Kiski Area girls snap long losing skid in section play

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, December 18, 2017 | 11:30 PM

With just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter of Monday's Section 4-5A girls basketball game between Plum and Kiski Area, the Mustangs held a seven-point lead and were poised to finish off their first victory of the season.

But the Cavaliers didn't fade into the night and mounted a comeback.

Kiski Area used a 12-2 run to close out the game and score a 32-29 victory to snap a 26-game section losing streak.

“I told the girls that was a game we don't win last year,” Kiski Area coach Nick Ionadi said. “They knew they really needed this game. It had been so long since they won a section game, and I think they were pressing a little bit. For as young as we are with just two seniors, I am proud of the way they fought. We really have a chance to do something here.”

The Cavaliers improved to 3-2 overall and evened their section record at 1-1.

Katelyn Brown and Violeta Kenzevich led Kiski with 11 points apiece, and both figured prominently on offense in the waning seconds.

Plum freshman Kennedie Montue, who led all scorers with 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, hit a turnaround jumper with 1 minute, 46 seconds left to give the Mustangs a 29-28 lead.

Plum, however, was not able to capitalize on a couple of offensive opportunities to extend the slim advantage.

A rebound by Cavaliers forward Dara Zelonka set up what turned out to be the winning shot — a 16-foot jumper from Kenzevich with 16 seconds left.

Montue hit what appeared to be a go-ahead runner for Plum while colliding with Kiski defenders with eight seconds on the clock, but she was whistled for traveling, and Kiski gained possession. Kelsi Zik then fouled Brown with three seconds left, and Brown sank both free throws.

Plum had one last chance to tie the game, but the Cavaliers' defense prevented the Mustangs from getting a shot before the buzzer.

“We worked well together, and we weren't being selfish on defense,” Kenzevich said. “We were looking out for each other. It was a team effort.”

The Mustangs were gunning for their first win of the season, but they fell to 0-5 overall and 0-2 in section play.

Coach Steve Elsier was frustrated with the traveling call on Montue, saying she was falling and didn't have control of the ball.

“We played well enough to win, and it came down to a call like that,” Elsier said. “But we're such a young team, and we have to learn how to win games. We had the lead down the stretch, but we weren't making smart decisions with the ball. We have to play where we don't let a call at the end of the game be the difference.”

Both teams struggled from the field in the first half and through the first couple of minutes of the third quarter.

Plum led 12-9 at halftime, and neither team scored in the third until Brown sank a jumper at the 5:34 mark.

Montue delivered a jumper and a layup to extend the Mustangs' lead to 16-11. But Harley Holloway and Kenzevich each drained a 3-pointer, and Holloway sank two free throws to fuel an 8-2 run to put the Cavaliers ahead 19-18 with 1:42 left in the frame.

Holloway sat with three fouls for much of the first half, but she came back in the second half to finish with seven points.

The Mustangs answered the Kiski run with one of their own, scoring the final three points of the third quarter and the first four of the final stanza to take a 25-19 lead. Zik started the fourth with a putback and a foul shot, and Alexa Seigh followed with a free throw.

Brown had six of her 11 points in the fourth quarter.

“Our half-court defense is what kept us in this game,” Ionadi said. “The goal is to hold teams under 40 points, and we've done that in four of our five games. Even against Mars the other night, we held them to 38 points. We put a new offense in this year, and there are going to be hiccups along the way, so we need our defense to be playing well.”

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Mlove_Trib.

Tags: Kiski School, Plum