Relying on a young roster still finding its footing at the varsity level, Perry leaned on its underclassmen Tuesday night and found enough answers to hold off visiting West Geauga, 65-59.
Mia Lynch delivered a dominant performance, posting a 39-point, 15-rebound double-double as the Pirates built an early cushion and withstood several Wolverine rallies.
“We knew coming into this year that Mia would need to take a big step forward this year, especially with losing some of the seniors we had last year,” said Perry head coach Roy Infalvi Jr. “With her coming in this year, with probably the most experience as a returner, I’ve been really proud of the way she’s been a captain with her teammates. She continues to work, and she’s always had a really good post presence, but this year she’s turned into someone who runs the floor really well. Her game has really evolved and today was like a coming-out party for her.”
Perry wasted little time setting the tone.
Emily Mechenbier opened the scoring with an offensive rebound and putback, Lynch followed with a basket in transition, and Payton Winters added a fast-break score before assisting on another Lynch bucket as the Pirates raced out to a 14-0 lead.
Rachel Mason finally put West Geauga on the board with a putback, but Lynch capped a 16-point first quarter with some deft footwork inside, pushing Perry ahead 20-6 after one.
Sophie Sivon knocked down a 3-pointer and banked in a layup, while Lynch added eight more points for the Pirates. West Geauga countered with a balanced surge as Faelynn Beckrest scored seven points and Aubrey Sens added six in a 19-point quarter, trimming the deficit to 40-25 at halftime.
Perry’s offense slowed in the third, with Lynch, Sivon, and Aubrey Hopkins accounting for all 12 Pirate points. West Geauga continued to chip away behind six points from Mason and five more from Beckrest, cutting the margin to 52-42 heading into the fourth.
Still chasing the comeback, Beckrest erupted for 12 fourth-quarter points and added four steals, but Lynch answered every push. She poured in 11 points in the final period to keep the Pirates in front and secure a 6-0 start.
Despite leading by double digits most of the night, Perry was forced to navigate repeated West Geauga runs, including a stretch where the Wolverines closed within four in the third.
“We talk all the time about the highs and lows of a team and knowing that teams are going to make runs. We just have to make sure we continue to play how we want to play, and not get too high or low,” Infalvi said. “We got sped up a little bit in the second quarter, when we didn’t need to. It’s a learning experience that comes from situations like tonight and from constantly working on it in practice. I feel confident we’ll be fine with it. We just let some things get away from us tonight.”
Behind Lynch’s double-double, Sivon finished with nine points, and Mechenbier added seven points and 10 rebounds. Hopkins contributed four points, eight assists, and four steals.
West Geauga’s slow start proved costly, but the Wolverines were encouraged by their response after the opening quarter.
“We were down 20-6 in the first quarter, but then scored 20 in the second ourselves, so it was really half of that first quarter,” said West Geauga head coach Brandon Stewart. “We know Perry is a really good team, and last year I think we scored a combined 27 points against them, so to come out and put up 59 in a six-point game, I’m beyond proud of what we accomplished tonight, and the step that we took is going to be big moving forward.”
Beckrest led West Geauga with 24 points and five steals, while Sens added 12 points and Mason chipped in 10 points with three steals.
“We need to do a better job of identifying who they’re trying to play the ball to, and how they’re doing it,” Beckrest said. “We’re a faster team, so getting out to an early run and getting fast breaks is what’s going to get us out to a quicker start. (Starting fast) has been our issue this year.”
Perry travels to Orange on Dec. 19, while West Geauga visits Harvey the same day.
