Steinert’s Jayda Bing brings the ball downcourt.  Photo by Amanda “The Homeowner” Ruch.

By Rich Fisher
Fish4scores.com

Jan. 12: Things seem to be coming together for the Steinert girls’ basketball team after a 2-3 start.

“Practices are going good,” said forward Erika Golik after the Spartans 58-38 win over visiting Stuart Thursday. “We’re working together well as a team, we’re all just playing hard.”

The win over Stuart was the fourth straight for Steinert (6-3), which must come back Friday night against Klockner Road rival Nottingham in what is always an intense game.

“We hit murderer’s row in the beginning with our schedule,” coach Kristin Jacobs said. “We had an almost (win) against Allentown, then we go to Notre Dame, then we play Pennsauken and hit West Windsor North when they’re streaking at a good time.

“We knew on our schedule a couple games would be tough. We knew Stuart would be a challenge but I’m very proud of these girls. It was a rough and tumble game.”

A game that Steinert survived by playing stellar defense when it’s offense wasn’t working and it could not get a call. The Spartans shot 38 percent (25-for-65) from the field; attempted just eight free throws – all in the final 2:29 – while Stuart took 29; and were out-rebounded 37-32.

But the biggest number of the game was 23 – as the Spartans held the Tartans (sounds like the start of song) to 23 percent shooting and forced 23 turnovers. That helped Steinert survive a 21-point, 19-rebound performance by Bey-Shana Clark.

“You’ve got to watch out for her, but you’ve gotta watch out for the other players too,” Golik said. “We get a lot of steals so our defense is key. We’re fronting the big girls, reading the passes and going for the steals.”

Which led to a ton of transition lay-ups, but should have led to a lot more as Steinert missed a lot of chippies. But the Spartans figured it out in the end.

“We tried a lot of different things offensively,” said Morgan “The Menace” Comfort, who had six points and nine rebounds. “We were just kind of experimenting different things, what works what didn’t work. It was a big, changing game and we fed off that.”

“Stuart’s got a lot of wins under their belt and we’re just starting to get in our flow,” Jacobs said. “We have tons of girls that can get in there and do something. Every single day somebody steps up.”

Steinert led from start to finish, bolting to a 10-1 lead and never letting the Tartans get closer than three at 17-14. It was 29-21 at halftime and 38-27 after three quarters before the Spartans slowly pulled away.

Tatiana Dorner led the attack with 17 points, most of them on run-outs.

“She’s a track athlete, a sprinter,” Jacobs said. “We utilize that in all our games.”

Natalie Mehl had 12 points and hit three 3-pointers, Jayda Bing chipped in with six points and seven rebounds and Golik had nine points on 4-for-6 shooting.

“I look for my other teammates,” Golik said. “But when I get the open lay-up I take it.”