Mepham's Morris hits two clutch free throws to secure conference title

Alexa Morris didn’t just walk up to the free throw line, she ran to it.

That’s the kind of swagger Morris exuded late in Mepham’s Conference AA-III home game against Herricks last Friday.

“She’s an excellent free throw shooter and she’s confident,” Pirates coach Jim Mulvey said. “We love to have her on the line.”

Having Morris at the charity stripe paid off for Mepham in its 36-33 win. She made two clutch free throws in a one-and-one situation with five seconds left to seal it.

Those two points were the game’s final margin, giving the Pirates their fourth consecutive conference title, Mulvey said.

“This team developed as the season moved along,” Mulvey said. “We knew it wouldn’t be easy.”

Morris scored all six of her points in the second half and got some help along the way from Bridgid McNeill.

McNeill scored nine of her 15 points in the second half, which included a big basket late in the fourth quarter that pushed the Pirates (10-0) lead to 34-31.

After an Erin Rivera steal and layup, Herricks trailed by a point, before it fouled Morris. Rivera and McNeill each had a game-high 15 points

It came as no surprise to Mulvey that the game came down to the final seconds.

“We’ve had this rivalry with them,” Mulvey said. “It’s always a tough, defensive, man-to-man battle. They’re well-coached and well-prepared.”