Lady Panthers Defeat Quakers, 48-33, On Senior Night

The Lady Panthers won the first of two consecutive meetings with Moses Brown Wednesday, establishing a 22-point first-half advantage en route to a 48-33 victory in Johnston.

The Panthers and Quakers will play again Friday, Feb. 25 in Providence, but neither team will need the victory to secure a tournament bid. Johnston improved its intra-divisional record to 13-4 February 23, clinching the second-best mark in Division II North. The Panthers are now 15-6 overall.

“We’re very happy with the season up to this point, but we try to stress to the kids that now it becomes a one-game season,” said Dan Mazzulla, head coach of the Panthers. “We’ve still got to play Moses Brown Friday night, so we’re going to go into the game and play the game to win the game.”

Five Johnston seniors scored at least seven points apiece Wednesday, seizing one last chance to play at home prior to the postseason. Two elder Panthers—Megan Macera and Gianna Mazzulla—netted 12 points each to drop the fifth-place Quakers, who are now 9-8 in league play.

Senior Alaina DeNoncour chipped in eight prior to intermission, as well, and the three captains combined to score the game’s first six points.

“I’ve seen a lot of girls go through here,” said Mazzulla, whose tenure as head coach will end after the postseason. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Abby Schreiber netted three to halve Johnston’s 6-0 lead, but Moses Brown struggled to exploit offensive opportunities throughout the first half.

“Moses Brown had some open shots,” Coach Mazzulla said. “They didn’t make any shots. It could’ve made a difference early, but we rebounded the ball well and we were able to put the ball in the basket early.”

The Panthers responded to Schreiber’s trey with 12 unanswered points—scored by four different players—to establish an 18-3 lead. Macera initiated the run with two of her eight first-half points, rediscovering the form that she displayed before suffering an injury in January.

“I pushed myself to come back. I knew that I wasn’t going to sit out the rest of my senior year,” Macera said. “When I came back, it was a lot harder, because some of my best games were right before I got hurt.”

Seniors Samantha Maner and Victoria St. Angelo contributed to the Panthers’ first-period output, as well, notching seven points collectively. G. Mazzulla stretched Johnston’s lead to 20 with two of her eight points first-half points, and the Panthers led, 31-9, after DeNoncour capped yet another 8-0 run.

Moses Brown scored once more prior to the break and closed to within 13 during the latter stanza, but they could not threaten the Panthers, whose second-half bulge swelled to 27 before the Quakers began to recover.

The Panthers led, 48-33, after DeNoncour dropped in two of her 10 points to punctuate a nightlong celebration of Johnston’s soon-to-be graduates.

Prior to the game, DeNoncour, Macera, Maner, G. Mazzulla and St. Angelo laughed with teammates, accepted gifts and met loved ones at mid-court, in attendance to share the memorable evening. Posters honoring each player and decorations to match the Panthers white and blue uniforms accentuated the festivities.

“Hopefully, they’ve learned something,” Coach Mazzulla said. “I know they’ve met some good people along the way.”

Throughout the game, fans applauded the efforts of the outgoing Panthers, who will return to Johnston for a first-round playoff game next week. The date and opponent are not yet known.

“Working hard doesn’t necessarily guarantee success, but it does give you a peace of mind. That’s what we’re trying to get across to them — just play hard, work hard, make good decisions and the rest falls into place,” said Mazzulla, who referred to his seniors as “really good kids.”