Mariah Wells hit a runner with 1:09 remaining in the game to give the Lady Colts a 36-34 victory over West Mifflin last night at Chartiers Valley High School.
And while the low-scoring game isn't something the Lady Colts are used to, Coach Spencer Stefko thinks the senior leadership of guard Lexy Herron had a lot to do with gutting out the win.
"There are not a lot of kids that can do what she (Herron) did tonight," he said. "She was able to be assertive and knew that her teammates were behind her win or lose.
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"It's a special feeling to be in a locker room like that."
Herron thrives on the idea that her teammates believe in her.
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"It feels good to know that these girls look up to me and look for me to run plays," Herron said. "We had our moments tonight where we couldn't score, but it was still fun to get a win."
Wells, a versatile sophomore, led Chartiers Valley (2-1) with 13 points, while Herron and Kristina Coyne each chipped in eight points. In a game that featured four ties and seven lead changes in the second half, every point was crucial.
The Lady Colts used their pressure defense to force West Mifflin (1-1) into 10 turnovers in the first quarter, leading to an 8-3 lead.
In the second, West Mifflin held Chartiers Valley scoreless for the first seven minutes. However, the Lady Colts scored seven points in the final minute, leading to a 15-11 halftime advantage.
The scoring picked up in the third as both teams started utilizing the inside game. Scoring in the paint isn't something the Lady Colts are accustomed to, but Stefko was pleased with the effort.
"This is a game we haven't played in the last four years," he said. "We usually spread the floor and look for threes. But tonight, we scored a lot in the paint against a team that's pretty good in there."
In the fourth quarter, the Chartiers Valley defense held strong again, forcing West Mifflin into six turnovers, giving the Lady Titans a total of 24 for the game. A steal by Herron with 25 seconds left sealed the win.
"This wasn't a game that a lot of people outside of this locker room thought we would win," Stefko said. "I'm very happy for these girls."
Herron was excited about the win, but said she has bigger goals for this team.
"I'm hoping we'll win the section and the WPIAL titles," she said. "And along the way, we'll beat some teams people didn't think we could beat."
The Lady Colts head east this weekend to play State College Area High School on Friday night, and then travel to Blair County on Saturday afternoon to face Hollidaysburg Area High School.
