SMCC girls take 'major step' in snapping long losing streak

One win has never meant so much to a team. St. Mary Central Catholic had lost 82 straight girls basketball games entering Thursday's home contest against New Riegel. That streak is over. Two big free throws by Lauren Maxwell with four seconds to go helped the Panthers finish off a 39-36 Sandusky Bay Conference River Division win. "This win was a major step in this program moving forward," SMCC coach Kevin Youskievicz said. "Losing 82 straight games does not build a program. This win, although it's the first one in the season, doesn't mean we're winning the rest of our games. But it helps build the confidence of the girls." The win was the first for SMCC (1-14, 1-10 SBC River) since topping Gibsonburg on Feb. 22, 2021. "When the final horn went off, it was more of relief," Youskievicz said. "This team put in the hard work and was able to lift the thousand-pound weight off their backs. But then it was pure joy to see the student body storm the court. The pep band was playing the fight song. The joy in the girls' faces was a memory I will never forget." It was quite a turnaround for the Panthers from earlier this season when they lost 43-33 to New Riegel on Dec. 5. "After the first game with New Riegel, the coaches and I saw a change in the team," Youskievicz said. "On the ride home, the girls were talkative and happy. They started to understand the program we wanted for the team. They started coming together, understanding our concepts and plays." It was a slow start for SMCC on Thursday. The Panthers were down 6-0 early and trailed 12-9 after one quarter. SMCC played significantly better in the second quarter, outscoring the Blue Jackets (1-12, 1-9) 13-4. That allowed the Panthers to take a 22-16 lead into halftime. New Riegel won the third quarter, but the Panthers were still up 28-27 entering the fourth. The game was tied at 33 with less than a minute to play when SMCC's Madison Perkins scored off an offensive rebound with 48 seconds left. New Riegel tied the game at 35 when Cate Reinhart made two free throws, but the Panthers persevered. Perkins again came through in the clutch as she drove through traffic, scoring a contested layup with 20 seconds remaining to go up 37-35. "Madison played a great game," Youskievicz said. "Throughout the year, we saw instances where Madison played well, but as a freshman it can be difficult to understand the game on the varsity level. Last night, Madison put herself in position to score and rebound for us. She performed the way we envisioned her from Day 1." The Blue Jackets got to the line again, but Ashlyn Bouillon split a pair to keep SMCC up by a point. Maxwell was fouled late, making both freebies for a three-point lead. "The free throws Lauren made were huge," Youskievicz said. "Lauren only shot one free throw last year. This summer, she worked on her foul shots. I told her how important it is because she was going to be going to the foul line more than one time this year. Plus, when she shot them, she looked very calm, showing her confidence." New Riegel's desperate half-court heave at the buzzer sailed over the backboard, sending the SMCC crowd into celebration mode. "They have been told for so long they are not a good team and reminded of the losing streak that it lowered their confidence," Youskievicz said. "We told the girls on Day 1 that we can't guarantee victories, we can only guarantee we will compete for victories. "Last night proved if you want something bad enough and you fight for it, you are rewarded." The Panthers look to make it two in a row when they host Old Fort on Saturday. Youskievicz wanted to give a special thank you to his assistant coaches, Alana Fidler and Alyson Youskievicz. "These two are the major reason this team has improved greatly over the course of this season," he said. "I could not have done this without them." NEW RIEGEL (1-12, 1-9) Lexi Lafontaine 4 0-2 8, Ashlyn Bouillon 0 2-6 2, Maddie Heilman 4 0-1 8, Madi Pusateri 2 0-0 4, Cate Reinhart 3 5-6 12, Lilly Schalk 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 14 7-15 36 SMCC (1-14, 1-10) Nicolette Hill 2 0-2 4, Lauren Maxwell 2 2-2 6, Anna Smith 2 0-0 4, Allison Lill 2 5-6 9, Ella Brownell 2 0-0 4, Audriella Walton 0 1-2 1, Madison Perkins 5 0-5 10. TOTALS 15 8-17 39 New Riegel 12 4 11 9 — 36 SMCC 9 13 6 11 — 39 Three-point goals: New Riegel 1 (Reinhart); SMCC 1 (Lill)