Fairview, Villa Maria win girls basketball showdowns on Monday

The girls basketball region races have heated up around District 10, including three big-time matchups on Monday.

Two big games took place in Erie County. Fairview hosted Mercyhurst Prep in a Region 3 battle between two strong contenders to win D-10 in Class 3A and Villa Maria, the defending D-10 champion in 4A, hosted McDowell, the defending D-10 6A champion, in a key Region 6 game.

In the south, Kennedy Catholic held off West Middlesex 67-54 in a Region 1 showdown.

The Fairview girls basketball team remained the only unbeaten squad in District 10. After Monday night's 54-44 victory over Mercyhurst Prep, the Tigers can claim another accolade -- sole possession of first place in Region 3.

Hope Garrity scored 20 points and Bre Heidt contributed 15 as Fairview ran its winning streak to 14 games. The Tigers are now 6-0 in region play.

Joce Ollinger led the Mercyhurst Prep offense with 13 points. The Lakers fell to 8-5 overall and 5-1 in the region.

Garrity, Fairview's star junior, said the win can be attributed to the work by the Tigers leading up to the game.

"It's another win, but we're especially happy with this one," she said. "We just really scouted and practiced hard in practice. We were comfortable on the court with what (Mercyhurst Prep) did. We were familiar with everything, and locked in and ready."

Heidt has emerged as a key contributor as a freshman. Her 15 points fell one point short of her season-high.

"Sometimes it's nerve-wracking," she said of playing as a freshman. "Having all the juniors and seniors and even sophomores out there with me, it makes me feel more comfortable. They'll always have my back."

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While Hope Garrity is Fairview's top scorer, the Tigers have had contributions from others throughout the year. On Monday, it was Heidt's turn.

"Bre stepped up tonight," Tigers coach Aaron Garrity said. "She played great. What was even better, all the kids were super happy for her. It says a lot about the kids this year and how they care about each other."

Fairview pushed its way out to a 10-2 lead before the Lakers answered to pull within 20-18 at halftime.

The Tigers rebuilt their lead in the third quarter, outscoring Mercyhurst Prep 15-8 during the period, and held off the Lakers in the fourth.

"We talked about what we needed to talk about (at halftime)," said Tigers coach Aaron Garrity. "I was very impressed with how the kids came out and guarded."

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Villa Maria alone in first place

Villa Maria has been one of the hottest teams in District 10 since returning from Las Vegas in December. After splitting four tough games in the desert, the Victors have won seven in a row, including an impressive win over Ohio powerhouse St. Joe's and a 50-17 win over McDowell on Monday.

"It's definitely our practices that help because it carries over into the games. We have a young team so preparing well is key with no experience to rely on," said Villa Maria senior Carissa Dunham. "Our seniors are important leaders this year because we've been through the ups and downs and through every situation."

Villa started the game on an 11-5 run before going on a 16-4 run in the second quarter to build a 27-9 lead at halftime on McDowell. The Trojans scored just eight points the rest of the way as the tenacious Villa defense was too much to handle.

Villa improved to 11-2 overall and 6-0 in Region 6 with a one-game lead over Warren for first place, while McDowell dropped to 7-5, 3-3.

"I think it's my teammates moving the ball well and we're getting good shots," said Villa sophomore Jayden McBride. "We're finding each other especially when one of us is on. It's a big change from last year after losing five seniors but we're all working together and staying positive."

McBride led the way Monday with 21 points, while Dunham, a Division I Mount St. Mary's recruit, had 14. IUP recruit Daniela Shaughnessy added six points. McBride and Shaughnessy are just two examples of numerous players on the Villa roster that can play guard or forward, giving opposing defenses a tough time figuring out how to defend the Victors.

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"A few weeks ago this group decided to really prepare for each game and that mentality has carried over into our games," said Villa coach Doug Chuzie about the state-ranked Victors. "I think our preparation in practice is key with a young group learning every day. The seniors have led us mentally and emotionally because they've been through the ups and downs learning from previous teams."

Contact Josh Reilly at jreilly@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNreilly. Tom Reisenweber contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Fairview, Villa Maria win girls basketball showdowns on Monday