Stone Bridge Girls Advance to District Final

After Stone Bridge and McLean split two regular season meetings in girls basketball by a total of five points – both games won on the road in overtime – it was impossible to pick a favorite in Thursday night’s district semifinal matchup on a neutral court in Reston. But the Stone Bridge Bulldogs surprised everyone except themselves, handily beating McLean 47-34 to advance to the district final.

The final comes tonight against the defending champion Madison Warhawks, who pulled off a come-from-behind victory over Fairfax, 44-38.

Bulldogs’ coach Chris Jones felt that his team learned a lot from the regular season meetings.

“We know each other so well now, we go over the sets that they like to run,” he said. “Tonight we doubled down more on their post players and focused on [Andy] Romness. Everyone did a great job.”

Early on, it looked like it was going to be yet another nip and tuck affair, with Stone Bridge leading by just one, 11-10, at the end of the first period. But the Bulldogs went on an 11-1 run to start the second quarter, to go up 22-11, behind two big 3-pointers from Kayleigh Guzek (6 points). With just a minute left in the half, McLean’s Highlanders had just 1 point in the quarter, but then managed to hit two late baskets to cut the lead to 24-15 at the half.

In the third quarter, sophomore forward Murielle Tiernan took over, popping in 6 of her game high 14 points, and staking her team to a 12-point lead, 32-20.

McLean made a run early on in the fourth period, ignited by senior guard Andy Romness, who literally ripped the ball out of a defender’s hands, and dished to freshman guard Christy Warren. Warren hit a layup, was fouled and then converted the 3-point play. McLean then cut the lead to 7 on the next possession, after another big steal, that Lisa Murphy, who finished with a team high 12 points for the Highlanders, sunk in the net.

“Second half, I was expecting them to make a run, and they started to,” Jones said. “I told the team at halftime, they’re going to try to make a run at us, you’ve just got to keep your composure, and we did.”

Indeed, McLean would get no closer, as its stifling defense limited Romness, McLean’s leading scorer, to just 4 points, while the Prince sisters, Nicole (10 points) and Cori (6) complimented Tiernan’s strong play to ice the game.

After the game, the Bulldogs were focused on the prize. Not their first ever district title, which is now just a game away, but rather the little incentive they gave themselves to win the game.

“We told ourselves we’re going to go out for Frosties at Wendy’s if we won,” Nicole Prince explained after the game, as her sister, Cori, who plans to play softball at George Mason next year, cracked up just feet away. “I’ve got homework to do tonight, so no big celebration but we will have Frosties for sure to celebrate.”

Their coach was more focused on scouting their next opponent than dessert. Jones feels that his team matches up well against Madison, but isn’t ready to call his team the favorite.

“I don’t think there are any favorites in this thing,” he said. We’re not really the favorite, even though we’re the number one seed. We’ll have to go out and play well either way.”