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The Magnificat Blue Streaks are district champions via a 61-30 victory over Rocky River tonight in Medina. Sophia Wilson got red hot from beyond the arc, for a 5 three pointer night including 3 in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. I spoke with head coach Danny Gallagher about how his team was able to score 61 points against an incredible defense, in a game when the whistle wasn’t being blown too much early on, “Our toughness got us through and we know how to respond when teams are playing tough defense against us. We moved the ball well, shared the ball well, and valued the ball and that is what we talk about after every game,” said Gallagher.
I’ve covered this team multiple times this season and have always been impressed with their “we first” mentality. I asked coach to touch on that virtue as well, “Our team motto for the year was believe in we. We our one of the most unselfish teams in Northeast Ohio. Each night someone does it for us, it doesn’t have to be the same person every time. We spread it out to everyone and they play their role and they step up every single game by us going with our core values.,” coach explained.
That was the case again tonight for the Blue Streaks as Wilson finished with 15, while Katie Maryo had 12 and Abby Rosol had 11. I have to say, when it comes to Maryo, she is effortless from the corner when she hits that three. Maryo has one of the most fluid shots from the corner I have ever seen. Also, scoring for the Blue Streaks was Julia Hall with 9 while Brynn Roggenburk, Reese Roggenburk and Gemma Wichman had 4 each. Capping the scoring for the Blue Streaks was Medina with 2.
After scoring the first 5 points of the night, Rocky River went cold for the duration of the night. A rare trait for a typically potent attack. Ava Patti led them with 9 while Emmy Convery had 5, Maeve Kelly had 4, Annika Mocho and Natalie Swallow finished their Pirate careers with 3 each. Scoring 2 each were Mackenzie Russell, Kylie Crane and Haddie Holton.
After the Pirates opened the first quarter with a 5-0 run, it was all Blue Streaks for the remaining portion of the quarter. It took them a little bit to get going, as their first points didn’t come until a Julia Hall drive to the hoop with only 3:45 left in the quarter to score. From there, they finished the quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 9-5 lead.
The Blue Streaks remained hot and started the second quarter on a 7-0 run in the first 2:30 of the quarter to increase the lead to 16-7 as Hall, Roggenburk and Rosol continued to pound the paint. The Pirates were constant in their attack as well and begun to climb back in the game and cut the lead to 6 at 20-14 with 3 minutes to go. That 6-point differential would be the closest they would come. Magnificat finished the half on a 9-0 run to put them ahead 29-14 at the break.
The Blue Streaks came out with a Wilson three to start the third quarter, that was instantly answered by a Natalie Swallow 3 from Rocky River. That would be the last spark for Rocky River however as the Blue Streaks went off from that point. Katie Maryo and Wilson began to light it up from deep, and the next thing you knew we were only two minutes into the quarter, and the Blue Streak lead was 38-17. They finished the quarter up 45-19.
Another Katie Maryo three ball, and constant attacking of the rim, built the lead to 59-24 with 4:04 to go as the Blue Streaks put it away.
