With a 67-37 victory over visiting Sacred Heart Academy on Feb. 4, Mount St. Joseph Academy secured the top seed for the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies basketball playoffs.

Although the Sacred Heart Lions are the last-place team in the AACA, they only trailed the Magic by two points midway through the second quarter. The Mount then made a late run to lead 33-21 at halftime, and they cruised to victory in the second half.

Finishing regular-season play with a record of 8-1 in the league and 16-4 overall, the Mounties would take on fourth-place Villa Joseph Marie in the AACA tournament semifinals, while second-seeded Villa Maria was matched against number three Gwynedd Mercy Academy. Mount St. Joe split in the home/away series with Villa Maria and won every other league game. Sacred Heart, by far the smallest school in the league, only plays its AACA rivals once, instead of twice.

Although the Feb. 4 contest was not exactly a barn-burner, it did have historical significance. It was the last regular-season home game the Magic would play in the decades-old gym at the school. A new facility, which will feature multiple courts and much greater seating capacity for spectators, is being built on the footprint of the old tennis courts. It will be open for the start of the 2026-27 school year.

In the stands watching the historic game was Mount St. Joseph president Sister Charlene Diorka, SSJ, who has helped guide the Mount to a prestigious national honor. In a peer-nominated selection process, the school has been named Top Catholic College Preparatory School 2026 by Education Insider Magazine.

As the Sacred Heart game got underway, sophomore Caitlin Cavallaro deposited two layups and a three-pointer as the Magic broke out to a 13-2 lead. Later on, when sophomore Delaney O’Brien converted off of an offensive rebound, the hosts led 17-6. Late Sacred Heart field goals by senior Megan Donahoe and junior Dani Jeffries closed up the score to 17-10 for the end of the first quarter.

Since their early outburst, the Magic had been freely using their bench. The Lions took advantage of this in the second quarter when Donahoe, a 1,000-point scorer, chalked up 11 of her 15 total points. Once the Mount’s lead dwindled to just two points, more starters were sent back onto the floor.

Six different MSJ players would score during the period, and the home team’s margin was back in double figures by halftime, 33-21. Cavallaro had 10 points in the book at the break, and junior Caroline Dougherty had eight.

The visitors’ fate was sealed after the Magic put together a decisive 19-5 third quarter. The Lions’ Donahoe, prolific in the first half, did not score in the second, as Sacred Heart also went to its bench.

Mount St. Joe reserve forward J.J. Miros, a junior, rang up six quick points at the start of the fourth period and the Magic coasted to victory.

Dougherty posted a team-high 13 points for the winners, while Cavallaro finished with 12 and sophomore Nina Meierdiercks (a Norwood-Fontbonne Academy grad) scored 11. Six points apiece came from Miros, O’Brien, and sophomore Carly Derouin. Sacred Heart’s Donahoe had the game high of 15 points, and Jeffries added 11.