With a glittering 18-1 combined record, Mother McAuley and Young figured to put on an entertaining finale Saturday in the championship of the Public League’s inaugural girls holiday tournament.
Instead, the No. 5 Dolphins put on a one-sided show as they blasted the previously unbeaten Mighty Macs 75-55. Natasha Pointer scored 29 points while Clarissa Flores added 27 for Young. Young is now 10-1; McAuley 9-1.
The No. 9 Mighty Macs’ prime challenge in Saturday night’s title game was to stop Pointer, the Dolphins’ star guard who came in with a 26-points-per-game tourney average.
But they didn’t account for Flores, who had a hot hand with three 3-pointers, all in the first half.
Pointer “is a terrific ballplayer,” Mother McAuley coach Barbara Edwards said before taking the floor against the Dolphins. “I don’t know if you can stop her, but maybe we can contain her a little bit. One person can’t beat an entire team.”
But the Mighty Macs weren’t able to do that, as Pointer and Flores combined for 33 points in the first half and the Dolphins built a 39-22 halftime lead.
Young trailed 8-5 midway through the opening quarter, but took command thanks to a 14-3 run that included eight points from Flores and five from Pointer.
In the second quarter, Young used its superior speed and aggressive play to solidify its advantage. The Mighty Macs crept back to within 25-19 thanks to a three-pointer by Beth Dilling. But the Dolphins went on a 14-3 run through the final 5:21 to claim a 17-point halftime lead. By the end of the third, the Dolphins had extended their lead to 62-35 in an effort that included an 11-1 surge midway through the period.
In Saturday’s third-place game, Washington (10-6) slipped past Morgan Park 46-45 as Nehemiah Wesley hit a game-winning jumper with 30 seconds left. Josie Cole led the Minutewomen with 12 points, while Leslie Hill and Wesley had 10 apiece. Sophomore Constance Jinks led Morgan Park (12-3) with 17 points.
Mother McAuley earned its title berth with a 60-43 semifinal victory over Morgan Park earlier Saturday. Dilling scored a game-high 19 points.
Young outscored Washington 25-6 in the first quarter on the way to a 60-47 semifinal victory over Washington. Pointer had 23 points while Cole tossed in 21 for Washington. Barrington (7-7) took fifth place with a 47-31 triumph over Phillips.
