  to call time. Junior Kealy McNally, who had a game high 21 points and nine rebounds, got the ball on the right wing but the ball went off her out of bounds with six seconds to go.

After two Bay timeouts and one Rocky River timeout, Bay senior Sarah Kazanas found sophomore Lindsay Lowrie breaking down the sideline. Lowrie drove to the hoop for the game winning lay-up but McNally went up and took the ball away. A jump ball was called and the possession arrow pointed to Bay. Both team were out of timeouts, so the Rockets went to something they saved for situations just like this. They didn’t even need the whole play as Pugliese found Kazanas wide open in the key. Kazanas buried the jumper as time expired.

“They broke down for a quick second and we were able to get the hit,” Brewer said. “We were expecting one more pass and a pick for Paris but we will take what is open. It was a big win.”

Bay dominated the offense boards. They scored several times off of offense rebounds.

“We really felt offensively, we could crash the boards,” Brewer said. “They have Kealy in there who gets every board around because she can jump out of the gym. So we were able to get some offensive boards by crashing.”

“They had a tremendous advantage on the boards,” Murray said. “I bet they had six or eight points off of missed free throws and getting the rebound and scoring. Those are the little things. And the experience of Bay was the difference. Their kids executed to a T. It is something we are striving to do.”

Bay did not make a field goal in the third quarter until Kazanas made one with just 47 seconds left.

“We shot very poorly in the third quarter but River plays some really good defense,” Brewer said.

Murray thought his team acquitted themselves well in what was their first really big game.

“I am proud of the kids, they fought hard,” Murray said. “With 15 seconds left, I would have thought we would have made a play. There was some youth on the court and I think we got a little nervous. We went much earlier than we wanted to. We told the kids don’t beat yourself up. That is why we practice, so you can focus in the moment later on the court. I think we will get better.”

Bay is at Avon tonight and will host Midview on Saturday afternoon.