by Berea, OH- After a close first half, the Chicago Maroons came out with lock down defense in the second and ran away with a convincing 80-57 triumph over LaRoche out of PA. It was Miranda Burt pacing them with 20 big points. Taylor Lake was also impressive with 14 points and 4 assists.
LaRoche fought hard and kept it close in the first half. They were led by the sharp shooting of Ayanna Mazyck who put up 20 pints of her own. She was 4 of 9 beyond the arc, but all four of those came in the first half. The Maroons adjusted to a 2-3 zone in the second half and that would prove to be the difference.
The lower seeded LaRoche Redhawks came in hot and started hot leading almost the entire first quarter. It wasn’t until the closing seconds of the opening quarter that the Chicago Maroons took their first lead. Taylor Lake buried a three ball and also had a driving layup taking a hit, draining the shot and following foul shot to pace the Maroons.
It was a first quarter loaded with points as the Maroons put up 22 while the Redhawks answered with 21. Pacing the Redhawks in the first was the amazing play of Ayanna Mazyck who had 10 points in the frame herself. Including burying two from long distance.
The Maroons built the lead up to 32-23 to start the second, but the Blackhawks continued to light it up from long range with a barrage of three balls. The Redhawks would eventually go on a run that led them to a 33-32 lead halfway through the quarter. It was tremendous ball movement from the Blackhawks that led to one open shot after another.
It was only a matter of time before Chicago began to flex their muscle and pull ahead again. They would play a commanding final five minutes of the first half and take a 47-40 lead into the locker rooms.
Miranda Burt had 14 in the first half with Taylor Lake chipping in with 10. Burt was 6 of 9 and nailed two from beyond the arc in the half as well. Keeping the Redhawks close was Ayanna Mazyck with 16, including 4 of 7 from long range.
In the third, the Maroons began to pull ahead even further as the Redhawks went cold from the floor. The Maroons built a double-digit lead at 65-49 and looked to have their ticket to the second round punched. The Redhawks just took one three ball after another and couldn’t hit.
To their credit, the Maroons did a much better job defending in the second half as well on those shots. Nothing came easy for the Redhawks as they were held to just 9 points in the third.
Things would stay the course in the fourth as the tide would never turn back to the Redhawks. The Maroons eventually built the lead to 20 plus and that was it. The final score being 80-57.
