All the momentum was with Mount Vernon when the Majors opened the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run against Edison. The visitors were up 44-33 over the host Eagles and had led virtually the whole game, limiting turnovers and playing effective halfcourt defense.
Just when it seemed Edison was in danger of its first National District loss, the Eagles exploded. They embarked on a 27-2 run and scored almost as many points the last six minutes of the game as they did in the first 26 minutes. The result was a 63-48 win.
There were many heroes for Edison this Monday night, but junior forward Aani Akins stood out. Akins consistently rebounded Mount Vernon misses and took it the length of the court during the run. She did it with 4:35 left to cut the Mount Vernon lead to 46-44. She did it again a few seconds later to tie the score. She was a one-woman wrecking crew, finishing the game with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
“We just wanted to win,” Akins said. “We were down, and it’s all about who wants it more…I think [during the run] we really wanted it more.”
When junior Toni McCrae stole the ball and scored to give the Eagles a 48-46 lead, Edison started to up its game to a whole different level. There was better ball movement on offense and after struggling to hit from outside all night, freshman Jamieson McIntyre buried her team’s first three to extend the lead to 51-46.
Then the flood gates really opened. McIntyre found senior Lisa Anderson for a bucket. Anderson found freshman Sarah Chawki for a three-pointer. McCrae got another basket off a steal. The Eagles (10-0, 14-3) then burned some clock but found stalling difficult, since they were so hot. Finally Majors senior Isabela Lujan-Gonzales scored with 1:37 left to end the run. By then, the game was essentially over.
Lujan-Gonzales had a great game, scoring 15 points and registering seven assists. Guard Amaris Hubbard was a big reason Mount Vernon led early. The senior provided 12 first half points off the bench. The Majors (8-2, 10-6), who will get another crack at the Eagles Wednesday at Mount Vernon, can take solace knowing they more than held their own against the first place Eagles for most of the game.
Still, the Majors were crushed on the glass (41-20) and also learned they’ll need four complete quarters to beat Edison. Meanwhile, the young Eagles, who had eight kids score and played six freshmen and sophomores Monday night, possibly gave us a glimpse of the future for the last six minutes of the game.
–Chris Jollay
all stats are unofficial
| EDISON | FG | FT | TP | REB | AST | |
| CHAWKI | 3-10 | 2-2 | 9 | 3 | 1 | |
| McCRAE | 6-18 | 0-0 | 12 | 8 | 2 | |
| JACKSON | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| AKINS | 9-18 | 3-6 | 21 | 15 | 1 | |
| ANDERSON | 3-8 | 3-4 | 9 | 3 | 4 | |
| McIntyre | 3-8 | 1-2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | |
| Henderson | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Massey-Thompson | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |
| Wells | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| TOTALS | 26-70 | 9-14 | 63 | 41 | 13 | |
| Threes: McIntyre 1-4, Chawki 1-5, Anderson 0-2, McCrae 0-5 | ||||||
| MOUNT VERNON | FG | FT | TP | REB | AST | |
| I.GONZALES | 4-16 | 6-6 | 15 | 1 | 7 | |
| L.GONZALES | 2-6 | 0-0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| MENSAH | 2-6 | 0-0 | 4 | 6 | 1 | |
| MORGAN | 1-5 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| TURNER | 3-9 | 1-1 | 8 | 3 | 0 | |
| Hubbard | 4-5 | 2-2 | 12 | 3 | 1 | |
| Maxwell | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Duckett | 1-1 | 0-0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | 17-49 | 9-9 | 48 | 20 | 11 | |
| Threes: Hubbard 2-2, Duckett 1-1, Turner 1-4, I.Gonzales 1-8, Mensah 0-1, Morgan 0-1, Maxwell 0-1, L.Gonzales 0-4 | ||||||