By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com
MONTROSE – Kaeli Romanowski and Kathy Shepherd combined for 33 points and led the run that put visiting Western Wayne ahead to stay Tuesday night on the way to a 58-49 victory over previously unbeaten Montrose in the District 2 Class 3A girls semifinals.
Romanowski finished with team-highs of 18 points and 3 steals while leading the Division 2 Lady Wildcats to the win in the meeting of Lackawanna League division champions. Shepherd added 15 points and grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds.
The win sends Western Wayne (15-5) to the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza for the first time Saturday when it will face top-seeded Riverside in a 12:30 p.m. championship game. Montrose, the Lackawanna Division 4 champion, has its season end at 13-1.
The teams went after each other early with full-court pressure, but both offenses stood up to the challenge, forcing changes.
“Both teams put a lot of pressure on each other,” Western Wayne coach Mike Judge said. “It was a feeling-out process, because we didn’t see them a whole lot and they probably didn’t see us a lot. I think it was to see what each team can do against the pressure.
“I was real happy with the kids early and breaking the pressure and not always looking to score, but getting it across and not having many turnovers. It was really the first time anybody has put that kind of pressure on us from the time we stepped off the bus.”
In a fast-paced and intense game, Western Wayne finished with 13 turnovers and Montrose 12.
Romanowski tied the game and created the sixth and final lead change on consecutive second-quarter runners in the lane during a 15-3 surge. Romanowski, who went 4-for-5 during the last 4:09 of the half, had six points in the run, which concluded with five straight points by Shepherd.
Western Wayne went the length of the floor off an in-bounds play in the last 4.7 seconds of the half, resulting in a 12-foot, pull-up jumper by Shepherd to beat the buzzer and give the Lady Wildcats a 32-26 halftime lead.
Shepherd, who was 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, hit a 3-pointer on the first possession of the second half for a nine-point lead, matching the largest of the night.
“We let (Kaeli Romanowski) get in the middle a little early,” Montrose coach Todd Smith said. “Then, we cut that out and they hit a couple outside shots.”
Montrose rallied to within three points four times.
“We just couldn’t get over the edge,” Smith said.
Western Wayne slowed the game for the final 5:15, taking just two shots from the floor the rest of the way.
A steal and drive by Emily Romanowski, 3-for-4 foul shooting down the stretch and a momentum-shifting defensive play by Kaeli Romanowski kept Western Wayne in control.
Western Wayne turned the ball over just twice once it slowed the game down.
On one, the Lady Meteors appeared to be headed in for a layup off a steal to cut the deficit to four with 3:40 left, but Kaeli Romanowski recovered, raced back defensively and broke up the play, eventually coming out of the pack with a steal.
“She’s just a hustler,” Smith said. “ … That was a big one.”
Pompey, who grabbed 10 rebounds, and Tangi Smith led Montrose with 19 points each. Lizzy Lathrop had five assists for the Lady Meteors.
Emily Romanowski finished with 11 points and a game-high 6 assists for Western Wayne. Skylar Long chipped in with nine points and five rebounds and Jaque Morris had six rebounds as part of a 31-27 advantage on the boards.
“We’ve had some balance throughout the year, kids hitting shots,” Judge said. “We made some big shots when they made their little run in the third quarter.”
Long and Emily Romanowski hit 3-pointers 23 seconds apart after one of the times Montrose got within three.
When Montrose got that close again, twice early in the fourth quarter, Shepherd answered both times, converting an offensive rebound, then hitting a 3-pointer.
Western Wayne finished 23-for-49 (46.9 percent) from the floor and 6-for-13 (46.2 percent) from 3-point range. Kaeli Romanowski was 7-for-13 and Shepherd 6-for-12 overall. Emily Romanowski was 2-for-3 on 3-pointers.
The game matched teams ranked among the top Small Schools in the My City Mortgage Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 teams. After beating No. 5 Montrose, No. 3 Western Wayne goes after Riverside, the top-ranked team every week of the season, next.
