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Catholic triumphs over Irish

Saunders, Huffman lead Crusaderettes past Notre Dame

By Joe Albright Parkersburg Catholic's Madeline Huffman (31) splits Notre Dame's Taylor Martino (23) and Clare Cistaro (1) on her way to the basket during the Crusaderettes' 64-55 win over the Fighting Irish Monday.

PARKERSBURG — Undefeated Parkersburg Catholic faced an early season test against Clarksburg Notre Dame here Monday night and was up to the challenge. Alexis Saunders scored 21 points and Maddie Huffman chipped in 16 as the Crusaderettes improved to 4-0 on the year with a 64-55 win over the Fighting Irish.

“It was a big test absolutely,” said Vierheller. “This is one of those highlight wins we see on the calendar later down the year and say ‘had we not gotten it done negative things could have happened.”

Notre Dame scored the first basket of the game when Taylor Martino scored two of her game-high 31 points not a minute into the contest. Saunders tied the affair after she sliced down the lane for a kiss-off-the glass basket with 6:55 left in the opening stanza.

The Catholic senior’s basket sparked a 10-2 run for the Crusaderettes early in the game. Catholic had success feeding the post all evening but especially in the first. All their points either came in the paint or at the free throw line.

However, visiting Notre Dame responded with an 8-3 run of their own to tie things at 14 at the 2:10 mark. Emma McKeen’s jumper with 21.6 seconds left gave the Irish their first lead of the game, 16-15. Huffman answered right back at the beginning of the second period with a triple to put her team ahead 18-16.

Saunders got the lead up to seven when she scored on a breakaway lay-up off a steal from Huffman with 5:03 left in the half at 24-17. Martino and company again responded but PCHS kept scoring this time and took a 32-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Both schools shot the ball relatively well in the opening half. Catholic hit 11 of 27 shots good for 40 percent but it should have been much higher as the rim was not kind to the Crusaderettes. Meanwhile, the Irish were 11 of 28 for 39 percent.

Martino exploded out of the locker room with 11 straight points to push the Irish back ahead in the third period. Although the Irish player was hot, Catholic managed to hit some shots as well and stayed within striking distance.

PCHS trimmed the lead down to one three times. One of those coming with Huffman beautifully finding Saunders on a back door cut to the basket for a 44-43 deficit. A Regan Shriver make on the front end of a one and one then tied the game at 44.

Huffman finally gave Catholic the elusive lead when she made a slick spin move in the post then dropped a pretty shot to put Catholic up by one at the end of three.

PCHS took control in the final period of play. Vierheller’s squad outscored the Irish 19-10 in the closing stanza to arrive at the final score. Notre Dame’s Martino tried to bring her team back several times but had to deal with Saunders playing excellent defense on her the entire period.

Though the sophomore hit some shots, each one was heavily contested by the PCHS senior. Martino missed more than she made while guarded by the Crusaderettes’ elder classman.

“We originally didn’t have that matchup,” said Vieheller. “But late in the game I had no choice but to ask my senior captain to step up and guard Martino and she did a good job. All the shots Martino took were good for us and Lex made her earn them.”

“I think in the fourth quarter we finally cranked up the defense as a team and boxed out and got rebounds and we had more patience towards the end of the game,” said Saunders when asked what differences the Crusaderettes’ brought to the table in the fourth quarter.

PCHS looks to up its record to 5-0 when its travels to Little Kanawha Conference rival St. Marys for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff Thursday.

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