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PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL: Late surge keeps Mayer Lutheran perfect with win over Maranatha Christian


MAYER – It was a tale of two halves for the Mayer Lutheran girls basketball team in their matchup with Maranatha Christian Academy Tuesday night. Just minutes into the game, the Crusaders found themselves down 10-0. Instead of panicking, Mayer Lutheran fought back and used a big run in the second half to stay perfect on the season with a convincing 70-51 victory over the Mustangs.

“I think it shows we’re a mentally tough team,” senior Lexi Schermann said. “This is the first game where we were behind. It shows that we can come back and overcome our mistakes. We’re all here to lift each other up, and that’s what we did to get back into the game.”

“Part of it was a slow start by us,” Mayer Lutheran coach Kris Gustin said. “Part of it was a hot start for them. I think they made their first four shots. We talk about being resilient and being gritty. Ultimately, that’s what we saw tonight. We just had to respond to the pressure. I’m really proud of the way the girls played and bounced back.”

Mayer Lutheran battled back to take a one-point lead into the locker room. Despite that, they still found themselves down 44-42 with just over 10 minutes to play. That was until the Crusaders seized control of the game in all aspects.

“We definitely picked up our defense,” Schermann said. “In the first half, it was a struggle at times. Then we picked it up. We work as a team very well. It’s very unselfish.  We move the ball around and look for those open girls.”

In a span of fewer than five minutes, the Crusaders broke open the game with a 24-0 run to take a commanding 66-44 lead over the Mustangs with just under six minutes left to play.

“I didn’t realize that it was that big,” Gustin said. “I knew it was a run because we kind of pushed that lead above 20. Maranatha took away our transition game early. In the second half, we saw more transition opportunities which is the way we want to play.”

The big run by the Crusaders helped them cruise to a victory down the stretch. With the win, Mayer Lutheran is a perfect 7-0 and their confidence early on is sky-high as a team.

“I think this team walks out on the floor and thinks they can beat anybody,” Gustin said. “This was a good one for us. We really haven’t been behind deep into games, so for us to be in a situation where we’re trailing, those are opportunities for growth. That’s a real positive. We know that even if things don’t go well, we can adjust and make plays. That’s a huge growing lesson for these girls.”

Schermann finished with a team-high 18 points for the Crusaders in the win. She knows playing tough teams like this will only prepare her and her team for the schedule they have ahead of them.

“It’s definitely a big help to be playing tough teams like this,” Schermann said. “It’s just going to prepare us for the big games in conference and in sections.”

For now, Schermann and the Crusaders will look to take it one game at a time. Although they’re confident riding a seven-game winning streak to open the season, they know how important it is to keep looking forward.

“We’re definitely confident,” Schermann said. “It’s a good high to be on. We just got to keep looking at our next game and just keep doing the things that we’re doing right now.”

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