Tag Archive for: Mooney

MOONEY GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP4 WITH JASON BAKER)

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Coming off their biggest win of the season, a nail biter against the South Range Raiders, the Lady Cardinals had won three of their last four. The sole loss coming at the buzzer against McDonald. Coach Baker has his girls playing their best basketball when they absolutely need too, and yet he still preaches his message of unselfish, disciplined team play. At 12-8, the Cardinals are as a dangerous of a team that you will find in the tournament.

Our own Nate Keiper caught up with Coach Baker prior to their senior night game against Boardman to discuss that big win over South Range, the season as a whole and what Coach Baker is most proud of when it comes to his girls. It’s time for another episode of the Coach’s Corner, sponsored by MP Vivo.

SPARTANS STAND TALL, SWEEP THE CARDINALS

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Prior to the game against Boardman, a touching moment for those in attendance at Cardinal Mooney. The two seniors for the Cardinals, Catie Perry and CJ Sapp, were escorted across the court by their families. But that wasn’t all. CJ, who tore her ACL in the previous matchup against the Spartans, came out in full uniform as a starter. Still recovering and wearing her brace, Sapp lined up for the tip off against Maria Torres. Sapp tipped the ball to Perry, a timeout was called, and hugs and tears were shared by both teams. Sapp walked off to a standing ovation and more embraces from her teammates. A beautiful moment for a phenomenal athlete who saw her senior athletic season cut far too short.

The emotions of the night were high, and the Cardinals used it to jump to an early lead. Perry and Gia Diorio hooked up for a few transition buckets, and the Cardinals defense held their own. An 8-3 lead was established, but the Spartans immediately responded. Reagan Burkey got plenty of opportunities from the free throw line, and the front court duo of Torres and Emma Tokarsky shut down the Cardinals offense for most of the first half. Following their early lead, Mooney would go over eight minutes of game time without a field goal. It wasn’t until Gia DiVincenzo hit a corner 3 pointer that Mooney would spring to life offensively. Despite Boardman’s dominance, they held only a one point lead at half, 22-21.

The second half, however, became a demonstration on the importance of free throws. Most impressive was the feat of Reagan Burkey, who finished a perfect 14/14 from the line, with 20 points overall. Boardman as a team shot 22/24 from the line. Maria Torres, held scoreless in the first, scored 6 points in the third. And the Cardinal’s offense struggled mightily, scoring only 4 points in the third quarter. The lead grew to 16, and Mooney would fail to mount any sort of comeback. The Spartans complete the sweep of their rival by a final score of 47-39.

Mooney will be on the road for their final regular season game, a makeup game against Valley Christian this Wednesday. The Spartans will be on the road against the Quakers from Salem.

CARDINALS SURVIVE VALIANT COMEBACK AGAINST RANGE

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Mooney came out red hot to start the game. South Range locked in during the fourth. And two great teams put on an unbelievable show last night.

The vaunted Lady Cardinal defense was on full display early on, as South Range went a full five minutes without any points. Even Izzy Lamparty, the Raider who recently eclipsed 1000 career points, could not seem to find a bucket. Gia Diorio and Katie Hough played give and go basketball, while Diorio showed beautiful touch on a high arching layup that somehow fell. Only one basket for South Range came from the floor in the quarter, a 3 pointer from Emma Cunningham. All the rest came from Izzy at the free throw line, and the Cardinals would lead 16-7 after one.

Maria Fire, a freshman for Mooney, had quite possibly her best game of the season. Coming in off the bench, Maria dominated the painted area with 15 points and 5 rebounds. 7 of those came from the free throw line, an area where Maria has struggled at times. Each shot that fell drew the team, and the crowd, to their feet. The Cardinal’s defense remained tight, and despite the efforts of both Lamparty sisters, Izzy and Gabby, the lead only extended by the end of the third quarter. Mooney went into the final frame up 46-29, but the Raiders finally began to wake up.

The following six and a half minutes were worst case scenario for Coach Baker and the Cardinals. They scored 0 points, barely made it past half court, and turned it over almost a dozen times. Gabby Lamparty’s defense forced 3 of those turnovers back to back to back, and she and her sister clawed the Raiders back into the game, cutting what was a 17 point deficit down to 3. Izzy finished with 17 points, Gabby with 11, and Lexi Giles hit a huge 3 to make it a one possession game. The Cardinals needed someone to step up. Enter Katie Hough, who found herself at the free throw line 4 straight times. After an initial miss, Katie, who sports an always perpetual smile, sank 6 straight free throws. She had 14 on the night, to go along with 4 rebounds and an assist. On the ensuing possession for South Range, Diorio stepped in front of a pass and found Alaina Scavina down the court. After not scoring for almost 7 minutes, Mooney scores 10 to close out the game and pick up a huge win against South Range.

Mooney goes to 11-8, and the Raiders go to 15-6.

THE HOLY WAR GOES TO MOONEY

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Over 60 years of tradition and competition between them, Mooney and Ursuline took to the hardwood tonight. Ursuline looking to avoid an 0-8 season against their rivals, when you include JV and varsity teams. Mooney trying to defend home court, something they have not done well this year. And as per usual, these two prestigious programs did not disappoint.

A feeling out process took up the majority of the first quarter. Each team taking turns trading baskets as well as turnovers. Terrence Pankey for Ursuline was especially active, accounting for 12 points across the first two quarters. Tommy Fire, a guard for Mooney, found himself at the free-throw line numerous times as his aggressive, slashing style drew plenty of contact from Ursuline defenders. Fire was 8/10 from the line and finished with 12 points.

In the first matchup, the backcourt of Mooney, Pelini, and Jenkins, were instrumental in their victory. Clearly the Irish had that in their gameplan as it was relatively quiet in the first half from both. Their defense stiffened in the second quarter, and the Irish would go into the halftime locker room with a lead 25-27.

Great players, however, arise in the biggest moments. With two huge 3 point shots, Mike Pelini would begin hitting his stride in the third quarter. Devon Jenkins, who would be injured during the game and forced to come out, got a huge block on Johnny Rowland that brought the crowd to their collective feet.

And in the most feared yet strangely desired moment a player can find themselves in, senior Sonny Rodriquez, with Ursuline attempting to mount a comeback in the fourth, found himself at the free-throw line. He hit 4 in a row, with another coming after a tough foul that caused Sonny to wince and grab his shooting arm. Despite the efforts of Brady Shannon, who finished with 12 points, and Daysean Harris with 12 as well, Mooney would hold on and finish out their rivals 62-54. A clean sweep of the Holy War for Mooney, with the ever-present chance that these two schools could, again, meet in the tournament.

 

GAME PHOTOS: HERE

MOONEY GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP3 WITH JASON BAKER)

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The Lady Cardinals have been a streaky team this year. When they’re on, they can compete with the best teams in the district. When they’re off, they struggle to get out of their own way. Despite being 10-7, plenty of those losses boiled down to a poor start or self inflicted mistakes. Still, a physically tough team who prides itself on defense can always light the fire when they need too.

Only five games remain on the schedule for Mooney, and Nate Keiper caught up with Coach Baker moments before the Cardinals would take the court against East. In this episode of the Coach’s Corner, sponsored by MP Vivo, Coach Baker discusses the difficulties this season has presented, previews the matchup against East, and explains how the multitude of different styles of opponents can prepare you for the tournament.

 

MOONEY BOYS BASKETBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP3 WITH CAREY PALERMO)

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A strong mid point of the season for the Cardinals has taken a sharp turn as the boys have lost two straight, both at home. Despite forcing overtime against East, Mooney now finds themselves below .500 again with only seven games left before the tournament. But this Friday, the Ursuline Fighting Irish are coming to town, and nothing could turn a season around like sweeping your arch rival.

Our own Nate Keiper caught up to Coach Palermo to recap that tough loss to East, as well as what the Cardinals can expect from a highly motivated Ursuline team. It’s episode three of the Coach’s Corner, sponsored by MP Vivo.

CANTON CENTRAL SHOOTS THE LIGHTS OUT AGAINST MOONEY

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Red hot shooting and solid team defense are a recipe for success at any level of basketball. The Crusaders from Canton Central had plenty of both in their win against Mooney.

The Crusaders’ first five field goals were all 3 pointers, three of them by Justus Seran. By the end of the first half, all of the starting five had hit at least one. And Mooney could not keep up. Solid first halves from Devon Jenkins, who finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds and a block, along with Mike Pelini who contributed 13 first half points were simply not enough to keep up with the Crusaders. A total of nine 3 pointers for the first half was good enough for a solid lead at the half for Canton Central, 33-23.

The second half, however, became all about the defense. Mooney, being pressed into tough shots due to score, had more turnovers than points in third quarter. Austin Nupp dominated the quarter 13 points in the third, and a dagger 3 by Justin McAfee would put the game put of reach half way through the fourth. Canton Central would go on to win 69-43.

Mooney must keep their eyes forward however, as two more huge home games are on the horizon. One of which being against arch rival Ursuline next Friday.

PERRY POWERS MOONEY PAST URSULINE

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH- The Youngstown Ursuline Lady Irish hosted their arch-rival, the Youngstown Cardinal Mooney Cardinals, on Wednesday night at the Cafaro Gymnasium. This would be the second meeting between the two rivals in the 2019-20 season. In the first contest, Cardinal Mooney protected home court, clinching a 43-31 victory over the Lady Irish. The change of scenery was no problem for Cardinal Mooney.

The Holy War was a lopsided one, as Cardinal Mooney would roll past the Lady Irish 66-36. The defense of Cardinal Mooney was lock-tight, and the lack of size cost the Lady Irish precious rebounds. 

The spotlight shone brightly on Cardinal Mooney senior, Caitlin Perry. Her 23 points were just two shy of her career-high, and her overall presence on the court was felt right from the opening tip. The Lady Irish struggled to guard the senior, as Perry found success in the paint and from long range. On defense, Perry read the Lady Irish schemes effortlessly, making quick steals and avoiding screens before they are set. 

Perry dominated on both sides of the floor, and she did so with her teammates scoring in double-figures as well. Katie Hough, Maria Fire, and Alaina Scavina each scored in double-digits for Cardinal Mooney. The lone scorer for the Lady Irish to reach double-digits was Paris Gilmore. 

The Lady Irish fall to 5-11 overall, and will now face Kennedy Catholic on the Lyden Family Court. Cardinal Mooney will prepare for their next matchup, another road test, against the Southeast Pirates.

 

*Story contributed by YSN’s Dom Joseph

POLAND STAVES OFF MOONEY RALLY, WINS THRILLER AGAINST THE CARDINALS

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The reputation of both Poland and Cardinal Mooney’s girls basketball teams are eerily similar. Tenacious defense, sound and disciplined play, and most importantly, a refusal to quit no matter the score.

The two teams took a while to settle in, both forcing turnovers on each other. Not to mention a fire alarm mishap that paused in game action twice during the first half. But Poland needs very little wiggle room to blow a game wide open. After a sluggish start, Poland hit three straight 3 pointers, one from Jackie Grisdale and two from Kailyn Brown, the latter not known for long distance shooting. Because of the early deficit, Mooney got out of their usual gameplan, and their offense suffered greatly from it. Poland’s defense tightened, and the Bulldogs took a massive 35-12 lead into the half.

But the Cardinals would not quit. In an unbelievable third quarter, Mooney would claw their way back into the game, allowing only four points, two coming from the free throw line. Freshman Maria Fire stoned any attempt at an inside shot, registering 5 blocks. Gia Diorio began shadowing Grisdale, and Mooney found themselves down only 11 once the fourth quarter began.

Poland would respond though. Offensive adjustments alongside a huge dagger 3 pointer from Grisdale, who finished with 19 points, sealed the deal. While the comeback was valiant, Mooney could not cut the deficit below double digits. Poland would win 59-42. The Bulldogs go to 13-2 on the season, and the Cardinals drop to 8-6.

BURCH’S DOUBLE DOUBLE ENDS MOONEY’S WIN STREAK

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Rebounding and free throws, redundant in practice but key to winning games. And those were the two areas of struggle for the Lady Cardinals tonight in their loss to the Warren Harding Raiders.

A strong first quarter, with Mooney’s trademark defense, held the high octane Raider offense to only 9 points. But the bigs for Harding, specifically Faith Burch, dominated the glass from the opening moments of the second quarter. Burch would finish with a double double, 20 points and 10 rebounds. Mooney was outscored 22-9 in the quarter. Mooney also struggled from the line, shooting just over 50% on the day.

The Cardinals made a small run at the start of the third quarter, 6 straight points from Catie Perry cut the deficit to 10. But Burch and Heilman were simply too much underneath. Mooney would lose 56-39, their first loss in over a month. Mooney has a quick turnaround as they will host the Crestview Rebels on Monday.