Five Takeaways: Mercy 83, Eastern 41

Monday, December 2nd I traveled to Eastern High School for my first ever regular season matchup between Mercy and Eastern. From the jump it seemed that Mercy was going to take control of the game and that is exactly what they did. After Q1, the Mercy Jaguars were already out to a 15 point lead, 25-10. Mercy went on a 23-8 run to make the halftime score, 48-18. There was no slowing down for the Jaguars as they ended up winning the game 83-41. Amazing performance by Mercy. <p style="text-align: center"><strong>My Five </strong><strong>Takeaways:</strong></p> <strong>Mercy's Length:</strong> Seniors Ta'Ziah Jenks &amp; Paige Taylor for Mercy were really a problem for Eastern. Jenks standing at 6'1" and Taylor at 6'0". Their length down-low caused Eastern to put up a lot of contested shots, which led to blocked shots and defensive rebounds for the Jaguars. Jenks &amp; Taylor were also incredible on the offensive end of the floor. Jenks ended with 15 points and Taylor ended with 12. They easily got their shot off under the basket because of their size and ability to finish. <strong>Mercy's Constant Pressure:</strong> Head Coach Baisch kept shouting out to his players to keep up the pressure. They ran a press with both of their bigs up top and a trap as soon as they crossed half-court. Eastern really struggled getting the ball up the court and had quite a few turnovers throughout the game. Even when Mercy was up by a bunch, they still kept up the smothering full-court defense. <strong>Ta'Ziah Jenks (Mercy):</strong> Mercy's Senior Forward &amp; West Virginia Commit, Ta'Ziah Jenks, is a star. She can do it all. If you need a rebound, she'll go get it. If you <span style="font-size: 1rem">need a defensive presence down-low, she will block shots. If you need a bucket down-low, she can out-stretch the defenders with her length and get you a bucket. She ended the game with 15 points and shot excellent from the floor. She is the real deal and West Virginia is getting a heck of a player. </span> <strong>Marissa Gasaway (Eastern):</strong> <strong></strong> Eastern's Junior star Marissa Gasaway can ball. She ended the game with 18 points. She needs to be the main scoring option for this team to have success. She picked up 3 quick fouls in the first quarter, so she is going to have to learn how to defend without fouling. Her rebounding and finishing under the basket was impressive. Sometimes it seemed she was forcing it too much but her potential is sky high. She is only a Junior, so I expect her to do big things at Eastern for the next two years. Marissa Gasaway. Remember the name. <strong>Hope Sivori (Mercy): </strong> Mercy's Senior Point Guard Hope Sivori is the true leader for this team. She controlled the pace of the game. She ended the game with 18 points (three 3s). She handled the ball really well in transition and she could really shoot the ball too. She wasn't hesitant with her shots either. She will be the leader for this team going forward. Whether it be dishing out assists, shooting the ball, or making a statement on the court with her defense. Her leadership for this squad is very important. <p style="text-align: center"><strong>Recap:</strong></p> I expect big things for this Mercy team this year. Led by Seniors that have been playing together ever since their Freshman years. They have excellent chemistry on and off the court and they are going to be a real problem this season. As for Eastern, they have a great player in Marissa Gasaway. Again, she is ONLY a Junior. She is going to do big things this year, next year, and when she goes to the next level. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;