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Staff photo \/ Dan Hiner
\nGarfield\u2019s Mandy Cardinal (10) goes up for a shot during the fourth quarter of a game against Cardinal Mooney during Monday\u2019s South Range Holiday Hoops Showcase in Beaver Township.<\/p>\n
BEAVER TOWNSHIP \u2014 It took a while for offenses to wake up for the Cardinal Mooney and Garfield girls basketball teams.<\/p>\n
But after 20 minutes of play, the G-Men finally got going. They took control of the second half to win 45-26 in the opening game of Monday\u2019s South Range Holiday Hoops Showcase.<\/p>\n
Garfield head coach Aaron Gilbert said the sluggish start could have been a result of the game\u2019s time. The players were on a holiday break, and the opening tip occurred at 10 a.m., both oddities for high school basketball.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a little bit different atmosphere,\u201d Gilbert said. \u201cOver the years, we haven\u2019t played real well over here \u2013 I think it\u2019s the first time in three years we won a game in this tournament. It\u2019s just kinda nice to see. The way we played in the second half is more true to who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was a sloppy start for both teams. Turnovers, missed shot opportunities and offensive rebounds hurt both squads.<\/p>\n
However, Cardinal Mooney (0-9) had some early success converting turnovers into points. It allowed the Cardinals to take a 10-6 lead into the second, but the offense stalled in the second.<\/p>\n
The G-Men (5-2) outscored Mooney 9-4 in the second and led 15-14 at halftime.<\/p>\n
A three by Payton Soltis midway through the third gave the G-Men a 22-21 lead.<\/p>\n
Garfield\u2019s defense led to some easy baskets on the other end. The Cardinals ran into traps and had difficulty breaking the press. That success defensively allowed the G-Men to take a 31-23 lead into the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
With a little breathing room, Mandy Cardinal took over for Garfield. She scored five points in the fourth as the G-Men outscored Mooney 14-5 to break away.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur depth kinda came into play a little bit with experience,\u201d Gilbert said. \u201cLike I said, in the second half, we were a little bit more true to ourselves. We were able to pressure the ball and make things happen. It\u2019s more of an opportunistic press, it\u2019s not necessarily a force press. When another team makes a mistake, do something about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
That defense limited the Cardinals to one double-digit scorer, Julia Diorio, who ended with 13 points. Cassidy Carlson was Mooney\u2019s second-leading scorer with seven points.<\/p>\n
Cardinal led all scorers with 15 points for Garfield, and Soltis finished with nine points.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith this group, some of these players got thrown into the fire as sophomores and freshmen because of graduation and injuries and things,\u201d Gilbert said. \u201cThey\u2019re battle-tested by now, and especially for our seniors, this is a group who has stuck together. They had a four-win season and an eight-win season, and now they\u2019re trying to eclipse that number. It really means a lot to them to have success this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cardinal Mooney head coach Dominic Diorio was unavailable after the game. He was on the bench for the JV game, which started after the varsity contest.<\/p>\n
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