Everyday Rocco Romano tells Ayanna Battle to go hard, reminding his center to give the maximum effort. The same was true when Battle was a non-factor early for the Bishop Loughlin against St. Saviour.
“I know what she is capable of,” the Lions girls’ basketball coach said.
Battle then showed exactly what he is talking about.
Battle took control of the game on the offensive end in the second quarter, became active on the boards, blocked shots and anticipated passes on the back of the press. She finished with 15 points and led the Lions to a 45-30 victory over host St. Saviour in a CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Division II game Tuesday night, snapping a four-game winning streak for the Pandas.
“The first quarter I was just getting into a rhythm,” Battle said. “The second quarter I had it.”
She had a hand in six straight points and eight in the quarter to help the Lions (5-6, 5-4 CHSAA B/Q Division II) take a slim 19-17 lead, one they’d never relinquish, at the break. With the score tied at 15 and 2:00 left before halftime, Battle stole a pass and found Ariel Gotay, who scored 13 points, for a transition layup. Battle then connected on a jumper from the left corner and a layup on the left side to make it 19-14 with 40 second left.
“She played up to her ability tonight,” Romano said. "She was fantastic."
During a turnover-filled second quarter, St. Saviour (7-4, 6-3) struggled to handle Loughlin’s full court pressure with point guard Stephanie Hvala on the bench with foul trouble and nursing an injured left hand, which she suffered against Fontbonne Hall on Friday night. She was held to just five points.
“It definitely affected her game today,” St. Saviour coach Jim Gregson said. “I don’t think she could really handle the ball and go to the basket.”
The Pandas did seem to settle back down with the senior back in the game in the third and had much more success breaking the Lions’ press. Hvala even hit a jumper from the top of the key to tie the score at 26 with 3:30 remaining in the quarter. It was St. Saviour’s last offensive highlight. Alyson Cuazzo scored 10 points and Nicole Juliano added 10.
“We didn’t shoot well from the foul line and we missed a lot of layups,” Gregson said. “Their pressure gave us a problem.”
It was the story of the fourth quarter.
The Lions again saw its pressure force numerous turnovers and the Pandas shot just 4-of-11 from the line. Loughlin went on a 13-1 run capped by Tiffany Benjamin finding Maieshah Michel for a layup to make it 43-27 with 1:26 remaining.
“The better defense we play, the more nervous they get,” Battle said. “So when we pressure, it is turnover, steal, layup.”
The win completes a season sweep of the Pandas for Loughlin. The Lions won the first meeting, 39-37, at home. They lost to a more veteran St. Saviour squad in last season’s Division II title game.
“We just felt like owed them from last year,” Battle said. “They beat us in the championship game. This year we came and tried to win it here going away.”
