Holy Cross’ Idalis Miranda moves in for the ball against St. Paul’s Amelia Sanchez during their NVL matchup on Friday. Also in the play is Cross’ Meghan Mazzatto (21). Cross won 59-50. Christopher Massa Republican-American
By JOE PALLADINO
WATERBURY — The Holy Cross girls tell you that they win with defense. On Friday night they proved it, again.
Trailing by 10 points in the first half, the Crusaders turned up the pressure against St. Paul Catholic, held the Falcons to four field goals in the final three quarters, and won going away, 59-50, at McDonald Gymnasium.
The teams came in as the last two NVL unbeatens, and the Crusaders (12-1/11-0 NVL), showed again they are the team to beat come league tournament time.
“The one thing you have to look at is, how hard did you play,” said Cross’ Meah Austin, who was immense with 19 points and 14 rebounds. As for Cross’ defense, Austin added, “It was heart all the way. By us picking up the pace, and knowing we had the desire to win, that was the important thing.”
Cross finally got over the top on the Falcons (10-1/9-1 NVL) late in the third, on a Idalis Miranda hoop, a Devan Eason drive to the basket, and two Austin free throws. The Crusaders first lead came with 54.9 seconds left in the third quarter, but, once they got it, they ran with it.
Miranda, who scored a game-high 21 points, with four assists, hit two hoops to start the fourth, and then Austin, Aiyana Ward, and Eason all crashed the glass for buckets in the fourth.
“We dug deep,” Eason said. “At the end of the day, we finished it out.” And as Miranda noted, “No one wants to lose a big game like this, especially in our house. We had to pick it up.”
Eason grabbed eight rebounds and scored five. For St. Paul, Brigid Johndrow led with 16 points, and also four boards, four assists, and four steals. Janessa Gonzalez added 10.
The Falcons looked solid early, ran an efficient half-court offense, but by the second half St. Paul suffered through a nine minute stretch without a field goal.
“They started switching, and started being more aggressive in the half-court area, and forced turnovers,” Johndrow said of Holy Cross. “We still played hard. We didn’t get in a hole and just quit.”
HOLY CROSS 59, ST. PAUL CATHOLIC 50
St. Paul (10-1)
Brigid Johndrow 2 11 16, McKenzie Gauthier 0 0 0, Aidrianna Lopez 0 0 0, Molly Hooks 1 0 2, Janessa Gonzalez 3 4 10, Amelia Sanchez 1 2 4, Chantell Lopez 1 5 7, Jade Udoh 1 1 3, Lexi Morneault 1 0 2, Alexandra Mourges 1 4 6. Totals: 11 27 50.
Holy Cross (12-1)
Julia Mecca 0 0 0, Andrea Pettinico 0 0 0, Meghan Villano 0 0 0, Hannah Brown 0 2 2, Isabel Plant 0 1 1, Idalis Miranda 9 1 21, Meah Austin 6 7 19, Allison Orsini 0 0 0, Allie Brown 1 2 4, Meghan Mazzatto 0 2 2, Natalie Hodak 0 0 0, Gabby Goldman 0 0 0, Devan Eason 2 1 5, Nevya Vermette 0 0 0, Aiyana Ward 2 1 5. Totals: 20 17 59.
St. Paul 21 8 8 13 —50
Holy Cross 12 14 12 21 — 59
3-point field goals: StP — Johndrow 1. HC — Miranda 2.