Building early lead, Catholic girls hold off Lady Spartans’ charge
KNOXVILLE — After a seven-year layoff, a fierce rivalry resumed Friday night, Jan. 14, at Knoxville Catholic High School, as the Lady Irish girls’ basketball team squared off against Webb School of Knoxville.
Numerous times it appeared Catholic was going to pull away for an easy win, but Webb continued to hang around. In the end, poor shooting and turnovers doomed the Lady Spartans as Catholic won 46-38.
“Total team effort; proud of our girls,” Lady Irish head coach Travis Mains said. “I’ve been in some rivalries, but this is something else. We had to win this one. You have to defend your home turf.”
Webb head coach Shelley Collier thought the crowd played a role in the outcome. “Obviously disappointed,” she said. “I felt like going in we were prepared. This is the first time we’ve been in front of a big crowd, and I’m not sure we handled that very well.”
Sydney Mains, Catholic guard/forward, scored a game-high 25. Junior guard Jaz Williams added 12 for KCHS.
“She played hard, I’m proud of her,” Travis Mains said of his sophomore daughter. “Ella Renfree was unbelievable in the second half. We’re coming on, they’re getting better every game.”
“It’s a great win,” Sydney Mains said. “It helped a lot having a crowd. They were really excited, so that was cool.”
Junior forward Madelyn Ladd scored 14 for Webb.
A 3-point basket by Ladd with 4:43 left in the first quarter tied the score 6-6, but Catholic (12-6, 1-0 in Division II Class 2A East Region) then ran off seven points to lead 13-6. The first period ended 15-10.
Webb’s offensive woes were starkly apparent in the second quarter. The Lady Spartans repeatedly missed shots from beyond the arc, scoring a mere five points in the period compared to Catholic’s 11 — six on layups by Mains. The half ended with Catholic leading 26-15.
Twice in the third, Webb (9-8, 0-1) pulled within seven, the second time with 1:29 left, 31-24. But Mains promptly drained a three, and the Irish finished the quarter leading by 10.
Seven would be the closest the Lady Spartans would get in the fourth, the final time on Meeyah Green’s lay-up with 4:44 left. Five straight by the Irish made the lead 12 and put the game away.
“We got outrebounded,” Collier said. “We were supposed to limit Sydney’s touches and we weren’t able to defend her at all.”
The teams meet again Friday, Jan. 28, at Webb.
