Girls Basketball: Marian Lays Down 'Law' on L-Way Central

The Hot Read: Marian Catholic raced out to a fast start, and couldn't seem to miss a shot in a 95-34 girls basketball victory over Lincoln-Way Central in the Class 4A Providence Regional on Tuesday. Simone Law was electric, scoring 10 of her 16 points in the third quarter. The silver lining for Lincoln-Way Central was its 17-point second quarter, largely a product of near-perfect free throw shooting.

Patch’s MVP: Marian Catholic's Jasmine Matthews scored 19 points. She also pulled down five rebounds.

Key Stats: Marian Catholic was simply dominant in all phases. The Spartans turned Lincoln-Way Central turnovers into points on the other end.

Marian Catholic Leaders: Jasmine Matthews (19 points, 5 rebounds). Simone Law (16 points, 10 rebounds). Maryssa Cladis (14 points, 4 steals).

Lincoln-Way Central Leaders: Amanda Gagliano (11 points). Courtney Paarlberg (6 points). Rachel Post (4 points).

Quotable I: Marian Catholic coach Annie Byrne on her team's intensity: "We're not here to prove anything to anyone, just ourselves. There's a certain way of how we want to play no matter who we're playing. I have the leaders, it's encouraging to see them to take care of business."

Quotable II:  Lincoln-Way Central coach Loren Hess on his team's outlook coming into a very tough contest: "Before the game, I told them, 'Everybody knows how good they are and expects us just to be happy to be here. We were glad to be there, but we came to play basketball.' They were very physical. It's an uphill battle, and I just wanted to keep climbing uphill. I'm proud of the effort our girls gave."

Team Records: Marian Catholic 27-4. Lincoln-Way Central finishes 9-18.

What’s next: Marian Catholic will take on Providence Catholic at 6:45 p.m. Thursday in the regional final.