By Stephen Smoot
A modern phrase that means the opposite of its origin is “luck of the Irish.” For a country that saw centuries of occupation topped off by grinding poverty and a famine that starved most of the nation, that phrase always was equal to “if it wasn’t for bad luck, one wouldn’t have any at all.”
That kind of luck brought the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame High School three hours east of their home court, only to find a relentless pack of Wildcats awaiting them. Not among those on the floor, second leading scorer Jameigh Miller remained on injured reserve for Pendleton County.
Before the game, the Notre Dame cheerleaders added an extra touch to the national anthem, using American Sign Language to “sing” it.
Notre Dame hung their hopes on Selena Wilson, a nearly six-foot tall player that they relied on for too much of their production to both the detriment of their team and their chances of challenging Pendleton County.
The Wildcats took the opening tip and started in a tight man-to-man defense. Avery Townsend took control early on defense, taking two steals in the first minute of the game. She also scored the game’s first points on a 10-foot shot with 6:20 left in the first. Almost 35 seconds later, she took a Julia Mongold pass in for a score.
After a Notre Dame layup, Townsend responded again by executing a give and go play with Gabby DePue to take a 6-2 lead with a little less than five minutes remaining. The Wildcats outscored Notre Dame eight to five during the rest of the quarter. A Susan Vincell three and a Townsend steal and layup capped scoring in the quarter.
The Fighting Irish brought a very feisty crowd a very long distance and they made themselves heard all of the game, as when their team hit a layup to open the second quarter to close the score gap to 14-9. Pendleton County, however, put on a show. They outscored the visitors 23 to five in the second.
Wilson, though the tallest player and best athlete on the court, remained outside on offense much of the game. Occasionally, she would score a three-point shot to the delight of the head coach and many of the fans, but Wilson rarely challenged for offensive rebounds. Notre Dame made poor use of Wilson, although the balanced approach of Pendleton County would have very likely prevailed regardless.
Using Wilson in this fashion also played to the strengths of head coach Donnie Kopp’s squad. Nataley Hedrick and Townsend hindered Wilson much of the game. Jenna Smith also effectively disrupted the visitors with her aggressive defense. They used their quickness and experience defending the area’s best guards to stymie Wilson’s attempts to score or even lead their offense.
The Fighting Irish opened the second half with a 10-foot jump shot, but this did not signal a comeback effort. Townsend took a steal, was fouled on her approach to the basket, and hit two free throws. She followed that with a coast-to-coast drive and layup to set the score at 43-19.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats poured on the points. Towards the end of the third, Vincell hit another three, followed by a three-point shot from Kiera Heavener, whose shooting has improved tremendously this season.
Jessica Parker also continued the defensive onslaught by picking up a steal to end the quarter. She contributed at the offensive end with a three at the opening of the fourth, extending the lead to 28.
Notre Dame kept their best players on the floor for almost the entire game, trying to close the margin of defeat. Pendleton County continued to hold them off on defense, with Olivia Gonshor taking a steal at the 5:35 point.
The Fighting Irish shaved 10 points off the lead in the fourth, but never challenged as the Wildcats took the 65-47 win.
