RallyNorth.net

Tue, Feb 26, 2008 07:00 PM @ Lynn Tech

Team	1	2	3	4	Final
Playoff Game Division 4 North - Round 1
Manchester Essex	16	11	17	9	53
Lynn Tech	12	16	9	6	43

Ciccone's double-double propels Hornet to win

Wednesday, February, 27 By Matt Langone
Sports editor

It's an age-old question in basketball, which is more effective: Size or outside shooting?

There may not be a definitive answer. But if a team has both, it's usually a recipe for success and last night the Manchester Essex girls had both of those ingredients.

The ninth-seeded Hornets took to the road to take on No. 8 Lynn Tech in the first round of the Division 4 North state tournament and outmuscled the Tigers in the paint, while matching the host's precision from outside | both teams hit four 3-pointers | en route to a 53-43 victory. The Hornets, who are now 13-8, will take on the either No. 1 New Mission or No. 16 Northeast (TBA) next.

Leading the way for the visitors was senior center Dani Ciccone, who notched a beefy double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds. The 6-footer owned the paint all night and added three blocked shots for a stingy Manchester Essex defense that allowed just 15 points in the second half thanks to an effective full-court press.

"In the second half we definitely proved who we are," said Ciccone, who helped the Hornets knock off the Tigers in the Division 2 North semifinals last year (59-34). "We maintained composure and played our game."

The youthful Hornets, who carry just three seniors on the roster and were playing without starting point guard Lee Stroman (torn ACL), played composed for the majority of the game. Freshman Lizzy Ball handled the point duties and was an effective facilitator, dishing out five assists to go with her 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Hornets raced out to a 16-12 lead after the first quarter, capitalizing on outside shots when Lynn Tech would collapse on Ciccone in the lane. Junior forward Jordan Biggar was instrumental in the Hornets outside game, drilling three 3-pointers on the night on her way 13 points.

However, the second quarter was a struggle for the Hornets. Lynn Tech found its rhythm on offense led by guard Shana Mitchell, who scored 12 of her 13 points in the first two frames. That helped allow the Tigers to take a 28-27 lead into the half.

"It was a little rocky for a while," said Manchester Essex head coach Lauren Dubois. "But the girls relaxed and did what we asked them to do."

Undoubtedly one of the suggestions from the Manchester coaching staff was to get the ball to Ciccone as much as possible in the second half, a strategy that the Tigers has no answer for.

"We definitely wanted to get the ball to Dani because that was our biggest advantage," said Dubois. "That's usually a big part of our game plan. Dani is such a solid player with four years of varsity experience."

Ciccone enjoys the responsibility of being the go-to-girl. "I definitely want to be a leader for the other girls," said Ciccone. "I try to help them know how to hold it together in this type of tournament. Everyone stepped up in this game. It was a team win."

While Ciccone took care of things on the glass and down low with eight points and eight boards in the second half, Ball and backcourt mate Sam Christopher created turnovers with the press resulting in easy buckets. The end result was a momentum-changing third quarter in which the Hornets held the Tigers to just nine points and built a 44-37 lead entering the final eight minutes.

The Tigers were obviously discouraged after the tough third and followed it with just a six-point fourth, which sealed the Hornets win.

"Everyone is stepping up and that's what we need," said Dubois.