2A Prep Girls Basketball: Mark Morris races back to stop R.A. Long in Civil War
Senior Night — Seasoned Monarchs sweep series over Lumberjills with 56-32 win
Jordan Nailon / blastzonenews@gmail.com
BAKAMUS GYMNASIUM — The Mark Morris Monarchs made a bold choice entering the second round of their Civil War rivalry series against R.A. Long. In the season finale for both teams, the hosts chose to honor their five seniors in a pregame ceremony that didn’t lack in pomp or circumstance. There were balloons, bouquets, hoverboards and a lot of big tears shared on Natt Court.
And then, as quickly as those 18 years have gone by for all those proud parents, the heartfelt moment in the spotlight was over. All of a sudden, it was time to battle.
Whether it was all those emotions, an altered starting lineup for the special occasion, or simply the dogged efforts of the visiting Lumberjills, the opening quarter did not follow the hosts’ script as well as the participants in the opening ceremony. But soon enough, the Monarchs were able to wipe the tears from their eyes and get the lumps out of their throats before going on to reel off a 56-32 win over R.A. Long in 2A Greater St. Helens League play at Bakamus Gymnasium.
R.A. Long was able to keep things interesting over the first 10 minutes or so, working actively on defense to frustrate the Monarchs and knocking down open shots when they presented themselves. By the end of the first quarter the Jills led 11-8 and were passing all the vibe checks on enemy territory.
Not that the Monarchs were going to let their guests take credit for an uncharacteristically slow start.
“We just missed too many layups and free throws in the first quarter,” Mark Morris coach Sean Atkins said. “It’s not that we were doing anything wrong so much as we just weren’t making shots.”
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