Sports

Mount becomes another victim of Inter-Ac leader Notre Dame

by Tom Utescher
Posted 1/15/25

Early in the third quarter of last Saturday's road game, Mount St. Joseph Academy appeared to be hanging with undefeated Academy of Notre Dame.

Trailing the host Irish 17-11 at halftime, the Magic had sophomore Caroline Dougherty resume play with a field goal and free throw, getting the guests back within three points of the leaders. A few minutes later, the Mounties were still just four points behind, 22-18.

Then, in a run that extended into the opening stage of the fourth quarter, Notre Dame went on a 25-4 run. That surge spread the score to 47-22, and from there the Irish went on to …

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Sports

Mount becomes another victim of Inter-Ac leader Notre Dame

Posted

Early in the third quarter of last Saturday's road game, Mount St. Joseph Academy appeared to be hanging with undefeated Academy of Notre Dame.

Trailing the host Irish 17-11 at halftime, the Magic had sophomore Caroline Dougherty resume play with a field goal and free throw, getting the guests back within three points of the leaders. A few minutes later, the Mounties were still just four points behind, 22-18.

Then, in a run that extended into the opening stage of the fourth quarter, Notre Dame went on a 25-4 run. That surge spread the score to 47-22, and from there the Irish went on to win, 58-32.

Earlier in the week, Notre Dame had climbed to a 3-0 mark within the Inter-Ac League with victories over Penn Charter (63-53) and Episcopal Academy (61-27), and Saturday's non-league win raised the team's overall record to 16-0.

Mount St. Joe's left Notre Dame at 4-8 overall; in their only other contest last week, the Magic had fallen to Gwynedd Mercy Academy and levelled off at 2-2 within the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies.

At Notre Dame on Saturday a short jumper and a lay-up by sophomore center Grace Nasr started off the contest for the Irish, and after six minutes the score was still just 4-0. Tenth-grade guard Riley Davis put in a pair of free throws, then Nasir followed in her own shot for an 8-0 tally at the close of the quarter.

Notre Dame had started the game without senior guard Sophia Hall, an outstanding multi-sport athlete who has signed as a soccer goalie with the University of Delaware (she was participating in a soccer event over the weekend).

The Mount finally erased the zero from the visitors' side of the scoreboard when senior forward Charlotte McDaid deposited a lay-up at the start of the second quarter. Neither team shot particularly well throughout the first half.

The Magic added two field goals by junior forward Bridget Horgan, a three-pointer by junior guard Morgan Cross, and a midrange jumper by freshman forward Caitlin Cavallaro. They trailed by six points at the intermission. Problems with the scoreboard console interrupted the action late in the first half and early in the second.

A few minutes into the third quarter, Notre Dame still led by six points, then Horgan connected from the left baseline in the third minute, closing up the score to 22-18. The nature of the contest would change quickly after that.

AND senior guard Catie Kelly scored a lay-up in transition, and also made a free throw awarded on the play. Next, the Mount's inbound pass was stolen by Davis, who gave the Irish another lay-up and a made foul shot. In a flash, the Irish had gone ahead by double figures, 28-18.

While the 6'3" Nasr continued to score from the paint, the hosts found the hoop from the outside, as well. Kelly would funnel in four three-pointers in the second half, while junior Emma Anthony, who had started in place of the absent Hall, added two treys.

Anthony's second "three" came at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and later, with just under three minutes left to play, the lead for the Irish reached 30 points at 54-24.

Admonished by head coach Matt Feeney during a time out, the Mounties would receive contributions from their reserve players late in the game, with freshmen Carly Derouin, Delaney O'Brien, and Katie Eichenhofer all appearing in the scoring stats.

Horgan and McDaid shared the team high of six points for Mount St. Joseph, with Cavallaro and Derouin adding four points apiece. Notre Dame received double-digit production from Kelly (15 points), Nasr (14) and Anthony (11), and Davis scored nine points.