Ocean City Girls Fall to Mainland

By Lesley Graham The Ocean City High School girls’ basketball team fought until the very end but was unable to defeat Mainland, falling to the Mustangs 35-29.  In a game that saw the lead change twice and the score tied three times, the storied rivalry between Ocean City (10-4) and Mainland (14-2) did not disappoint. The fans packed the Ocean City gymnasium for a hotly contested battle. The starting five for Ocean City included Danielle Donoghue, Tori Rolls, Savanna Holt, Emma Finnegan and Molly Hoffman. Donoghue led the charge for Ocean City with eight points. Kylee Watson, of Mainland, led all scorers with 23. Fans pack the Ocean City High School gym to watch the battle between two rivals. The opening quarter saw both teams start slow before Mainland found a groove. Ocean City struggled to get accurate passes to the inside post, resulting in loose balls and turnovers that Mainland converted into points. The Mustangs had a five-point lead after the first quarter. During the second quarter, the Red Raiders tightened up their defense, creating steals and turning them into points on the other end. Double teams and strong team defense turned the tide for the Red Raiders. Momentum shifted for Ocean City when Delany Lappin came up with a huge steal to tie the game at 11.  Ocean City then converted on two more buckets to take a three-point lead going into the locker room at halftime.  The Mustangs made some adjustments to their game plan at halftime, and Ocean City was unable to answer back. Ocean City's Lauren Mirsky (20) and Tori Rolls clamp down on Mainland with tight double-team defense. During the third quarter, Mainland turned on its offensive firepower, scoring 13 points while holding Ocean City to only six. Trying their best to keep the game within reach, the Red Raiders were only down seven points with a quarter left to play. With the final eight minutes ticking down, Ocean City kept chipping away at the Mainland lead. The final quarter was filled with back and forth action and an intensity that was palpable. Both teams were fighting hard for every rebound, shot and steal, diving for loose balls and keeping fans on the edge of their seats. With a 1:30 to play, Ocean City was down four, when a huge traveling call was made on Mainland.  Ocean City then tried to foul the Mustangs in order to get the ball back, but was unable to convert the shots into points. Ultimately, Mainland grabbed the last rebound of the game and held on to win by 6. Ocean City's Delaney Lappin (4) plays defense.