College Heights Christian took the momentum in the second quarter and never looked back on the way to a 57-29 win over McAuley Catholic in the 38th annual Mercy/Warrior Classic girls championship game on Saturday.
It is the third tournament the Cougars (19-2) have won this season, which includes the Gem City Classic and the Lancer Classic.
“It feels good,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “Anytime you play in three championship games and three tournaments, it says a lot. But to win all three championships in those three tournaments, I couldn’t be prouder of my team. They played phenomenal defense. We struggled a little bit on the offensive end, but our defense always gives us a chance and it was sensational tonight.”
“Overall in the tournament, I thought we played pretty well,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said of his team’s second-place finish. “Our first two games, I thought we came out with some good energy. … This championship game was not one of our best by any stretch. That is a really good team over there. There is a reason they are state ranked and have only lost two games all year. John (Blankenship) does a really good job with their defense, putting you in situations where you feel uncomfortable. That’s what our girls felt basically the entire game.”
McAuley (14-7) and College Heights battled back and forth in a low-scoring opening quarter with two ties and two lead changes that saw the Cougars holding a 6-5 lead to start the second.
Kayleigh Teeter knocked down a 3-pointer at the 6:20 mark to give McAuley an 8-7 advantage just before College Heights came up with the game’s first momentum swing.
The Cougars used a mid-range jumper from Addie Lawrence to kick off an 8-0 run that was fueled by a pair of inside scores by Catie Secker and finished with a transition basket from Grace Bishop to give College Heights a 15-9 lead with four minutes to play in the first half.
“Our defense is what stems that,” Blankenship said of CHC’s first surge. “When we get out on the break, which is what our defense allows us to do, we get some quick, easy baskets, and it builds our energy a little bit.”
McAuley answered back with baskets from Lily Black and Teeter to trim the lead back to one possession, 15-13.
College Heights took a foothold on the lead after closing out the first half with the final three points from Bishop and starting the second half with the first nine points to build a 27-13 cushion with 5:04 on the clock in the third quarter. Jayli Johnson and Secker each had baskets, while Laney Lett had two offensive rebounds for putback scores to start the third.
“We talked about a better defensive rotation at halftime,” Blankenship said. “We had to start attacking the basket offensively. They play a really good extended 2-1-2 zone and we were struggling from the outside.”
College Heights essentially put the game out of reach after closing the third on a 13-2 run with Bishop accounting for all 13 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, giving the Cougars a commanding 40-17 advantage to start the final quarter.
“She has been incredibly consistent for us this year,” Blankenship said of Bishop’s play. “She is kind of our go-to player whenever we need a score. We can always count on her to either get in there and get a basket, draw a foul or at last get a high-percentage look. She is just so consistent. … She is at her best when she is cutting and slicing through the lane, finishing around the basket.”
Bishop scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to make it 15 straight points scored, with College Heights starting the fourth on a 7-2 run to push the lead to 28. Secker and Lett added baskets in the run.
SCORING LEADERS
Bishop led all scorers with 25 points, while Lett finished with 14. Secker added eight and Johnson finished with six.
Teeter led McAuley with 11 points, while Kennedy DeRuy scored eight. Kloee Williamson finished with four points.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Grace Bishop, College Heights
Catie Secker, College Heights
Kayleigh Teeter, McAuley
Kennedy DeRuy, McAuley
Kara Morey, Lamar
UP NEXT
College Heights hosts Thomas Jefferson on Monday.
McAuley hosts Golden City on Tuesday.
