Bronx Science: Ugly win beats pretty loss

On a scale of one to 10, Bronx Science’s game against neighborhood rival Clinton came in at right around a two.

The frustration on the faces of the Wolverines’ players as well as head coach Michael Mei told any spectator all he or she needed to know about how Bronx Science viewed its 32-31 victory over the Lady Governors. No one in a green uniform was particularly happy following the victory.

“A win is a win, I guess,” was all sophomore guard Carolina Lopez could offer after Science, which came into the game riding a seven-game winning streak — with each victory coming by 13 or more points — escaped with the narrow win.

Science (11-2, Bronx A South Division) rolled into Clinton looking to exact a measure of revenge after the Lady Governors (8-5) claimed a two-point victory at Bronx Science on Dec. 6. But multiple missed shots and some generally un-Science-like play in the first half saw the Wolverines trail 12-8 at halftime.

That’s not a misprint. Science, which has been known to score points in bunches, was limited to just eight points in the entire first half. And it had even Mei scratching his head as to what was so wrong in the first half.

“I know the girls were definitely excited about this game,” Mei said. “They came in wanting to exact revenge. But I have no idea why we played like the way we did. I couldn’t even answer that.”

Sarang West, Science’s other stellar sophomore guard, thought the Wolverines’ problems may have stemmed from a bit of overconfidence.

“I think it was just us not hitting our shots, but I also think we were a little nervous and came in with kind of a cocky attitude, maybe,” said West, who finished with 11 points and four assists.

“I just feel like we were just a little too comfortable with how we were. They came out with intensity and kind of smacked us right in the jaw. So we had to come back and match that, and we finally did and found a way” to get the win.

Bronx Science looked more like its old self in the third quarter when the Wolverines outscored Clinton 20-8 to take a 28-20 lead after three quarters. West and Lopez accounted for 16 of those 20 points in the period, and it looked like Science had worked out the kinks in its game.

But more missed shots and poor shot selection in the final period allowed Clinton back into the game. And when the Lady Governors’ Chanel Robinson knocked down a jumper with 50 seconds remaining in regulation, Science was left clinging to a precarious one-point lead.

But neither team managed to score in those final 50 seconds. And when a desperation shot at the buzzer by Clinton’s Myandra Duquesnay went wide and short of the basket, Science escaped with a road win.

“We forced a lot of tough shots on their end,” Mei said. “But on our end, we were just flat out missing. We had a lot of one-on-nones, two-on-ones that we didn’t convert. We’ve got to finish.

“But I told the girls a win is a win. Some are going to be prettier than others, and some are going to be flat-out ugly. But they showed resilience. We could have folded a couple of times, but we didn’t.”

Lopez, who finished with 14 points, could not hide her frustration following the win.

“I think the mix of our shots not falling and then us having foul trouble, we just couldn’t get into a rhythm,” Lopez said. “We just weren’t able to show what we were capable of.”

While Clinton’s Robinson led all scorers with 16 points, it was the defensive play of Science sophomore Lucy Del Deo that helped keep the Wolverines in the game early due to her outstanding defensive play. Her 10 rebounds and half dozen blocks kept Science close until they were able to find some offense in the third quarter.

“She’s been coming on strong,” Mei said. “She really has been a bright spot in the second half of the year, and as she has gotten better. So has our team. She really has improved a lot.”

“She has definitely improved her aggressiveness and her ability to see the entire floor,” Lopez said. “And her defense was amazing today.”

As for the win over Clinton, Lopez said it’s just time to move on.

“We just have to get this game out of our heads,” she said. “We can’t let it affect us.”