Walinchus twins dominate inside
By: John E. Powers
KENILWORTH Perhaps the only good thing about the Manville High School girls’ basketball team’s tough loss at David Brearley of Kenilworth last Thursday night was the fact that the Lady Mustangs had a game the next night. There wasn’t going to be much time to think about a 45-41 loss that the Manville girls felt they should have won.
Less than 24 hours later, the Lady Mustangs rebounded with arguably their best effort of the season against Roselle Park.
Manville knocked off the Panthers 60-34 Friday night in Manville as senior forwards Amy and Katy Walinchus led the way. Amy scored 15 points on 7-of-15 shooting and Katy had nine points. The twin sisters combined to pull down 20 rebounds. Katy had 11 as the Manville girls raised their record to 3-4.
"Our kids played very well," second-year head coach Kyle Rehrig said. "We knew going in that we had a definite height advantage. We controlled the game inside."
One thing that concerned Rehrig was the start. Against Brearley, the Mustangs fell behind 7-0 two minutes into the game. The Mustangs fell behind Roselle Park 5-0.
"I called a timeout," Rehrig said. "I didn’t know what to say. We need to come out right away. They took it to us and I wasn’t pleased with the girls. I told them we have to show people what kind of team we really are."
The Lady Mustangs, beaten by Roselle Park 43-35 last year, answered in the positive. They outscored the Panthers 16-7 the rest of the quarter, then took a 30-25 lead at the half. The lead ballooned to 46-26 after three quarters. MHS used a 16-1 third quarter to take command.
"We didn’t have a bad quarter," Rehrig said. "We had 16 in the first and third and 14 in the second and fourth. I think it was our best game of the year. I told the kids after halftime that the third quarter is the one we usually fall apart in. I said we needed to try to play a good third quarter. You could say we played a complete game."
Balance was the key. Junior guard Christine Bradley, who had six points in the Brearley game, had 12 vs. Park including a 3-pointer. Freshman point guard Rhianna Lebedz had 10 points and senior guard Dana Delesky, who had 21 points the night before, chipped in six. Delesky also had five assists.
"We don’t have one person to look to on offense," Rehrig said. "Defensively, we’re getting contributions from Dana, Sarah (Ortman), Rhianna and the twins. It’s the same thing with the offense. We’re looking for good balance. Sometimes, I think the kids try to make things happen too soon instead of letting the game come to them. They let the game come to them Friday."
The Brearley game could be placed in the strange category. Brearley guard Melissa Perkins, who wound up with 16 points, scored seven quick points in the game’s first few minutes. The Lady Mustangs took the entire half to get into a groove, taking a 21-20 halftime lead. But that lead would be the team’s last.
Delesky was the driving force, scoring 13 points. She had nine in the second quarter, hitting 7-of-10 free throws.
"We can’t play in spurts," Rehrig said after the Brearley game.
Rehrig was talking about the third quarter when Brearley outscored the Lady Mustangs 17-5 to take a 37-25 lead with a 12-0 run. Manville scored on Delesky’s three with 3:21 left in the period, making it 25-24, but didn’t score again until an Amy Walinchus basket with 33 seconds left in the period.
"The third quarter was a make or break one," Delesky said. "I don’t know what it is. We fell out of our groove and it killed us."
Brearley beat Manville twice last year 29-25 and 58-55 so this was a game the Lady Mustangs really wanted. They fought back in the fourth quarter.
Two Delesky foul shots pulled the Mustangs to within 42-36 and a Lebedz steal and layup cut it to 42-38. Ortman, who had played a strong game defensively, fouled out with 1:16 left. Lebedz, who finished with nine points, had seven in the fourth. With 46 seconds left, she hit a foul shot to make it 43-39.
A long shot by Lebedz pulled the Mustangs to within three at 44-41 and when Perkins dribbled the ball off her foot, the Lady Mustangs had a chance to tie. But Delesky and Bradley missed 3-point attempts. An Ashley Dotter free throw sealed the game.
"We wanted this game badly," Rehrig said. "If we tied it and sent it into overtime, I really would have liked our chances."
Delesky smiled when reminded that the Lady Mustangs will play Brearley again.
"We’ll get them the next time," she said.
The Lady Mustangs were scheduled to play at St. Mary Elizabeth Tuesday before returning Thursday night to host Bound Brook. The MHS girls were scheduled to play at Newark Technology Friday.

