Keira Watson’s clutch free throw late in the game proved to be the difference for the Quaker Valley girls basketball team.
The Quakers held on to edge Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 37-36, on the road Jan. 22 in a key Section 1-3A contest.
“Keira was 2 of 3 from the foul line, but none bigger than the last one she made under a lot of pressure in a loud gym,” QV coach Ken Johns said. “Keira was really good (against OLSH) and has been that way all season.”
Watson is a second-year starter as a sophomore and one of several underclassmen on the team. She sank her winning foul shot in the final moments of the game.
“I didn’t even realize until much later that my free throw was the winning point,” Watson said. “At that time, I just wanted to focus on making both of them and expand our lead. Overall, it was a tough matchup and very competitive the entire game.
“During the last minute and a half, I feel like we did a great job of staying together and prioritizing defense, which is something we’ve been working on the entire season.”
Maryland recruit Mimi Thiero, a highly talented 6-foot-5 senior guard/forward, tossed in 29 points to lead QV offensively against the Chargers.
Thiero scored with just under four minutes left to give the Quakers the lead for good at 31-30. After making two more baskets, Thiero fouled out with the visitors clinging to a 36-33 lead with 1:36 to play.
Watson’s free throw gave QV what proved to be an insurmountable four-point edge as OLSH went 1 for 4 from the foul line in the game’s final 30 seconds.
Watson, a 5-6 guard, averages about 10 points per game.
“What stood out to me the most in the OLSH game was Keira’s defense,” Johns said. “OLSH runs a good offense with a lot of action, and it requires you to stay disciplined as a defender. Keira really did a nice job of that; the entire team really did. Her pressure on the ballhandlers disrupted them, I thought.
“With all of the attention Mimi gets, and deservedly so, Keira can fly under the radar a bit. But she is a big reason the team is playing well. It’s been great to see her continue to grow in her role and play with confidence. The coaches keep reminding each other that she’s only a sophomore. We put a lot on her, and she handles it well.”
With the win, QV secured a firm grasp on second place in the section and clinched a WPIAL playoff berth.
The Quakers improved to 8-2 in league play and 11-6 overall. OLSH fell to 6-4 and 12-5.
“I think this game showed our team how connected we are and how much we trust each other,” Watson said. “I’m looking forward to our remaining section games.”
OLSH held a 15-9 halftime advantage and still led by four at 27-23 after three quarters. The Quakers outscored the home team 14-9 in the contest’s final eight minutes.
“In a close game like that, you can look at a thousand things and say what about this or that,” Johns said, “especially if you lose it. I’m just proud of how the team hung together and they all played for each other. Mimi’s energy never dropped after fouling out. She was engaged on the bench and in the huddles encouraging and talking to everyone.
“And I can’t say enough about Anna Campbell’s defensive efforts this year and especially agaisnt OLSH. Lucy (Roig) and Mia (Floro) really showed their leadership at the end of the game, and everyone really stayed together and played great.”
The veteran floor boss also cited the effort and quick thinking of QV’s Rose Cline, 5-6 junior guard.
“Rose might have had the play of the day,” Johns said, “calling a timeout while we were stuck trying to inbound the ball. Really smart, game-saving play there.
“Win or lose, it was great to see the team play through adversity and stay together. That made me the happiest, although I’m pretty happy we were able to pull out the win. I was told by people I trust that the win clinched a playoff spot for us. Honestly, I tend to take it a day and a game at a time, so I haven’t looked at anything about it, but they said we’re in, so I’ll take it.”
Both the girls and boys basketball teams at QV have wrapped up WPIAL playoff berths.