Munroe Steals a Victory for Rosary

It didn’t matter that Rosary’s Hayley Munroe opened the game with an airball or missed her first seven shots.

It didn’t matter that, with the game on the line, her drive to the basket was rejected, the third time one of her shots was blocked.

The only thing that mattered in the end was the two points Munroe scored when she pulled the ball from Takisha Cummings’ hands and shot Rosary into the record book.

Munroe’s steal and basket with 10 seconds remaining provided top-seeded Rosary with its first Southern Section championship, a 47-44 victory over second-seeded Pomona Ganesha for the Division III-AA girls’ basketball title.

“It’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me in my life,” said Munroe, a sophomore. “It’s pretty clutch.”

It sure was.

Rosary trailed, 44-43, when Munroe’s shot on a baseline drive was blocked by Veranda James (her seventh). Cummings got the rebound on the end line and looked to pass.

“I think [Munroe] was kind of mad when she got stuffed,” said Rosary’s Maggie Barnett, who converged on Cummings with Munroe. “I was ready to foul the girl, and Hayley took it from her.”

“I turned and saw where I was [under the basket] and put it up,” Munroe said. “I wasn’t thinking of anyone stuffing me from behind.”

Ganesha, with three players 6 feet or taller, blocked 10 shots against Rosary, which had no players taller than 5-11.

“That’s what we talked about,” Rosary Coach Rich Yoon said. “Never mind the ooohs and aaahs when you get blocked, just go back in and show them we’re not going to go down without a fight, we’re not going to be intimidated.”

Ganesha (26-4) called timeout but gave up the ball with five seconds left when Angie Thomas traveled, the last of 39 turnovers by the Giants. Rosary’s Gayle Sonoda made two free throws with 1.3 seconds left for the final margin.

Rosary (22-8) wasn’t as quick or tall as Ganesha, but played smarter. The Royals drove the basket in the first half and got Ganesha’s best defensive players--James, Thomas and Rebecca Moreno--in foul trouble. Even though Rosary shot horribly from the line (12 for 26), the fouls were huge.

James (19 points, 23 rebounds, seven blocks) and Thomas (13 points, nine fewer than her average) went to the bench with three fouls apiece with 4 minutes 48 seconds left in the first half, Rosary having cut an 18-11 deficit to 18-17.

The Royals then ran off 12 consecutive points, forcing eight turnovers, before James and Thomas returned for the final two minutes.

During its 18-2 run, Rosary got six points from Romina Bollini (11 points, 12 rebounds), whose partial tear in the ligament in her left knee made her questionable for the game. Bollini, Rosary’s only senior, didn’t start, and Yoon said beforehand he would use her only if necessary. She was in the game less than five minutes.

Rosary’s press forced 13 turnovers in the second quarter and the Royals led, 31-22, with Barnett scoring 15.