Comets take down Aviators on Senior Night, 46-27
Divy Bose | Sports Writer
On Wednesday, January 27, the Mason Girls Basketball team defeated the Sycamore Aviators 46-27. It was senior night for the league-leading and second-ranked team in the state. Prior to the game, the team celebrated seniors Marilyn Popplewell, CC Cary, Riley Cosimi, and Kate Cooper.
Mason came out of the gate hot going up 12-4 after one quarter. But, Sycamore wasn’t fazed and closed the gap by halftime, trailing only 22-18. After allowing the Aves to get back into the game in the second quarter, Popplewell said that the Comets needed to step up on defense in the second half.
“We definitely needed to lock it down better on defense especially in the first half,” Popplewell said.
Mason definitely turned up the defensive pressure in the second half, allowing four points in the third quarter, extending their lead to 36-22 at the conclusion of the third. The fourth quarter was almost a mirror image of the third as the Comets allowed only five points while cruising to the 46-27 Greater Miami Conference win.
Popplewell finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds to record her sixth triple-double of the season to help the Comets improve their record to 13-0. Popplewell said the intensity was the key to her successful night.
“I went out there and had as much intensity as I could have,” Popplewell said. “I scored the ball when I could and was fighting for the boards to have possession.”
Head coach Rob Matula was pleased with the win but felt the team was a little sluggish at first. The senior night festivities might have been somewhat of a distraction but Matula felt the team came refocused as the game progressed.
“I was most worried that our players were not concentrating and didn’t prepare themselves mentally for the competition during the first half,” Matula said. “But in the end, we made plays in the second half that propelled us to the win.”
With a GMC title now in sight, Mason will travel to Hamilton on Saturday. As the team adjusts to playing without junior center Kyla Oldacre who is out with an injury, Popplewell believes the team cannot afford to have a letdown if they want to continue their push toward a conference title.
“We had a lack of focus due to senior night so we needed to push through those emotional and mental headspaces,” Popplewell said. “It was definitely not our best performance but we are having a great season so we will have to pick it up next game.”
Photo by Meghan Dincler