Dec. 16--Marshall coach Dorothy Gaters earned her 1,033rd career win Tuesday. Her smile suggested this one meant more than most.
The No. 9 Commandos defeated No. 4 Young 62-49 at home for their first win against the perennial power since they went 2-1 against the Dolphins in 2008, the year of the most recent of Gaters' eight state titles.
Since then, Young had won the teams' last 18 meetings.
"It has been a while," Gaters said. "This was a good win for us, but we have to play them again and probably again (in the city playoffs)."
Tekia Mack had 14 points and 13 rebounds for Marshall (10-1, 3-0 Windy City Red), and Tineesha Coleman scored 16 points. The loss was the second in less than a week for Young (6-3, 2-1), which fell to Proviso East on Friday.
"This win means everything for us," Mack said. "We had to make a statement. This helps with our confidence. We wanted this win."
Mack's aggressive second-half play, particularly on the defensive boards, fueled a 19-5 run in the third quarter. The 6-foot junior forward added four straight points late in the fourth quarter to stop a Dolphins rally.
Coleman made consecutive 3-pointers in the third, and her basket at the third-quarter buzzer extended the lead to 51-40.
"This is a big win for us," Coleman said. "I think we really needed this win. We've been the underdogs for the last couple of years."
The Commandos' 2-3 zone forced Young into low-percentage, long-range shots. Marshall switched to a box-and-one to slow down Young senior guard Kiara Lewis. The Ohio State recruit finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds, but scored two points in the final 12 minutes.
"We played good defense," Coleman said, "and tried to change our defenses around to slow them down," Coleman said.
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
Player of the game: Tekia Mack, Marshall, 14 points, 13 rebounds.
Key performers: Marshall -- Tineesha Coleman, 16 points, 6 rebounds; Juliunn Redmond, 11 points, 4 assists. Young -- Kiara Lewis, 25 points, 10 rebounds; Breanna Beck, 9 points.
