Girls Basketball: Morgan Park advances to Public League title game
By Bill Harrison For Sun-Times Media January 30, 2013 10:36PM
1/30/13 Chicago-Bogans Chelsa Stone drives past Morgan Parks Tyana Porter in the second game of Chicago Public Schools Girls Basketball FInal Four at Chicago State. Stacia Timonere/for Sun Times Media
Updated: March 2, 2013 7:16AM
When Morgan Park coach Thomas Johnson was asked about his team’s first-half performance Wednesday against Bogan in a Public League semifinal at Chicago State, his answer was direct.
“The worst half we played in my career,” said Johnson, who’s in his eighth season at Morgan Park.
But the Mustangs recovered and turned a 17-point third-quarter deficit a 67-55 win. For the third year in a row, the Mustangs (20-2) will meet four-time defending city champion Young (21-4) in the city title game at 2 p.m. Saturday at Chicago State.
Bogan led 20-7 after the first quarter, 34-20 at halftime and 37-20 after a three-point play by Brittany Byrd.
Down 46-34 late in the third quarter, the Mustangs went on a 16-0 run for a 50-46 lead with 6:52 left. Kierra Graves had eight of her 18 points during the run.
“We just came out bad in the first and the next thing you know we picked it up,” Graves said. “We started blocking out and started taking care of the ball and playing good defense. We weren’t doing nothing right in that first half.”
After the Bengals tied the game at 50, the Mustangs ended the game with a 17-5 run. Shami Goodman scored nine of her 18 points in the fourth. Chelsa Stone led the Bengals with 20 points while teammate Brandy Turner had 12.
Young opened its game with an 11-0 run and beat Phillips (13-11) 70-42 in the first semifinal. Khaalia Hillsman, a 6-foot-5 junior, had a career-high 19 points and seven rebounds for the Dolphins. Taylor Brame added 18 points. Phillips’ Ashley Seaton scored 19 points.
