Free Throws, Defense Lift Mustangs to Victory

The celebratory team photo session raged on several minutes after the WCAC girls' basketball championship last night at Bender Arena, so Bishop McNamara senior guard Tiana Myers abruptly ended her conversation with a well-wisher, popped back into formation with her teammates, flashed a smile and raised an index finger.

Now this was more like it. After being on the losing side in the previous two WCAC title games and three of the past four, this is what the 11th-ranked Mustangs had been waiting for in grabbing their first crown since 2003.

Myers scored 19 points and sank all 11 of her free throw attempts to lead her team to a 52-38 win over No. 5 Good Counsel. The Falcons had won 24 straight, a run that included two wins over McNamara.

"This was huge for us, especially us five seniors," Myers said. "We worked so hard for this. That's why we're so emotional. We've been together eight years, and to leave on top is a great feeling."

Good Counsel (28-3) was vying for its third league title in four years.

Each team shot a so-so 15 for 39 from the floor. It was the Mustangs' foul shooting (22 of 24) and defense on Good Counsel senior guard-forward Shanel Harrison that made the difference.

Dogged most of the night by McNamara senior Tierra Thomas, Harrison made only 5 of 17 field goal attempts -- three of her makes came in succession during a 76-second span of the second quarter -- and wore a frustrated look for most of the night.

That frustration boiled over with two minutes left when she tackled Thomas, resulting in an intentional foul.

Thomas and Harrison were teammates years ago and have been rivals of a sort in high school, Thomas said.

"I don't worry about her facial expressions, I just try to play good defense," said Thomas, who had five steals, nine rebounds and eight points. "With her body language, she showed that her head wasn't fully there."

"Tierra's so aggressive defensively," McNamara Coach Robert Surratt said. "She bumped her a little bit and did the little things to get into her head."

In addition, Good Counsel's third-leading scorer, junior guard-forward Sarian Snyder, was held scoreless and took only two shots in 24 minutes.

The Mustangs (23-7) never trailed but led by only four late in the third quarter before a quick string of baskets gave them a more comfortable margin that grew in the fourth, even though they did not make a field goal that period. Good Counsel went scoreless the first six minutes of the final quarter.

No. 11 Bishop McNamara 52 No. 5 Good Counsel 38

Up Next: McNamara advances to the City Title Game on March 4 at Verizon Center to face the DCIAA champion. The WCAC has won 14 of the 18 City Title girls' championships. Good Counsel will play in the Bishop Walsh tournament March 6-8 in Cumberland, Md.

All Four One: Only four schools have appeared in the WCAC girls' final the past six years -- Bishop McNamara (five times), Good Counsel (three), St. John's (three) and Holy Cross (one).