by Parma Heights, OH- Holy Name Girls Basketball made a statement as they defeated St Martin De Porres 63-35 behind an impressive offensive outburst in the second quarter.
The first quarter was tightly contested throughout as the biggest lead either team amassed was 5 points. Holy Name got the scoring started as Bre Minch knocked down a 3 followed by Nalani Simon grabbing an offensive board and scoring. For the Lions, Lyric Johnson opened the scoring as she slotted home a lay-up. Towards the end of the first quarter, Martin De Porres started to gain momentum as they made it 13-10. Kasandra Colon-Cintron snagged a jump-ball rebound with seconds left on the clock inside the paint but was unable to sink the shot as time expired.
The second quarter was all Holy Name however as they went on a 24-5 run behind a team effort spearheaded by Emmalee Majoros’ 3 pointers and Layla Rudolph’s offensive boards. After a few field goals were scored by the Green Wave in the dying moments of the half, the teams went into the locker room with Holy Name up 37-15.
The Third quarter was more like the first compared to the second in regard to the score. The Lions held their own behind a few 3’s from Johnson and good distribution from Jayce Walker. With the score 50-25, Holy Name looked to be ready to cruise into the fourth quarter. However, Rudolph was able to give an excellent pass to Mary Elise Rispoli under the hoop to give the Green Wave an extra bucket to extend the lead 52-25 entering the final frame.
The fourth quarter was a tight fought one as well with Holy Name putting up 11 more points to the Lions 8. Holy Name was able to rotate their lineup to get JV players Maura Mihalik and Sarah Abraham into the mix to cap off an impressive 14 player rotation on the night. The Lions continued to fight as both Johnson and Cintron entered the double digits. Only 6 Martin De Porres points were scored by other players. For the Green Wave, it was Honesti Williams making a case to get more minutes as she put up 6 points on 3/3 shooting in the fourth. The game ended 63-35 in favor of the Holy Name Green Wave.
This was a historic result for Holy Name. For the first time since January 19, 2021, the Girls Basketball team posted more than 60 points. In that contest, they defeated the former Parma Redmen 61-31. Beyond that, the last time the team posted more than 63 points was on January 4, 2017, in a 66-41 win over Beaumont. Holy Name now turns their attention towards North Olmsted who they will face on the road next Wednesday as they look to avenge their 50-40 loss against the Eagles last season. The Lions return to the hardwood on Friday at Richmond Heights. The Spartans took down SMDP 53-6 to begin last season.
St Martin De Porres Key Players
#0 Jayce Walker
#1 Lyric Johnson: 19 Points
#3 Kasandra Colon-Cintron: 10 Points
Holy Name Key Players
#0 Emmalee Majoros: 8 Points
#2 Layla Rudolph: 15 Points
#5 Natalie Stibley: 8 Points
Player of the Game: Layla Rudolph
