Team effort helps Gwynedd Mercy romp past Carver E&S in PIAA-4A 1st round

UPPER DUBLIN >> Gwynedd Mercy Academy beat Carver E&S, 77-21, in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A state playoffs Saturday evening at Upper Dublin High School.

The Monarchs used a balanced offensive approach and dominant defensive effort to stamp their ticket to a second-round matchup with Greater Nanticoke Area Wednesday at a site and time to be determined.

All 13 players for Gwynedd Mercy scored. Carly Heineman led the way with 19 points, Kaylie Griffin added 10 and Georgia Cattie and Regan Flannery each had seven.

“I was impressed by how well we played as a team collectively,” GMA coach Tom Lonergan said. “Whether they were out on the floor or not, we had great team comraderie. You could hear it from the bench regardless of what the score was out there. It was the first time all year that everybody had put something on the scoreboard.”

“Everybody got their name put into the book,” Heineman added. “It was a team effort.

“Everybody on our team can contribute. That’s beneficial.”

Defensively, Gwynedd held Carver to one point in the first quarter, two points in the third quarter and 21 points overall.

“When you come out you don’t know where the game’s going,” Lonergan said. “We came out in the first quarter and we held them to one … We talked at halftime about coming out and let’s play focused — forget the score. We were able to do that again.”

“Our defense was unbelievable,” Heineman said. “To watch everybody — nobody wanted to let their girl score and took pride in making sure their girl didn’t score.”

GMA scored the first 18 points of the game and never looked back.

“We hit some shots that sometimes we struggle to hit,” Heineman said of the fast start. “When people start to hit their shots everyone gets into a rhythm. That definitely helps.”