BY ROGER CLEAVELAND
WATERBURY – It was difficult to recognize the Holy Cross girls basketball team in the first half Tuesday night as the normally dominant Crusaders allowed Sacred Heart to take the play to them and go into intermission with the lead.
By the second half, however, normalcy returned to the Naugatuck Valley League as the Crusaders ramped up their defensive intensity to take complete control and ultimately win easily, 57-39.
Holy Cross (6-1) was led by Meah Austin with 16 points, 12 rebounds and two steals, Aiyana Ward with 12 points, eight rebounds and three steals and by Idalis Miranda with 11 points and two steals.
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“I definitely though Meah Austin held us in during the first half,” Lombardo said. “She got a lot of offensive rebounds and had opportunities where they had to foul her and get in a little foul trouble. Then in the second half, I thought Idalis really took control of the game. We played to our tempo in the second half, and that was primarily because of Idalis.”
Sacred Heart (4-3) was led by Treasure Coleman 11 points and six rebounds and by Victoria Santiago with nine points.
“I think in the beginning no one was focused,” said Holy Cross senior guard Idalis Miranda said. “I think the other team was too hyped about the game. They were more focused, and they wanted it more than we did. We came out too slow and not playing like ourselves. It basically (got us angry), and then we had to come back strong in the second half.”
Trailing by a point, 22-21, at the half, the Crusaders started the third quarter on a 19-2 run, scoring 17 points in a row after the teams traded baskets to open the second half.
“I definitely thought our defense was a step behind the first half,” Lombardo said. “They have very quick guards. We are used to pressuring, but instead of pressuring we needed to take a step off to control the penetration. We talked about that at halftime and did a much better job in the second half.”
The Crusaders didn’t just get a step quicker in the second half. They went into their fullcourt press, shark frenzy mode. A steal would lead to a layup which would allow them to get into their press again and disrupt whatever rhythm and composure the Hearts had in the first half.
“Our defense spurs our offense,” Lombardo said. “We had a lot of easy baskets in the first half that we didn’t connect, and when you don’t connect on baskets, you can’t set up your press. In the second half our press got going, because we were making some easy baskets.”
The third quarter definitely felt and looked more like Holy Cross basketball.
“It totally did, and it was awesome,” Austin said. “When we are all on the same page, and we are all flying around, it is really great. That is the best part of playing for Holy Cross is all of us flying around the court and doing our thing, because we know defense is going to win.”
Lombardo said that despite the fact the Crusaders’ offense is significantly lagging behind their defense right now, overall he is very pleased where the team is a third of the way into the season.
“We are 6-1, and our only loss is to Mercy High School, which is the No. 10 team in the state,” Lombardo said. “After the first quarter even against them it was a pretty even game. So right now I like where we are. We lost three quality seniors last year who started a lot for us. And then we lost Century McCarthy, one of our best players last year, to an injury. So that is four starters we were down coming into a new season.
“A lot of these girls are gaining experience, and they are starting to learn to play together, which is a good sign. It is only the seventh game of the year. I’m proud of where we are right now, and I think there is a bright future for us as the remaining games come up.”