At one end of the Maine West gym, some members of Marshall`s basketball team raised index fingers to indicate the Lady Commandos` No. 1 ranking.
At the opposite end, Kerry Wegrzyn, No. 2 Maine West`s standout, had trouble lifting any fingers.
Marshall claimed a 47-42 victory Saturday in the matchup that had been anticipated by girls basketball aficionados since schedules were released last fall.
Wegrzyn, already playing with a heavily bandaged, sprained left hand, suffered a broken right index finger Saturday. She also got into early foul trouble.
Those facts kept the Warriors (22-3) cautious and allowed Marshall (23-1) to fly.
”After Mother McAuley beat us, we didn`t want to lose again,” said Marshall guard Kim Williams, who scored 11 points Saturday. ”We were planning on going undefeated. Maine West is a good team. They were prepared for our press. But we just wouldn`t let them beat us.”
”It`s very difficult to beat a fine team like this on their home court,” said Marshall coach Dorothy Gaters. ”Any time you win a big ballgame like this, it gives you some degree of confidence.”
Marshall`s confidence had to rise when Wegrzyn was whistled for her second foul with 36 seconds left in the first quarter and her third foul 2:48 into the second quarter on a play that resulted in the broken finger. Her fourth foul came :18 into the third quarter, and she sat until early in the final quarter and didn`t foul out.
Did Gaters tell her players to try to get Wegrzyn in foul trouble?
”That`s too heady for me,” Gaters said. ”We knew who she was. We wanted to cut off her inside scoring. We also wanted to stop the girl (Dana Lau) who had 13 points in the first half and was able to get inside a lot.”
Wegrzyn scored 14 points, and Lau wound up with 17. Neither penetrated much in the second half.
”You show them (the Lady Commandos) you`re not going to take it
(physical play) and they all get flustered,” Wegrzyn said. ”I stayed with them. They were playing physical, but it was fun. I was having fun out there until the fouls were called. It was hard sitting. I`m going to find a hot tub and soak in it for about three days.”
For much of the game, it looked like Marshall might go down the drain. Maine West led until the fourth quarter began, but then Yolanda Miller, who finished with 16 points, sank her second of four three-point baskets to put Marshall ahead 32-31.
The closest Maine West could get thereafter was one point, 43-42, although technical fouls were called against Miller and Gaters in the fourth quarter. Kathy Witte hit one of the resultant two free throw tries, while Teri Bartholomew missed both with Maine West down 43-40.
”I would have hated to win on a technical foul,” said Maine West coach Derril Kipp, ”but I might have taken it.”
Gaters` technical came after she was warned by officials several times for straying from her coach`s box. Upset over a five-second violation, Gaters raced to the scorers` table and the technical was assessed.
”They got about 50 lines there on the floor,” said Gaters. ”I guess it was an ill-advised thing on my part. We haven`t played many close games this season. I guess my emotions were high.”
So were Kipp`s. ”I thought we did all right,” he said. ”A few unforced turnovers hurt us. We just have to work on the mental part of our game.
”We had a chance to win, then we make three turnovers in a row at the beginning of the fourth quarter and don`t hit free-throws. I`d like to play Marshall again, a whole game with Kerry. We could play them 10 times and beat them once, but we can compete with them.
