With the score tied and time slipping away, Dayna Rouse stood at the foul line awaiting two shots and a chance to give the Ellis School its biggest win of the season — maybe ever.

“I was nervous,” she said. “That's a lot of pressure.”

The pressure began building earlier in Wednesday's girls Class A game against Serra Catholic “when I realized my shots weren't falling,” Rouse said.

How could that be? Two days earlier, she scored 56 points in a win over Imani Christian (whose star player, Cali Konek, had 55 points).

Now, hounded by Serra's bothersome zone, Rouse would make three shots in 29 attempts from the field.

Really.

But Rouse, a senior, made 14 free throws, including the last two that broke the tie, and otherwise played a solid all-around game. Serra, which dealt Ellis its only loss earlier this month, hit a free throw to get within one. Then with time running out, Rouse alertly spotted Charlotte Forsyth under the basket for a layup that iced the 40-37 home victory Ellis (15-1, 10-1 in Section 4-A) needed to win its first section title, pending a win Monday over Clairton.

It was a rough, ragged game lacking artistry but not effort, filled with errant shots, fouls, turnovers and players diving across the floor. Meanwhile, some of the fans who jammed into the small set of bleachers were getting a tad chippy until Ellis athletic director Shayla Scott, a former hoops star at Gateway and Pitt, intervened.

As for Rouse, her numbers didn't matter; she was just happy to win. Ellis had trailed 34-25 with about six minutes left. With points scarce all around, the deficit seemed like 100.

But defense brought Ellis back. Turnovers led to opportunities, and Rouse and the rest of the Tigers cashed in.

“I definitely have to give this win to my teammates,” she said. “I can't do everything, and they know I can't do everything.”

The 6-foot Rouse is doing a lot, however, moving from forward to point guard this season to facilitate her transition to Division I Longwood University. She also participates in cross country and track. Rouse never took basketball seriously until her freshman year.

“She's always been a tremendous talent,” third-year Ellis coach Quinzale Taylor said. “When we first got here she was more of a post player, a shot blocker, rebounder. This year, her ball-handling is tremendously improved, to where we can play her as a point guard. That's not something I would have considered years prior.”

Rouse repeatedly tried to go coast-to-coast after a rebound or turnover, only to encounter Serra defenders blocking her path. Sometimes she got fouled, but too often her shots ricocheted off the backboard or rim. When she played on the wing, every shot was contested.

“I really didn't have a lot of open shots,” she said. “Sometimes it's hard for me to catch a pass and shoot because I'm heavily guarded, and sometimes it's hard to get the ball to me.”

Rouse averages 25.9 points, but she has other dimensions. Even with her shooting struggles, her line against Serra read 20 points, 16 rebounds, six blocks and five steals.

“A stat-stuffer performance,” Scott called it.

Rouse lives with her family in Squirrel Hill. Her brother, Seth, is a freshman walk-on at Robert Morris. Among her outside activities, Rouse is co-president of Sisterhood, a discussion group for black female students at Ellis. She also belongs to Youth Undoing Institutional Racism (YUIR), a community organizing group.

Explaining her involvement, she said, “You kind of see things that affect you throughout your life. I think a lot of black girls and black guys are forced to face adversity a lot younger than other people.”

“She's a great kid,” Scott said. “I think she'll really be a success as a student-athlete at Longwood. She has a great personality. She just has that presence.”

Bob Cohn is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bcohn@tribweb.com or via Twitter@BCohn_Trib.

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