Trinity 74
Harlan 44
It was “Upset Saturday” in men’s college basketball–three of the top 10 lost– but on the local high school scene, it was business as usual for Trinity.
The Blazers handily defeated the Harlan Falcons 74-44 to improve their record to 19-4 overall. After having over a week off between games, this was the type of win to make any coach smile: Four players scored in double figures and no starters ended up in foul trouble. Monica Albano led Trinity with 14 points, while Taricka Linzy finished with 13. Shakyia Vassar and Amanda Macchione each contributed a dozen apiece in the blowout.
Macchione and Erica Cross stepped up big time on the boards and scoring. Macchione had her third game in a row in double figures. The senior center came into the Harlan game with back-to-back double doubles.
“I’ve had a turn around. I needed it to happen,” said Macchione of her recent play. “People have been telling me to step up, be a leader. I did what I could.”
Cross grabbed seven rebounds in the first half, finishing with nine. She added an exclamation point to her defense with three blocked shots to frustrate the Falcons.
Cross reflected on what it means to be in her final year of high school basketball. “I’ve been playing with Amanda [Macchione] for four years. For us to have to have a good senior season is special,” she said. “In practice, coach puts us up against each other. It helps to make us better.”
The nine day layoff between games showed early in the contest. The Blazers appeared sluggish even though they scored the first six points. Harlan was able to tie it up at 12 late in the period. Trinity held a slight edge going into the second quarter before the Blazers hit their stride. Linzy came off the bench and hit a trey that was soon followed by another three from Vassar. The Blazers went on a 10-0 run to finish off the first half 37-20.
“I thought we took control of the game in the second quarter,” said Trinity head coach Ed Stritzel. “Our pressure slowly wore them out.”
The second half saw the Blazers build on their lead even with all the starters sitting on the bench for most of the fourth quarter. Since many of them were coming off injuries, it was a welcome break to sit back and cheer on their teammates. Harlan just couldn’t mount a comeback, although the Falcons had to feel good about the play of Latoya Hambrick. The senior center came off the bench for a game-high 16 points.
Trinity travels into Chicago Saturday to take on highly-ranked Whitney Young. Trinity’s Shakyia Vassar commented on the upcoming showdown, “We want to stay calm and get ready for the game.” The junior added with a smile, “And we’re going to practice really hard this week.”