Mentor High Girls Basketball Lose a Tough One to Cleveland Heights

Things were going along fine for the girls’ basketball team.

The Cleveland Heights’ Senior Night celebration delayed things a touch, perhaps throwing off the Cardinals timing in the early going, but they were up at halftime, albeit with a slim one-point lead.

Then the Cleveland Heights twin towers of Jasmine Harper and Supriya Frierson began to extend their arms and shove Mentor around, and the school’s whirlwind of festivities and celebrations seemed to speed the Cardinals’ demise.

Harper and Frierson scored 15 and 13 points, respectively, to give the Lake Erie League rival Tigers a 57-47 victory over Mentor on Saturday afternoon.

The Cardinals fell to 7-12 and 2-6 in the LEL, while the Tigers improved to 9-10 and 4-4 in the LEL.

Mentor coach Steve Thompson encouraged his crew to hang in there against Harper and Frierson, but he knew it was likely a losing battle.

“At the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth quarter, their post-players took over the game. That was the bottom line,” Thompson said. “We attacked the basket, and their post players stepped in with some big stops inside. And who can touch (Heights senior guard Ra’chel) Walton in the open court when they’re up 10. They’re the complete package.”

The Tigers took over the game after a tight first half that ended with the Cardinals leading, 26-25. Cleveland Heights picked up its defense in the second half, holding the Cardinals to nine points in the third quarter and 12 in the fourth.

Harper’s layup opened the second half and put the Tigers up a point, 27-26, and Cleveland Heights didn’t trail again. After another Harper layup and a free throw from Walton, Cardinals senior guard Christy Cunningham, who finished with 13 points, scored to bring the Cardinals within 30-28 which was the closest Mentor would come for the rest of the game.

The Tigers went on a 10-7 run to close the quarter but blew the game open with a 9-0 run to open the fourth quarter for a 49-35 lead.

Senior Larissa Davis, who finished with 10 points, opened the series with a jumper as Harper and Frierson took over. Harper put back senior Chelsea Hicks’ missed jumper and went 2-of-2 at the line. Frierson put back a Walton miss, went 1-of-2 at the stripe and forced a Mentor traveling violation on the perimeter.

A Cunningham jumper closed the gap, 51-45, with just under a minute remaining, but Harper’s bucket and Walton’s four free throws ended the rally.

Senior guard Kali Deighan led the Cardinals with 15 points.

Mentor hosts St. Joseph Academy on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Then Mentor, as the fourth seed in Division I District play, will face Chardon on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Perry High School.

Mentor                     12   14   9     12    47

Cleveland Heights   16     9   15   17   57

Mentor:  Kali Deighan 15 points, Christy Cunningham 13, Courtney Schutz 6, Lauren Stefancin 6, Molly Owens 3, Staci Cortelezzi 2, Lauren Funk 2.

Cleveland Heights:  Jasmine Harper 15 points, Supriya Frierson 13, Ra’Chel Walton 12, Larissa Davis 10, Chelsea Hicks 6, Bre Laster 1.