PERRY–Perry outscored visiting Chagrin Falls 28-16 in the second half of a 54-37 Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division win on Wednesday.
The Pirates outscored the Tigers 17-7 in the third quarter to pull away from the Tigers.
“We knew we needed to come out strong in the third quarter,” said Perry head coach Roy Infalvi. “We’re typically a good third-quarter team, and so is Chagrin Falls, so we had to come out and set the tone early and establish what the second half was going to be like.”
Perry got off to a 6-0 start, but Chagrin Falls answered with an 11-5 run to close out the first quarter thanks to five Abby Kay points plus a Lilly Stukus 3-pointer for an 11-10 lead after one.
Stukus scored six more in the second quarter, but Andora Porcella connected on a pair of 3-pointers, and Victoria Lynch added four more points for a 26-21 Pirate lead at the break.
The Pirates came out and set the tone in the third quarter, winning the quarter by 10, for a 43-28 lead after three.
Mia Lynch scored four points in the quarter, with both Audrey Austin and Victoria Lynch adding in three more apiece, and Payton Winters capped off the quarter with a buzzer-beating corner 3-pointer.
Perry closed the deal thanks to eight combined points from Rosalyn Tharp and Mia Lynch.
The Pirates’ offense was balanced throughout the night, with two scorers in double figures and four more scorers combining for 29 points.
“Since Christmas, we’ve had a lot more balance in our offense,” Infalvi said. “It’s huge, it keeps other teams off balance, and we have multiple girls who can score and execute. Our bench was huge tonight. We had some foul trouble in the first half. The girls have to be ready when their number is called, and they were. The moment wasn’t too big for them.”
Perry’s winning streak has extended to seven games, with five games left to go.
During this hot streak, the Pirates have won big games over Richmond Heights, Chagrin Falls, and rival Madison with a lot of momentum riding into the postseason.
“It’s huge (to have momentum),” Infalvi said. “We had some tough games in the first half of our schedule, and it took some time for us to mesh. Our upperclassmen did a great job keeping our team together. The team gets along well, they play hard for each other and that’s a big thing. It’s a huge factor in our success.”
Victoria Lynch and Tharp each scored 11 points, with Lynch coming away with three blocks and Tharp pulling down six rebounds.
Emily Mechenbier pulled down eight rebounds with eight points, Mia Lynch added eight more, Porcello finished with seven, and Austin pitched in six points.
Perry’s win over the Tigers keeps the Pirates tied atop the Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division standings with Richmond Heights. Both teams are 8-1 in league play with one conference game remaining.
“We are in a situation where we control our own destiny,” Infalvi said. “It’s a good situation to be in. Whatever we do affects us and we don’t have to rely on anyone else. We stepped up to the challenge.”
Chagrin Falls had a strong first half before the game got away from them in the second.
“We couldn’t put the ball in the basket, and the shot selection wasn’t great,” said Chagrin Falls head coach Brittany Laseak. “If you can’t score, you can’t win.”
Amidst all the trials and tribulations, the Tigers are preparing themselves for a tournament run.
“We can’t pack it in, we still have so many games left to go,” Laseak said. “We have to take pride in what they do, and we have to finish out strong and get ready for the tournament. The season doesn’t end with this game.”
Stukus led all scorers with 15 points and three steals, Kay added seven points, and Gabby Byrne finished with five.
Chagrin Falls hosts Streetsboro on February 1, while Perry hosts Conneaut on February 3.
