Titans cruise past Kilties to clinch playoff berth

By Ryan D. Murray
Posted 2/14/17

The Toll Gate girls' basketball team used a fast start and a big second half to rout the Mt. Pleasant Kilties, 63-31, on Saturday afternoon in Warwick. Christina Barry and Marisa Giard led the Titans with 15 points apiece

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Titans cruise past Kilties to clinch playoff berth

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The Toll Gate girls’ basketball team used a fast start and a big second half to rout the Mt. Pleasant Kilties, 63-31, on Saturday afternoon in Warwick. Christina Barry and Marisa Giard led the Titans with 15 points apiece and Isabel Donnelly had 11 points and six blocks. 

With their seventh win, the Titans clinched a playoff spot for the third year in a row. The team has overcome adversity after losing its top player, Hannah McNulty, who left the team in January.

“This is a huge accomplishment for them to be able to do that,” Toll Gate head coach John Paolino said. “The girls have really come around and are playing really well together because they all know that they can’t depend on one player. They really have to work as a team now. I’m very happy.”

Laura Monteiro led Mt. Pleasant with 15 points and Naziyah Robinson followed with eight.

Toll Gate jumped out to an 11-0 lead early. It all started with freshman guard Natalie Aloisio, who hit a 3-pointer and followed it with a layup. Aloisio would finish with nine points.

Then, senior Madeleine Hirsch scored on a putback. The next trip down, Samantha Arnold hit a bank shot. The run ended with an old-fashioned 3-point play by Giard with 13:44 remaining in the first frame.

Monteiro got the first point for Mt. Pleasant while at the charity stripe. Her next time down, Monteiro hit a layup in traffic.

Then, Toll Gate junior Quinn Freeman hit a jumper to put the Titans up 13-3. On Toll Gate’s next possession, Freeman passed to Barry for a corner 3.

“When Quinn’s on and she’s focused, she makes some phenomenal passes,” Paolino said. “She has great vision on the floor.”

Monteiro hit a baseline floater to start a 6-0 run for Mt. Pleasant to cut it to six. Giard put an end to the spurt by making a free throw.

Mt. Pleasant drew closer when Robinson hit a putback, and Monteiro made a free throw, pulling Mt. Pleasant within 17-13 with 6:15 left in the first half.

But, Toll Gate would respond with a run of its own. Barry heaved it to Donnelly for a breakaway layup. After Barry made a pair of free throws, she led a fast break before leaving it for Donnelly, who hit a layup. Barry, still sizzling, made a pull-up jumper and got fouled. The junior buried the free throw, putting the Titans up 26-13. The Titans took a 28-18 lead into halftime.

Mt. Pleasant struck first in the second half, before Barry passed ahead to Giard for a layup. Moments later, Arnold dished to Aloisio, who drilled a jumper to give the Titans a 35-20 lead.

Shortly after, Barry nailed a corner 3 and Toll Gate had a 19-point advantage.

Mt. Pleasant’s Monteiro and Robinson responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to cut it to 39-26. Barry answered with a 3 of her own, though, and the Titans held a 42-26 advantage with 10:51 to play.

A little later, Freeman threw a baseball pass to Aloisio for a transition layup. Then, the Titans went inside to Hirsch, who put it off the glass while giving the Titans a 47-26 lead. Next, Freeman found Giard for a 3. Toll Gate kept its foot on the gas and went up, 57-29, on baskets from Donnelly and a 3 from Freeman. Toll Gate would end up rolling to a 63-31 victory.

Giard finished the day with seven steals and Barry had six assists.

The Titans are now 7-7 with four games left in the regular season.

Toll Gate was set to host Wheeler on Monday, but results were unavailable at press time. It will also travel to Mt. Hope today for a 5 p.m. start, before hosting Tiverton at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Block Island at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.

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