Sophomore Sophia Boyer understood the assignment.
Her aggressive play early against Latrobe standout forward Maggie Maiers, coupled with the hot shooting of senior guard Julia Antonacci, propelled No. 4 Indiana to a 52-33 victory at Latrobe on Monday night in a Section 2-5A girls basketball game.
The wire-to-wire win was defensively divine to coach Mike Franciscus, whose first-place Indians moved to 12-1 overall and 4-0 in the section.
Indiana was coming off its first loss, a 48-31 setback against 4A Maryland power Southern Garrett. The Indians looked just fine returning to WPIAL play.
The team celebrated with a trip to Wendy’s but not before limiting Latrobe (6-4, 3-2) to six points in the fourth quarter.
Latrobe had won four of five coming in.
“We were clicking on all cylinders early,” Franciscus said. “Our defense was unbelievable. Sophia Boyer was making her first varsity start and to do what she did against a first-team all-section player (Maiers); all she did was battle, battle, battle.”
Boyer limited Maiers to six points, all in the second half, her first field coming at the 1-minute, 44-second mark of the third. The 5-foot-11 junior forward had trouble getting shots in the first half when the Wildcats were snowed under.
Latrobe had 12 turnovers in the first half.
Antonacci scored 12 of her career-high 25 points in the first quarter, connecting on four 3-pointers, as the Indians built an 18-4 lead.
They led 28-17 at the half as junior Emry Bridge picked up the slack for Latrobe with 10 first-half points, eight in the second quarter.
She finished with a team-high 12.
But Indiana kept the pep band quiet as it stretched the lead to 39-23 in the third before freshman Morgan Maiers beat the third-quarter buzzer to close the gap to 40-27.
The Wildcats took the brief momentum into the fourth as Morgan Maiers and Maggie Maiers scored early and a 6-0 run trimmed the deficit to 40-31 with 6:33 to play in the frame.
But Indiana kept coming. Senior Emily Ferraro completed a three-point play, and Antonacci knocked down a pull-up jumper for Indiana, which ended the game on a 12-2 run.
“We prepared for their 3s,” Latrobe coach Mackenzie Livingston said. “We knew we had to get out and guard their shooters. Like my assistant said, it came down to hustle and effort. They did a nice job defensively. Once they stop Maggie, it kind of gets in our heads.”
Indiana is limiting teams to 30 points per game. Franciscus’ teams have developed a defensive identity.
Morgan Maiers led Latrobe with eight points.
“We’re capable of winning any game,” Livingston said. “They’re playing a little too timid. They have to be ready to battle with anybody. Come out and go right at teams.”