HENDERSONVILLE — Christine Quitalig found herself in the right spot at the right time.
Tied at 30-30 in a game the Irish never led, Quitalig found a loose ball on the offensive end before flipping it up and over the rim for the two-point shot at the 32-30 lead over rival Pope Prep.
The go-ahead bucket would prove to be the game-winner as Father Ryan sank four free throws in the final 20 seconds to win 36-31.
The win pushes Father Ryan to 2-1 in league play, and after a tough loss Friday night, head coach Tony McLeod was proud to see his girls bring the energy from the opening tip.
“Very proud of the girls for finding a way to tough it out tonight,” McLeod said. “Both schools played tough games last night but brought the energy. Pope is a great opponent, well-coached and we knew it would take a lot to beat them.”
1,000 point scorer Mary Mackie finished with 12 points, including three 3-pointers, but none more significant than the one in the fourth quarter.
After finishing the first half with two 3s, Pope elected to keep a defender on Mackie in the second half to ensure she couldn’t beat the Lady Knights from distance.
Of the 16 minutes in the second half, the Lady Knights played Mackie tight for 15 minutes, but the senior showed she only needs a sliver of light to knock down big shots.
Taking her first shot of the second half in the fourth quarter, Mackie drilled from distance, tying the contest at 30-30 — the game’s first tie.
“Mary is our main scorer and defenses are going to try and take her out with different defenses on her,” McLeod said. “What is great about her is she doesn’t force her shots but instead gets her teammates involved — even if they are missing their shots — she trusts her teammates. As for her shot, she is always locked in — she is just a gamer.”
Father Ryan will take on St. Cecilia on Jan. 18 before taking a few days off to prepare for the best team in the region — Ensworth.
“The underclassmen need to continue to gain confidence, and I think the only way to do that is getting in the gym,” McLeod said of his team’s 34 points-per-game average in league play. “There is no off night in this region.”
As for the game between the two Catholic school rivals, Pope Prep managed a lead after the first three quarters.
Leading 21-17 at the halftime break, Pope scored eight more points in the third frame for a 29-22 lead.
However, Pope’s offense sputtered in the fourth quarter while Father Ryan’s defense rose to the occasion.
Chipping away slowly but surely, Father Ryan knocked in two three-pointers plus a layup off a Knights turnover before sealing the win at the charity stripe.
Box Score
Father Ryan (36): Arin Nipp 14, Mary Mackie 12, Abby Larkin 5, Olivia McWright 3, Christine Quitalig 2
Pope Prep (31): Bethan Howard 11, Avery Droz 7, Katelyn O’Neill 6, Kate Barber 4, Annie Gould 3,
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