There are no questions left to answer at this point. Today St. Rose answered the biggest question of all when they defeated a super power. In one of the most exciting games we may see all year, St. Rose defeated the ultimate Super Power Long Island Lutheran. This the same LI Lutheran who is number one in almost any poll in the Tri State area. This is the same Lutheran that has so many D1 players it would be silly to try and list them all. This was also suppose to be the day that St. Rose would finally be exposed….WRONG AGAIN...
this is the place to be…
Some said St. Rose was a two man team and today that myth was destroyed. Freshman Loving Marsicano, scored 8 of St. Roses first half 14 points…it was the baby that provided the scoring and rebounding that prevented Long Island Lutheran from running away and hiding. Loving gave St. Rose all the loving you can expect from a freshman in such a big setting. She proved that no game is too big for her!
And a BABY will Lead…and she did
It was two Sophomore’s playing against two Division one super power guards, one going to Michigan and the other going to Scared Heart. St. Rose’s Elyn Stoll defended them all game and prevented either from taking over the game. She chased them and hounded them and neither got comfortable all game. Jen Louro’s stella “D” cannot be overstated because in the 4th quarter her D set the tone for the entire St. Rose team. It was her steal and pass to Kat Phipps that led to the basketball which gave St. Rose the three point cushion late, that they would never surrender. It was her defensive rebounding against the bigger Lutheran post players that prevented St. Rose from getting dominated on the boards…Jen Louro was sensational on a big stage.
Coaches Colleges know a star when they see one
Then there was the play of Makayla Markham the freshman guard who college coaches were all buzzing about…”Makayla they love you in a big time way”. Makayla controlled the point while being pressured by two superstar senior guards one by the name of Boogie Brozoski going to Michigan. She did not flinch for a second. Her guard penetration and drop off passes where priceless and needed all afternoon. But what really was shocking was when Long Island refused to foul until she touched the ball in the last 2 minutes when trailing… but that was fine by Markham. The the freshman with wall to wall colleges, against the best team in the area and everyone watching with the game on the line….BANGED BOTH FREE THROWS OUT….This is called nerves of steel and that’s exactly what this superstar freshman has had all year and most importantly today…..oh year Makayla did I tell you college coaches could not talking and asking about you…THERE SMART!
If there was anymore doubt that St.Rose is more than a 2 man team KATIE COAKLEY BURIED THEM FOR ONCE AND ALL; when she made arguably one of the biggest plays of the day. Long Island down by 2 and out on a fast break to tie the game and all she does is offer up her body and take the charge….you only do that for teammates and she may have made the biggest defensive play of the day. No St. Rose is a lot things, but a two man team is not one of them.
Kat Phipps is all smiles AGAIN!
Kat Phipps was hounded today as her future college coaches looked on, SMILING AND SMILING as they talked about all the ways they will get her shots.. She was grabbed, pushed and face guarded all day by Boogie. Long Island Lutheran was not going to let her beat them today. But Kat Phipps teammates picked her up and then in the 4th quarter Kat Phipps, became Kat Phipps and made big play after big play. First she banged out a big three to tighten up the game and then she found her partner in crime in transition, Jess Louro to give St. Rose some breathing room. But more importantly it was she who Boogie chased around all afternoon and finally it was she that sent boogie to the bench with her 4th foul. Kat Phipps answered any and all questions about playing in the big moment and doing BIG THINGS REGARDLESS OF WHO THE COMPETITION IS….,.
Coach Whalen has more than 2 stars
Finally Jess Louro reminded everyone that the bigger the game is…the bigger she plays. She will fit in perfectly at powerhouse Middle Tennessee. Just like her future college she loves taking down the big girls. Her Future college is known for beating super powers on the college level just like she is… Louro had 26 points, 8 rebounds and 4 dimes, and was far and away the best player on the court…she was not a super power but a SUPER WOMAN…is there anything else really to say about last year’s Hoop Group Player of The Year…she apparently loves when people doubt her and apparently so do her teammates…
Now we come to the brains behind it all Joe Whalen. He loves when people say he only allows his best players to shine. He loves when people say he team doesn’t play anyone. He loves when people say they are not an elite team. But he also loves making people eat there words. In fact it becoming the norm, people doubting his team and then his team proving them wrong….Starting tomorrow folks are going to need some new excuses as to why St. Rose is not one of BEST…. if not the BEST girls team in the Tri-State area..because St. Rose is 14-0 and that’s not a question, its a fact.