×
X logo

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox.

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)

You may opt-out anytime by clicking "unsubscribe" from the newsletter or from your account.

WJU ‘Burns’ Hilltoppers Late

WHEELING — Prior to Saturday’s game, Wheeling Jesuit seniors Jaana Motton, Kylie Frizell, Chelsea Richardson and Lydia Hyburg were given, among other things, flowers and framed jerseys. Monica Burns gave the group the most important gift, however.

Burn had struggled with her shot, going 1 of 14, but her drive and layup with the off hand went through the basket with 1 second left gave the Cardinals (22-6 overall, 17-5 Mountain East Conference) a 59-58 victory and a season split with the Hilltoppers (9-19, 8-14) on Senior Day.

“I felt good for this game,” WJU coach Debbie Buff said. “I just thought the seniors really wanted to win this.

“We got down by what, nine? I said the same thing I have been saying, ‘ladies, if we make our shots we’ve got this.’ ”

Wheeling Jesuit made just enough. But it wasn’t over until Chenelle Moore intercepted a lob pass to West Liberty post that the celebration could begin.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for West Liberty coach Lynn Ullom, whose team led 47-40 after three quarters. But the Hilltoppers were outscored 8-0 to start the fourth and found themselves in a fight the rest of the day.

“We gave it away and it happened with 9 minutes left, not 1 minute,” Ullom said. “The second we went up seven we quit passing the ball.

“We dribble less than any team in the country, but we have driven more this season than the last 10 years combined.”

Johnie Olkosky, who finished with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists, gave WLU a 57-54 lead with less than 2 minutes remaining. But Richardson calmly sank only her third 3-pointer of the season to tie it.

“Chelsea hit a big shot for us,” Buff said.

The Hilltoppers missed 5 of 6 free throws down the stretch, setting the stage for Burns’ heroics.

“And those are 80-percent foul shooters,” Ullom said incredulously.

Jesuit’s Mariah Callen didn’t have her normal shooting night, finishing 1 of 8 and 0-for-6 from the 3-point line. But it was her job defensively on WLU’s McKenna Shives that meant the most. Shives, who scored 28 in the Toppers’ upset of the Cardinals in January, was limited to 13 points this time around.

“That’s why Mariah’s shot was short … she was expending a lot of energy,” Buff said. “I even said to her, ‘Mariah, can you keep playing her or is it going to affect your shot?’ She said, ‘I’ve got to keep playing her.’

“I thought that was great. She was going to take one from the team.”

Hyburg and Moore were huge off the bench for the Cardinals. The former had 12 points and five rebounds while the latter tallied 12 points and 10 boards. They helped offset Brown, who ended with a team-high 14 points.

“We were getting any shot we wanted up until that point, then we just lost our mind,” Ullom said. “There’s no moral victories in this program.

“If we think this is a moral victory because we went on the road and lost by one, then we’re a joke program.”

Wheeling Jesuit ran out to a 19-15 lead after a quarter before the Hilltoppers rallied for a 30-27 halftime lead. Brandi Beader was key to the charge, scoring 13 points and ripping down a team-high 11 rebounds.

Buff said she and men’s coach Danny Sancomb said earlier in the day the programs needed to win two Saturday. That’s exactly how it turned out to be.

“I am so happy for the seniors to go out with this win. This gives us 22 wins,” Buff said. “This is my second full recruiting class and they did great things.

“Now we can have a little bit of momentum going into the tournament.”

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today