McAuley Catholic girls basketball used a staunch defensive effort in the second quarter to build a double-digit lead by the intermission, setting the pace in the second half on the way to a 50-27 Ozark 7 Conference win over Thomas Jefferson on Senior Night.
The Warriors (16-10, 4-2 Ozark 7) took a 12-10 lead into the second period before holding the Cavaliers (7-15) scoreless in the period to build an 11-point lead by halftime. McAuley pushed the lead to more than 30 points in the second half on the way to the district win.
“Senior Night is kind of an emotional night because they are playing their final game on the home floor,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “You always want to send the girls out on a win. The last few games have not gone our way, so we wanted to come out and focus on defense and make it an emphasis.”
SENIOR NIGHT MEMORIES
The McAuley girls celebrated seniors Kayleigh Teeter, Kennedy DeRuy and Avery Eminger before the tip with Thomas Jefferson.
“They have been playing together since they were little kids,” Howard said. “I just can’t say enough about all three of them. Their work ethic and passion for the game—there are not three other people that work harder than them. I am so proud to be able to send them to a win their last night here on our floor.”
Teeter, who is the third all-time leading scorer in McAuley girls basketball history with 1,383 points, saw her senior year end prematurely after suffering a season-ending knee injury near the midway point of the schedule. Allowing her one more chance to take the court in her team’s final home game of the regular season, Teeter suited for McAuley in her knee brace and was allowed to score the Warriors’ first points of the game on an uncontested layup.
“I wanted to give her one more chance with everything that has happened,” Howard said of Teeter’s final basket as a Warrior. “(The knee injury) was so unfortunate for her. She is a great kid and the most humble person I have ever met. For a leader and one of our best players, it means a lot to send her out on a positive note and to give her the reception she deserves from the fans. She has meant a world to this team and our community.”
Getting all three seniors involved, Eminger tipped the ball to DeRuy, who dribbled down the court before passing to Teeter for the layup.
“It was a great honor just to go out there one last time with teammates I have played with since third grade,” Teeter said. “I cherished that moment and really tried to enjoy it. It was really meaningful, especially since it was (Kennedy who passed it to me). We’ve played together since third grade, doing travel ball with her. Just having that friendship and chemistry with her over the years is really special.”
GAME ACTION
McAuley held a two-point lead after the first quarter and pushed the lead to double digits by the intermission thanks in large part to the Warriors’ effort on defense. McAuley held Thomas Jefferson scoreless in the second quarter, using what turned out to be a 9-0 run in the period to push the margin to 21-10 by halftime.
“The first quarter I felt like we were timid and still thinking about Kayleigh’s reception,” Howard said. “We weren’t too focused on playing the game. When the second quarter started, we actually started playing and got back into what we like to do and that is just play good defense.”
Eminger highlighted the scoring in the second quarter. After Lily Black opened the quarter with a bucket inside, Eminger scored the next six points for the Warriors to push the lead to 20-10 with 55 seconds left in the first half.
McAuley pushed the lead to 19 several times in the third period before DeRuy knocked down a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from the wing with less than three minutes to play in the quarter to give the Warriors a 37-16 advantage.
The Warriors outscored the Cavs 8-2 to close out the third quarter, with DeRuy accounting for a score off the drive and a corner 3-pointer to push the lead to 45-18 to start the fourth. Her final two baskets of the quarter pushed DeRuy into fourth place all-time on the McAuley girls career scoring list with 1,323 points.
SCORING LEADERS
DeRuy led the Warriors with 22 points, including a game-high five 3-pointers in the win. Eminger closed with 10 points and Kloee Williamson finished with eight. Black added 10 points.
Thomas Jefferson’s Tannah Grigg and Alexis Stamps finished with a team-high seven points each, while Lannah Grigg scored six.
UP NEXT
The McAuley girls take on Everton (3-17) at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday in the first round of the Class 1 District 5 tournament hosted by Thomas Jefferson.
Thomas Jefferson takes on Bronaugh (14-9) at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the opening round of the Class 1 District 5 tournament hosted by the Cavaliers.
