Stellar second lifts Garfield past Liberty, to 10-1 in MVAC

GARRETTSVILLE — The second quarter got off to a bit of a tough start for the G-Men as they missed a 3-pointer and saw the Leopards race back down the court for a game-tying score.

The rest of Thursday's second stanza proceeded far better for host Garfield, as it out-scored Liberty 20-5 in the quarter for a 59-42 Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Gray Tier win.

"I think it was just more finding the open shot instead of trying to force stuff," G-Men senior Madeline Shirkey said. "They were packing the paint, so usually we're able to score a lot in the paint and get those layups, but just moving the ball more and finding the open person I think really helped."

Mandy Cardinal, Garfield catch fire in the second quarter

The numbers told the story for Garfield (16-1, 10-1).

The G-Men shot 9-of-13 from the field in the second, with those nine field goals coming from six players.

After taking just two shots in a scoreless first quarter, Garfield freshman Mandy Cardinal exploded for 10 of her team-leading 21 points in the second, including the go-ahead 3-pointer after Liberty knotted the score at 14.

"I think the floor chemistry really helps with us," Cardinal said. "We're just able to find each other really easy."

After a Leopards turnover, Shirkey dished to fellow G-Men senior Nora Trent, who passed back to Shirkey, with the senior swishing her jumper from the top of the key for a five-point lead (19-14).

Shirkey then passed to Trent (12 points, 9 rebounds) for a baseline jumper and senior Laura McCoy (8 points, 8 boards) beat Liberty back for a layup to cap Garfield's 9-0 run.

"[Shirkey] sees the floor well and she just demands so much attention," G-Men coach Aaron Gilbert said. "But then at the same time, if you back off for a little bit, she's good enough that she can go and score."

The G-Men were just getting started.

After Liberty standout Demi Watson ended Garfield's first run with a transition 3-pointer, the G-Men responded with the final 11 points of the first half. Cardinal had her fingerprints all over that latter Garfield run, including a jumper from the top of the key after Watson's 3 pulled the Leopards within seven.

Garfield's ball movement was exemplary throughout the second stanza, whether it was Shirkey (6 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) finding Maggie Fogel in transition for a baseline jumper (28-17) or McCoy making two beautiful passes on a single fast break, with the latter finding Karleigh Clelland for a layup (30-17).

"That's what happens a lot of the time, especially when teams play zone against us, because I'm usually in the middle of the floor," Shirkey said. "So I think that really helps, especially with our ball movement and just looking for the open players, and so that's mostly my job."

Bad turned to worse for the Leopards, as the G-Men run forced them to put Watson back in with two fouls, and Watson picked up her third with 1:23 remaining in the half.

With Watson forced to the bench, Cardinal cruised into the half with a putback and a beautiful buzzer-beater as she raced a defensive rebound down the floor and knocked down a picture-perfect runner in the final seconds.

"If we can get her to get to the rim regularly, she's going to be a force," Gilbert said. "She likes those little pull-ups and stuff, but if we can get her to get to the rim, she's definitely going to be a force."

Cardinal later gave Garfield its biggest lead of the night (40-17) 110 seconds into the third when she raced in on her own missed pull-up, grabbed the long rebound and knocked down a runner in the middle of the paint.

Demi Watson, Aaliyah Foster impress for Liberty

That's when Watson showed what Liberty was missing when she was on the bench with foul trouble.

With the Leopards down 40-17, Watson barreled in from the left wing for a driving bank shot, then added a 3-pointer from a couple of feet beyond the top of the arc. Watson capped Liberty's 9-0 run and got the visitors back within 14 (40-26) with a steal and split-second dish to Aaliyah Foster for a layup with 3:05 left in the third.

But a minute later, Watson (10 points) was back on the bench with her fourth foul.

"She can go on a 10-0 run by herself and that's what's dangerous about her," Gilbert said. "And so when she started picking up those fouls, that kind of helped us put a little distance."

While the Leopards sorely missed Watson, Foster (28 points) was a bright spot the entire evening, including an absurd 12-point fourth quarter as she made one powerful swoop to the hoop after another, frequently finishing with composure against contact.

"They're not an easy out by any means," Gilbert said. "They're a super athletic team that poses a lot of problems, and they've got some people that can score, and once they get hot, you just got to hope that you can keep up with them or you can somehow limit their touches because they're super athletic."

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Stellar second lifts Garfield basketball past Liberty, to 10-1 in MVAC