Conventional wisdom — and sports cliche — says it’s tough to beat a team three times in a season. The Mentor girls basketball team — well — the Cardinals aren’t conventional. Utilizing a smothering full-court press, Mentor led visiting Lorain, 7-0, before the Titans were able to finally get the ball across halfcourt. The Cardinals cruised from there, crushing their Greater Cleveland Conference foes for the third time this season, 68-30. The win puts Mentor (22-1) into a district championship game at 4 p.m. on Feb. 28 against Toledo Whitmer, while Lorain (6-16) sees its season end. PHOTOS: Mentor vs. Lorain girls basketball, Feb. 25, 2026 "Playing a team three times. ... you want to make sure you get up for every game no matter who it is," Mentor coach James Hrusovsky said. "We talked about that." And executed perfectly to take the Titans out of the game from the get-go. Mentor, which defeated Lorain, 60-18 and 73-45, in two other meetings this season, got rolling quickly with Nina Rodriguez (game-high 18 points) hitting a 3-pointer nine seconds into the game. Ashlyn McKinney then stole a pass near midcourt and drove in for a layup and 5-0 lead. On Lorain's next possession, Hayley McClintock pilfered a pass and fed Keira Coleman for a layup. The game was 31 seconds old and Lorain coach Brian Lynch was already spending a timeout to stop the bleeding. "Their pressure makes it hard to set up your base offense," he said. "Nina is phenomenal. Of all the guards we faced, she's the one who scares me the most. She does it all." On this night, ALL the Cardinals did it all. It was a 17-0 score before Lorain got on the scoreboard via a free throw from Bella Pinkney. It was a 23-1 game before Lorain hit its first field goal via a Teagan Villegas banked 3-pointer from the top of the key. It was just that kind of night for Lorain against a scorching hot Mentor team that has now won 21 games in a row after a 1-1 start. Mentor's Nina Rodriguez scored 18 points in her final home game on Feb. 25, with the Cardinals defeating Lorain. (Tim Phillis - For The News-Herald) "That's what we've talked about all year — defense," Coleman said. "We knew coming into this game it was going to be a big thing and will continue to be through the rest of the tournament. We knew we had to step it up." Mentor took a commanding 48-12 lead into the locker room at the half thanks to back-to-back baskets from Rodriguez. The second half was played with a running clock and went by quickly. To its credit, Lorain played better in the second half. Janaeshia Washington, one of three seniors on the team, scored all of her team-high seven points after intermission. Pinkney, a promising freshman, finished with three points. "Bella had over 330 points this year, over 100 rebounds and was pushing 100 steals — as a freshman," Lynch said. Coming in from the (Lake Erie League), you could chalk up at least eight wins there before the season started. Coming into the GCC, my girls found out it's stiff competition. I love that for my girls. It was (a learning experience)." Aside from Rodriguez's 18, Mentor got 17 from McKinney and eight from Coleman. Nine different Cardinals hit the scoring column. "That's what makes this team really special," Hrusovsky said of his team's depth. "Everyone knows their role, has accepted their role and is flourishing in their role. That's why we're doing what we're doing." For Rodriguez, a Detroit Mercy signee, it was her last game playing on her home court. She said bigger goals await her team. "It's been a blessing here my four years," she said. "I'm glad (the last home game) ended how it did with my teammates who I love. ... The next step is to get ready for the district finals. We can't get to state without every game and every practice. One step at a time." The score (Feb. 25) Mentor 68, Lorain 30 ...read more read less