What do the Marian and Weatherly girls’ basketball teams have in common?

Both are young and battling through growing pains this season.

When the teams met on Monday in John Malarkey Gymnasium, Marian bolted to a 37-17 halftime lead and went on to post a 49-30 Schuylkill League Division III victory.

Those growing pains were on display for both teams during portions of the game, but so were plenty of reasons for optimism.

Paul Brutto, Marian’s legendary coach, knows that his team still has some kinks to work out and called the Fillies a work in progress.

The Fillies will birddog teams with their defense, with the objective of getting them out of sync.

“We put a lot of pressure on them with our press, and that helped us build the early lead,” Brutto said. “We are still learning as we go.

“We’re starting two freshmen and two sophomores, so it is a work in progress. But I like what I see; we’re getting there.”

Brian Billig, the second-year leader of the Wreckers, can also see some light at the end of the tunnel, but he knows the train needs to start speeding along.

“We struggled against (their pressure) in the first half,” Billig said. “But I was happy with a lot of things (in the second half).”

Marian surged to a 13-2 lead at the start of the game, thanks to sophomore Ashley Pleban, who rang up 13 of her game-high 15 points in the first eight minutes,

The Wreckers were still within seven points (18-11) midway through the second quarter, before Marian’s up-and-coming sophomore Kerrigan Digris unloaded a triple. Freshman Frankie Martinelli then caught fire, scoring seven straight points, including a triple of her own.

“Our inexperience showed up,” Billig said about the Fillies second-quarter spurt. “Marian was also shooting very well, so at halftime we decided to use Ashley James in a box-and-one defense on Pleban. I thought it took them out of their rhythm a little bit.”

James, without question, is the girl that leads Weatherly to the dance. She again led the Wreckers with 11 points, in addition to her standout defensive effort. Teammate Bethany Houser also played well, scoring all eight of her points in the second half.

There was a ray of light for Weatherly in the second half when it outscored the Fillies, 13-12. But it was too little, too late to impact the outcome.

“We’re really getting better,” Brutto said. “It’s going to take time. Our young kids are learning, but it has to come in game situations. That’s the only way you learn.”

BOARD WORK … Weatherly won the battle off the glass, 43-37, getting a game-high 11 rebounds from James. Freshmen Brianna Pugh and Houser each collared six. For Marian, it was a frosh as well who led the way as Martinelli had seven rebounds to pace her team.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU … Youth abounded on both sides. James was the lone senior to start for Weatherly, while Mia Nemeth and Jacalyn Possessky are the Fillies’ only seniors.

KEEP AN EYE OUT … Weatherly frosh Emma Kane and Marian’s Minchoff are a pair of freshmen starting to shine, as both show a lot of promise.

WEATHERLY

James 2-6-8-11, Houser 4-0-0-8, Kane 2-1-2-5, Paisley 1-1-3-3, Davidovich 1-1-2-3, Gaydoscik 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 10-9-17-30

MARIAN

Pleban 5-2-4-15, Martinelli 4-0-0-9, Digris 3-0-0-8, Minchoff 3-0-0-7, Nemeth 2-1-2-7, Walsh 1-0-0-2, Degaetano 0-0-0-0, Klitsch 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 18-4-10-49.

Weatherly 8 10 5 8 - 30

Marian 16 21 4 8 - 49

Three-pointers: W - Pleban 1; M - Pleban 3, Minchoff 2, Digris 2, Martinelli 1, Nemeth 1.