WILDCATS 36, MONARCHS 34



The Bishop McGann-Mercy Monarchs played well in their season-opening game in the Town of Brookhaven Girls' Basketball Summer League. The only problem, though, was they ran out of time.

With the score tied at 34-34, the Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats called timeout with 52.9 seconds left to play in the game at Riverhead High School. Since the league does not use a shot clock, Shoreham-Wading River's strategy from that point was simple. When play resumed, the Wildcats ran the clock down, playing for a final shot. Allie Schechner killed time off the clock before driving along the baseline and sinking a layup with about six seconds to go for a 36-34 victory on Monday evening. McGann-Mercy was unable to get off a field-goal attempt in the dying seconds.

In winning, Shoreham-Wading River overcame an impressive performance by Kristin Bieber, who put up a game-high 19 points for McGann-Mercy. Bieber knocked down three three-point shots to go with three rebounds, two assists and two steals. The next highest scorer for the Monarchs was Amy Boden with six points.

Caitlin Condron was the leading Shoreham-Wading River scorer with 12 points.

The Monarchs led for a good deal of the contest before Schechner's winning basket accounted for the game's ninth and final lead change. But it was close the whole way; neither team was in front by more than four points.

Successive baskets by Brooke Rollero and Bieber (two) had given the Monarchs a 32-28 lead before the Wildcats tied the score at 32-32. The Monarchs once again surged ahead, 34-32, when Rollero scored off a pass from Boden. Following a McGann-Mercy turnover, Shoreham-Wading River Coach Dennis Haughney called the timeout that led to the game-winning basket.

* BOB LIEPA