By Mike Buchanan

 

New Head Coach Mimi Walters has the Bryn Mawr basketball team clicking early in the 2007-08 campaign. The Mawrtians defeated arch-rival Roland Park Country, 32-30, on Friday and are 4-0 to begin the season.

 

Walters moved up to take over the varsity after Jim “Snuffy” Smith retired.  Walters had coached the JV team. The Mawrtians, like so many other teams in the league, took a hit due to graduation, losing two All-Conference players in Allie Emala and Meredith Larsen, and with them a bulk of the team’s scoring.

 

With little height to speak of, Walters has used the team’s speed and quickness and gone with an up-tempo style of play.  So far, it has worked to perfection.

 

Bryn Mawr won the St. Andrew's Episcopal Holiday Tournament to open the season.  The Mawrtians defeated Oakcrest School, 44-25, and then took care of host St. Andrew's, 47-45, in the title game in Potomac. Junior guard Paige Greene was named tournament MVP, and led all scorers with 16 points in the championship. Greene, Teona Hanson and Annie Thomas were all named to the All-Tournament team.

 

The B-Conference Mawrtians have not played a league game yet, but did post wins over Park (from the “C”) and Roland Park (from the “A”) this past week.

 

Against Park, Bryn Mawr raced out to a fast start and built a 24-point lead in the opening half. The teams battled to an even second half, but the damage had been done and BMS won by a score of 55-30. The Mawrtians used an aggressive, hard-trapping Diamond press and forced numerous turnovers against the Bruins in that first half.

 

On Friday, Bryn Mawr played host to neighboring Roland Park, and the two teams battled down to the wire, with the Mawrtians taking a hard-fought 32-30 win.

 

Bryn Mawr was without Greene, who was making a college visit. But her teammates stepped up and took care of business without her.

 

Sophomore guard Grace Parente sparked the team, scoring a game-high 10 points, the only player on either team in double figures for the game. Parente nailed a three-pointer to open the game, and then added another three points the old-fashioned way, with a lay-up and a free throw.

 

Bryn Mawr took a 21-17 lead into the break, and then things got very defensive in the second half.  The Reds rallied, and actually won the low-scoring second half, 13-11, but fell two points short of sending the game into overtime.

 

Said Parente, after the game, “It was an intense game.  Right now our team chemistry is really good, and we make up for a lack of height with a lot of pressure on defense. Roland Park came back in the fourth quarter. No. 12 (Jackie Kell) hit some free throws to bring them real close, and we missed some shots, but luckily we held on for the win.”

 

In addition to Parente’s 10 points, Thomas had five and Hanson added four.

 

For the Reds (0-1, 0-4), junior guard Jackie Kell led the scoring with seven, and sophomore Lauren Carter had six.  Roland Park visits Mercy on Wednesday for an A-Conference game.

 

The 4-0 start in non-conference games should give Walters and her team some momentum as the Mawrtians head into the league portion of their schedule this week. The first test will be a tough one, as Bryn Mawr travels to early-season favorite Severn on Wednesday. The Admirals have been to the league finals four years in a row and return four of five starters.

 

Bryn Mawr 32, Roland Park Country 30

RP – Cahill 2, Davis 1, Outlaw 4, Kirk 1, Kell 7, Gordon 1, Edwards 4, Clark 1, Jackson 3, Carter 6. Totals: 9 n/a 30. BM – Thomas 5, Szczerbicki 2, Parente 10, Peterson 3, Hanson 4, Noon 4, Matz 4. Totals: 13 n/a 32.

Half: BM, 21-17.