Pirate girls split a pair:

By MITCH MAERSCH

Ozaukee Press staff

It was the best of halves and worst of halves for the Port Washington High School girls’ basketball team on Dec. 28 against Wauwatosa East.

But the Pirates have at least one season highlight courtesy of Abbey Grisar.

Down two points with six and a half minutes to play in the second half, the sophomore guard snagged an offensive rebound under the basket and started to fall backward. Before she hit the floor, she tossed up a shot that found the bottom of the net, igniting the crowd and knotting the game at 48.

“I was actually trying to pass it to Lillian (Merow) because I knew if I fell I was going to travel,” Grisar said. “So I just threw it up hoping it would go to Lily or go in.”

“She’s starting to come into her own,” coach Jakub Wahl said of Grisar. “It’s awesome to see the growth from that standpoint, taking on a leadership role and being confident with the ball, because that can really help us with Sierra (Miller) out there as well.”

The Pirates took a 34-24 lead on the Red Raiders after 18 minutes, but pressure defense threw Port out of whack in a 71-63 defeat.

Merow, standing 6 feet, 2 inches tall, scored eight points in less than five and a half minutes that helped the Pirates to an 11-8 lead.

The advantage got as high as 25-12 as several Pirates got involved in a 12-2 run. Maggie Zirbes drained a three-pointer, Savanna Miller hit a jumper and a three-pointer, Merow scored inside on a dish from Hope Gilhooly, and Gilhooly drove for a bucket.

“Good first half. I’m really happy with how the girls came out ready to go,” Wahl said.

In the second half, the Red Raiders ran a full-court press that the Pirates couldn’t quite handle. Entry passes and drives to the basket were limited as Port struggled after crossing half court.

The Red Raiders chipped away at the Pirates’ lead, taking a 46-45 lead with nine minutes to play. The game was tied at 48 and 52 before the Red Raiders took over for good, ending the game on a 19-11 run.

The Red Raiders scored 18 points off  turnovers.

“In the second half it’s just being able to handle the pressure. As we’ve been saying all season long, it’s just giving ourselves chance in these tighter games,” Wahl said. “We’ll learn from them and continue to grow from them. That’s where we’re going to see this thing turn.”

“We got a little flustered,” Grisar said. “I think we just need to play as a team and talk to each other more.”

Merow shot 10-for-11 from the field and scored 20 points.

“That’s awesome,” Wahl said.

“I’m looking forward to when we start to grow as a group — getting all our players clicking on the same night. I think we have some good pieces. We’re getting closer. It’s just a matter of the consistency of how often we’re playing that way.”

Miller went 3-for-8 on three-pointers and scored 13 points. Zirbes went 3-for-6 on three-pointers and had 11 points. Grisar had eight points and Gilhooly had seven.

Port shot 19-for-31 from the field (61%) and 7-for-16 on three-pointers (44%).

Freshman Emma Close led the Red Raiders with 20 points. Senior Olivia Close had 18, and freshman Mikaia Litza had 13.

On Dec. 27, Port beat Milwaukee Lutheran, 53-37.

Port took a 23-15 halftime lead and outscored the Red Knights, 30-22, in the second half.

Miller had 15 points, Zirbes had 11 and Sierra Miller had eight. Merow and Grisar each had six.

Telia Greer led the Red Knights with 11 points.

Port, 0-6 in the North Shore Conference and 3-7 overall, was to host Ozaukee on Tuesday, Jan. 3, play at Hartford (3-3 NSC) on Thursday, Jan. 5, and host Nicolet (0-6) on Tuesday, Jan. 10.

ν In other girls’ basketball news, Cedar Grove-Belgium was to host Kohler on Tuesday, Jan. 3, and play at Hilbert on Tuesday, Jan. 10. Ozaukee, after playing Port, plays at Random Lake on Friday, Jan. 6, and at Elkhart Lake-Glenebulah on Tuesday, Jan. 10.