News at St. Catherine's
Times-Dispatch: Wallace's 23 points and 10 boards propel St. Catherine's to a win over Collegiate
Saints best Collegiate in basketball.
Mary Clarke Wallace gave St. Catherine’s a much needed boost in the first half against Collegiate on Tuesday night. In the second half, the Saints stepped up together.
Wallace finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds and St. Catherine’s (10-6) turned up the heat on defense to turn a 2-point halftime lead into a 60-43 rout of the Cougars (12-8).
The Saints allowed only four field goals over the game’s final 11 minutes by shutting down driving lanes that the Collegiate guards looked to expose early.
“The team just stepped up as a whole. We were communicating a little more in the second half,” said Wallace. “We had a little more energy. I think the crowd was feeding us a little bit too. I think we all just stepped up, all of us together, and it just clicked in the second.”
The Saints led 20-18 at halftime thanks to the offensive prowess of Wallace. The senior found success in the paint when the Saints had problems hitting jump shots.
That success would pay off for the rest of the team in the second half, as it created space and opportunities for the guards. Point guard Cara Menges capitalized, scoring 13 of her 15 points over the final two quarters. She also dished out six assists.
Once the offense opened up, the St. Catherine’s defense clamped down. The Saints turned a 29-28 lead into a 9-point advantage by the end of the third quarter.
Back-to-back baskets to start the fourth quarter by Chandler Eddleton and Avery Freeman cut Collegiate’s deficit to 5 points, but that was as close as the Cougars got. Menges led a suffocating defensive effort that led to a number of steals and difficult shots. The St. Catherine’s point guard finished with six steals.
“The team just dug a little deep and I think they starting taking a few more risks. Sometimes that pays off, sometimes it doesn’t, but tonight it did,” said St. Catherine’s coach Laura Horn, filling in as head coach for Ed Sherod, who missed the game because of illness.
Eddleton paced Collegiate with 15 points with 13 coming in the second half. Rachel Lifson added 10 points for the Cougars. Jearice Black pulled down six rebounds to go with 5 points for St. Catherine’s.
Located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, St. Catherine’s School is a private, all-girls pre-K, kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school. We provide a well-rounded educational experience for girls from communities across Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and all of central Virginia. St.Catherine’s all-girls educational experience is rooted in more than a century of history and tradition. From our revolutionary past to our dynamic present, St. Catherine’s has always focused on preparing students for a boundless future.
