PHOTOS: Ioanilli’s Late Steal Sparks Wolverines Rivalry Victory

Maria Ioanilli’s late steal and 3-point play sparked the Lady Wolverines to a 38-36 rivalry victory over Riverside on the road Thursday night.

With her team trailing with less than 90 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the sophomore forward collected a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup under duress, earning a 3-point play with the earned free throw to boost Ellwood City  (13-9 Overall, 6-8 Section 3A-1) back in front of what was a back and forth game for much of the second half.

After freshman Kyla Servick guard added two free throws, Riverside’s Lauren Bettencourt knocked down her third 3-pointer of the game to cut the lead to a single point.  Following the ensuing Riverside foul, senior Isabella Roth knocked down a free throw and a last-second Panther shot was unsuccessful, falling to the hands of Ioanilli for a Wolverine rebound.

For the Wolverines, Ioanilli finished with nine points (3 field goals, 3-5 FT) while Roth collected a team-high 12 points including two triples. Servick collected six fourth-quarter free throws and senior Natalia Greco finished with six points. Sophomore Olivia Battaglia knocked down a 3-pointer in her fourth consecutive game and finished with five points.

For Riverside (7-14 Overall, 2-12 Section), Brielle Chesko collected 12 second-half points on her way to a game-high 14 points (three 3-pointers).  Bettencourt finished with nine points by way of the three-pointer while senior Marley Wolf also finished with nine points (5-8 FT) in defeat.

Ellwood City, riding a four-game win streak to end their season, will need help on Saturday to earn a playoff berth.  With a Mohawk (6-7 Section 3A-1) loss to Beaver (10-3 Section 3A-1), the Wolverines will earn a playoff berth under first-year head coach Marc Heil.

photos provided by: Next Level Photography