Perfect AMD takes championship
By JEREMY SELLEW
jsellew@yourmvi.com
While the roster isn’t the same as last season, redemption was oh so sweet for AMD Industries.
After being upset in last season’s championship game, AMD came out on a mission this season to capture the inaugural Mon Valley Independent Summer Basketball League girls division championship.
Well, mission accomplished.
AMD Industries held off a feisty Monessen Florist squad to cap off a perfect 12-0 season and win the league title with a 58-45 win Wednesday at Marx’s Court Time Sports Center.
“There were a lot of new girls on the roster, but they heard all about what happened last season,” an ecstatic AMD head coach Bria Rathway said. “It’s a huge relief because we constantly brought up last season and I’m just so proud of the way the girls battled all season long and captured this one.”
Trinity sophomore Eden Williamson and her Hillers teammate, and league MVP Kaylin Venick, led the way for AMD.
Williamson scored 14 of her game-high 18 points in the first half and Venick handled the ball beautifully throughout and chipped in 11 points for the champs.
In all, 10 players hit the scoresheet for AMD.
“Eden has been such a great addition to our team,” Rathway said. “She was really big for us tonight, especially down low. She showed some great post moves and showed how great of a ballplayer she is. It’s scary thinking she’s only a sophomore.”
Williamson scored 11 of her team’s first 17 points as AMD rolled out to a 17-10 lead six minutes into the game.
The lead swelled to 10 before a short 6-0 run from Monessen Florist cut it to 25-21 with 4:39 to go.
Another Trinity player, freshman Macie Justice, kicked off the spurt for Monessen by hitting a 3-pointer from the wing followed by a nice baseline drive by Stellanie Loutsion (Canon-McMillan). It was the first time in the contest the team put together consecutive baskets.
After the run, though, AMD closed the half with a 7-0 run to break the game open a bit on two layups by Belle Vernon Area’s Tara Callaway and a 3-pointer from Williamson.
“The role players on this team have stepped up for us all season,” Rathway said. “Look at the end of the half, Tara scored four of those points and those baskets were huge for her. She’s so fast and really used her speed there.
“But like I said, it’s been all season with Tasya Troxler-Scott, Kirra Gerard, Julia Benlock, Alyvia Cox and Aubree Sample. Those girls have all contributed so much just by doing the little things. Kaylin and Eden are going to get their points, but we have a lot of other girls that can score, too.”
AMD carried a 35-23 lead into the half as Rathway touted the play of Elizabeth Forward’s Bailie Brinson on Monessen Florist’s fabulous freshman Hannah Pugliese from Penn Hills.
“We watched her in the semifinal game and she had yet another double-double. But Bailie did a fantastic job, as did Eden and Alyvia when we had some things switched up,” Rathway said. “That girl is going to be a great player and we knew we had to slow her down and be physical with her in there.
“I thought we had a size advantage with our guards as well, so that’s something else we looked to take advantage of.”
Pugliese did finish with 13 points to lead Monessen Florist (6-6). She only had four rebounds, though, way off her average.
Ringgold’s Gerard started the second half with a 3-pointer to make it a 15-point game before Monessen cut it back to 10 quickly behind five points from Charleroi freshman McKenna DeUnger and a bucket by Pugliese. DeUnger finished with 10 points.
“We’re a second-half team. I’ve said it all year and we fought. We had nothing to lose going into this game and we made them sweat a little bit. I’m proud of the way we played,” Monessen Florist coach Chad Carroto said.
AMD was able to get the lead back up to 15 after a 7-2 run made it 47-32, but Carroto’s team made its charge behind Trinity senior and captain Emily Venick.
Venick’s pesky defense and floor leadership showed as she made a quick slash to the basket for a layup. It ended up kicking off a 10-0 run over a span of three minutes.
Justice, who finished with eight points, scored on a nice drive to the basket and Loutsion and Justice hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut it down to 47-42 to send the Monessen Florist fans into an uproar. The pair combined for 15 points for Monessen with Justice finishing with eight and Loutsion seven.
“That’s the best we’ve shot the three-ball all year. I’ve always known we could do it. We hit them tonight and it got us right back in the game,” Carroto said. “But AMD’s been a beast all season and they didn’t lose all season for a reason. Their experience took over late.”
Justice’s 3-pointer closed the run with 6:11 to go and that was the last field goal Monessen Florist hit.
AMD closed the game out with an 11-3 run to claim victory and the championship trophy.
It brought to an end a fantastic summer career for Monessen Florist’s Emily Venick, who fouled out – fouling her sister – late in the game as foul trouble caught up to the No. 3 seed.
“Emily was our third coach out there and we wouldn’t have been in the championship without her. She was just fantastic all season,” Carroto said.
Now, the teams will meet again in next summer’s opener. Only this time, AMD enters as the defending champion.
“The title defense starts now,” Rathway laughed. “It was so fun watching this team come together, especially so early in the season. It’s like they’re a high school team, and that’s a team I’d love having as my high school team. They’re a fun group of girls and they loved being around each other and being together. The biggest thing is that they’ve all made each other better. They had one goal and they accomplished it.
“Now they’re champions.”