Trinity Catholic Girls Basketball Routs Westhill

Mackenzie Griffin poured in 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Trinity Catholic girls basketball team routed city rival Westhill 52-27 on Thursday night at Walsh Court.

The combination of Griffin and a smothering defense proved too much for the visiting Vikings in a game postponed from earlier in the week.  Trinity Catholic (10-3, 10-4) held Westhill to 15 points over the final three quarters.

Griffin, a 6-foot-1 junior, was a constant thorn in the Vikings' side on both ends of the court, displaying the talent that makes her one of the best players in the conference.

The game initially appeared that it was going to be a back-and-forth affair, as the first period was hotly contested.

The Lady Crusaders jumped out to an early 13-3 lead, but Westhill (8-5, 9-6)  pulled within 15-12 entering the second period.

However, Westhill was unable to hang with its opponent as the game wore on.

Trinity’s defense frustrated the visitors who were forced to pass the ball around the arc without finding any space to work inside, as Griffin’s presence completely took Westhill out of any offensive rhythm.

The Lady Crusaders had 13 steals, limiting the opportunities Westhill had at putting up shots.

Another important ingredient in the easy victory was Trinity Catholic's excellent foul shooting. The Lady Crusaders were 19-of-22  from the charity stripe, including 8-of-8 in the final quarter.

A number of the easy points came during a stretch in the second period when the home team extended its lead to nine points at halftime. The Crusaders then turned to their star forward to put away the game.

Griffin completely took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points and hauling in five rebounds in the period before heading to the bench with less than four minutes remaining and the game well in hand.

Griffin's team outscored Westhill 14-3 in the final quarter and 25-9 in the second half. 

The frustration was clearly getting to Vikings coach Mike King. After arguing numerous calls with the referees, he was given a stern warning by the officiating crew.

Westhill only made six shots after the first period.

The seemingly constant bad weather has wreaked havoc with the conference schedule for most of the season. Both teams will have to play seven games in 13 days (including Thursday), testing their  stamina as they prepare for the final stretch in a crowded FCIAC race.

Megan D’Alessandro and Tyler Evans each had seven points for the Vikings, who were just 5-of-8 from the line.