Beyond the Box Score - Delone Catholic 69, Holy Cross 65 2OT

NOTES

- The Squirettes will lose Mary Gingrow after this season but the play down low of freshman Jill Novak this season is a reminder to head coach Gerry Eckenrode that the cupboard is not bare.

- Freshman Elise Knobloch has come on strong as of late for the Squirettes. She logged some serious minutes against Holy Cross and her defensive intensity will continue to force Eckenrode to give her minutes. She has assumed her role as a defensive first player and is doing a great job of relieving Maddie Comly from covering teams' top players.

- Comly was 14-for-15 from the free throw line. The rest of the team....4-for 15. The Squirettes will not make a deep run at the state level if that trend continues.

- Delone needs Gingrow on the court. Early foul trouble prevented her from playing the entire second quarter, that can't happen from here on out.

QUOTES

DELONE CATHOLIC HEAD COACH GERRY ECKENRODE

"They tried to go to the Kosin girl so that didn't surprise me. The only thing I didn't have on them was tape on man-to-man defense. I thought (Olivia) Kosin played pretty well

tonight. The game I saw against Dunmore (District final) she wasn't nearly as aggressive. Gab Giordan played the way I thought she would. We did a good job but we can do better on defense then the way we played tonight." - on the play of Holy Cross

"We respect her intelligence. This is win or go home. I made a mistake, I don't know how many years ago, 14 years ago when I had Connie Myers and Ashley Ely. I took them out in the second quarter with two fouls each and a two point lead for Trinity and it went to nine points in about a minute and a half. I learned my lesson then. I need to role the dice and go with what I have got. We were able to sit Mary. We were going to put her back in but we started to expand the lead so I didn't have to, but if we started to lose the lead, she would have been back in." - on keeping Maddie in early in the third quarter despite three fouls.

MADDIE COMLY

"I knew we had four minutes to play in overtime and I was in foul trouble and a few other girls were in foul trouble and I just told them to stay composed. We were fine, they score, no big deal. We come down and execute. It came down to composure and who wanted it more" - on the two overtimes.

"I think it just came down to focus. I had to concentrate more and watch my hands and not reach. Plus they took me off the girl that drove every time and that helped with my fouls" - on staying in the game with three fouls.

"We expected it. We played them last year so we knew a little about them. We knew that since we beat them last year they were gonna come out for revenge and we just had to come out stronger" - on the phyiscal play.

"I dont know. I had no idea I had 41 points. I was so concentrated and so focused. I dont think I have ever been that focused before" - on being in the zone.

"There was a little girl guarding me. She was very good with her hands so we figured put me inside, i'll seal off and we can hopefully get some high-lows with me and Jill (Novak)" - on taking advantage of their size in the second quarter.

"I was very proud of them. They didn't panic when things got rough and they didn't panic when we were down" - on the play of freshmen Jill Novak and Elise Knobloch

"Mary and I have some connection and we always find each other. When she was out I was like, 'Oh no, what am I going to do.' She keeps me calm when something happens. Without her I didnt panic, I stayed calm and figured she'd be back eventually and when she did come back, I just got her up to speed and we just went off" - on how big it is having Mary on the court.

"It just feels great. I just can't help but smile" - on the feeling after the clock expired and they won.