By Bill Bray
TOLEDO – “I didn’t expect this result from our girls, I just wanted them to be loose, relax and play the way they know how, and it just wasn’t there tonight,” Those were the word from a disappointed coach Juan Vela after his team was handled by the TRAC champion Central Catholic Lady Irish Saturday evening 47-33.
The first quarter started out well for Ross as Abby Cahill stole a TCC pass and laid the ball up for two points. Cahill’s two, along with two from Carma Johnson and four from Janiah Holmes had the Giants in the game 11-8 as the first quarter ended. Central’s Brooklyn Vaughn made noise in the first quarter finishing with six of her team’s 11 points.
Again, in the second stanza, Ross hung tough with the 19-1 Lady Irish. Corniya Clay kept the Irish in front 19-16 at the break with her six points. At this point it was still anyone’s game. During Fremont’s second quarter, they matched their scoring output of the first with eight points. Destiny Robinson had a bucket, Johnson added two points, Cahill and Holmes got the other four.
Still within reach being only down by three, the Ross wheels started to come loose. Vela’s quote was pertaining to the play by the Lady Giants in the second half. “We just weren’t ourselves and that really bothers me,” Vela added. “In big games, big players have to show up. I think Central Catholic is a little more experienced with their two seniors, and their sophomores are pretty good. But if both of us could have had a good night, it would have been a much better game. We just didn’t show up tonight.”
The third quarter was the quarter when the Lady Giants came unraveled. Again, it was an eight-point production from Fremont. Johnson, Holmes, and Lyndi Wolf supplied the point total. During the same eight minutes, Central Catholic showed why they were the champions. They sank two three pointers and were five of six at the foul line.
In the fourth quarter, Johnson, the only one of the Ross players who was really attacking the basket for most of the game, had six of Fremont’s nine point.
“We didn’t shoot the ball well,” Vela continued. “Destiny (Robinson) didn’t try to force things or create things and she is more than capable of doing that. Janiah (Holmes) missed an easy shot during the fourth quarter, then she didn’t want to shoot anymore. Carma (Johnson) on the other hand, gave us some life. She was the only one really attacking the basket. We’ll talk, we’ll figure things out. But I told them already, for our girls to give us an opportunity to win a championship, I’ve never been there. So that says a lot about the way we can play. So hopefully we learn from it and just maybe it will be us cutting down the nets next year to win a TRAC title.”
The Lady Giants have a final game Monday night at the “Purple Pit” as the trio of seniors are honored. Makenna Englund, Aleah Whaley, and Hannah Sheidler will perform for the final time in front of the home crowd. St. Ursula, from the TRAC, will be the final opponent.
Then it will be onto tournament. It is hoped that the Giants learned a valuable lesson Saturday night and can bounce back with a nice tournament run.
Janiah Holmes (23) eyes the basket in the TRAC game against Toledo Central Catholic Saturday.
Carma Johnson’s (15) aggressive style of play was the one bright spot for the Giants in the TRAC contest at Toledo Central Catholic.
Destiny Robinson (11) did not play up to her potential during the loss to the Lady Irish as she was held to just four points.