Villa Walsh sported four girls who scored in double digits, with senior Karin Brett dropping 17 points en route to a 58-40 win over host Hanover Park Friday night.
The Vikings (4-2, 1-1 NJAC) actually trailed the Hornets, 12-9, late in the first period.
But scrappy junior guard Grace McKenna, who enjoyed a solid overall game, drilled a three-pointer to tie the affair at 16 all with 48.2 seconds left in the first quarter. Brett’s bucket put Villa Walsh ahead, 20-18, at the end of the period.
Brett added six points for a 26-20 lead with 3:14 remaining in the first half. After Hanover Park (1-3, 0-1 NJAC) sliced the deficit to three points, Daniella Jambrina sank two free throws that sparked a Vikings’ 8-0 run and swelled their advantage to 34-23 to close out the half.
Villa Walsh continued to play stellar defense and its offense went to work. A nice dish under the hoop by McKenna to Kate Gehringer, who converted the basket, gave the Vikings a 20-point advantage with 22.3 seconds to go in the third quarter.
McKenna’s trey handed Villa Walsh a 24-point lead, its biggest margin of the contest, with 2:43 left in the game.
At that point, the rest of the tilt was academic, as the Vikings won going away.
Gehringer scored 12 points while Jambrina and McKenna added 10 points apiece for Villa Walsh.
Olivia Cosenzo and Brielle Junda shared team-highs in points with 13 for the Hornets.
The Vikings travel to Brooklyn on Saturday at 11:00 p.m. to take on Jefferson Township at the Barclays Center.
— Jerry Del Priore
Watch the video below as Villa Walsh player bangs home three-pointer in a game on January 3rd against Hanover Park on Friday night.
