Lady Mustangs stay hot on hardwood

Team learns from last year’s loss to rivals

By: John E. Powers
   
   From the beginning of the season, Manville High School girls’ head basketball coach Kyle Rehrig has reminded his team about the importance of a complete-game effort. He could have used last year’s 39-36 loss to Bound Brook as a prime example.
   The Lady Mustangs might have satisfied their young coach with their performance last Thursday night in a 51-31 home win over Bound Brook. An 8-0 run by Manville late in the first quarter turned a 7-6 lead into a 15-6 lead. The Lady Mustangs were never threatened again.
   But this is what was impressive: Manville built a 33-15 halftime lead, but didn’t rest, continuing to build and never letting the Crusaders get a sniff of the game.
   Rehrig made sure his team remembered the last time the two teams played. The Mustangs let a 24-12 halftime lead evaporate into a 39-36 Bound Brook victory in a Somerset County Tournament preliminary round game.
   There was no chance of that happening again.
   "Yeah, coach reminded us about that game," senior guard Dana Delesky said. "We did pretty well today. We had the whole group involved and we were all working it."
   Nine different Manville players scored. Senior twins Katy and Amy Walinchus were very productive and were key in the 8-0 run that broke open the game.
   Katy Walinchus had six points and 10 rebounds, while her sister had six points and nine rebounds. Rhianna Lebedz, the freshman point guard, had six points and four steals and Delesky tossed in 11 points.
   "We were getting good shots," Rehrig said. "We weren’t settling for jumpers and we were patient with our offense. I think the kids are getting into the flow of playing together."
   Bound Brook, which took a major blow before the season when senior guard Monica Iturralde transferred to Brearley, did score the first three points of the game. But the Lady Mustangs took the lead for good when Amy Walinchus put back a Lebedz miss for a 6-4 lead.
   "We were looking for Amy and Katy," Delesky said.
   The 8-0 run came quickly. Katy Walinchus made it 9-6 with a put back. Delesky fed Sarah Ortman for a layup for a 11-4 lead. Junior Christine Bradley nailed two open shots as Manville built the lead to 15-6 lead with 12 seconds left in the first quarter.
   "I think we’re clicking right now," Ortman said.
   Junior Robyn Barb scored early in the second quarter off a pretty feed from Lebedz as the lead was stretched to 17-8. A Delesky three made it 23-12 and she fed Melody Leach for another bucket. That made it 27-12 with three minutes left in the half.
   "It was important that we kept our heads in the game, we remembered what had happened last year against them and I reminded the kids and they came out in the second half and kept it going," Rehrig said.
   "This might have been our best game of the year so far, but I think we might have played better against Roselle Park," Katy Walinchus said.
   Delesky made a steal and converted a layup to end the first half for a 33-15 lead. The Lady Mustangs played the Crusaders even in the third quarter at eight, but they answered whenever Bound Brook scored. A Katy Walinchus putback boosted the lead to 37-18 early in the third quarter. Delesky put Manville up 40-21 with another layup off a steal. It was that kind of game.
   "It was fun because we didn’t let down," Ortman said.
   It was also fun because the win over Bound Brook was the third of a four-game winning streak that put the Lady Mustangs at 5-4. The next day, the Manville girls played another strong game in knocking off Technology.
   "I think it was just a matter of getting to know each other and playing as a team" Rehrig said.