If there were ever a perfect time for McAuley Catholic girls basketball to avenge a loss, it was Wednesday night.
And the Warriors did just that. After falling to Montrose last year in the sectional round, McAuley built an early first-half lead and played add-on throughout en route to a dominating 70-45 win over the Bluejays in the Class 1 sectional round.
“I am just so excited for them,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “They have worked so hard to get to this point. After what happened last year at this point in the season against the same team, it is so nice to be able to play on your home floor and get a little retribution. It means everything. The girls knew how hard that game was last year. … It gave them extra motivation this year.”
HOME SWEET HOME
The win was the first time McAuley girls basketball ever hosted a sectional-round game, and giving the home crowd that experience is something the team will forever cherish.
“We definitely feed off the crowd’s energy,” McAuley senior Gliza Damaso said. “With this game, I am so glad we had that giant crowd cheering us on. Every single person in that crowd mattered. They gave us energy and that helped us reach our goal.”
“We were very excited when we learned we would be able to host,” Howard said. “It got them even more motivated for this game. … It was a huge confidence boost (to play in front of the home crowd). When you go through the season with COVID and everything — not being able to play in front of full crowds all year long — to come out to a full crowd with people supporting you that you haven’t seen in a long time, it meant a lot to the girls. It means a lot for our community, for our family.”
THIRD TIME’S A CHARM
The Warriors are playing in the quarterfinal round for the first time since 2002 and just the third time in school history.
“It means so much to be a part of this team,” Damaso said. “Playing with this team for the three seasons I’ve had them with me, it’s been insane. It’s been a rollercoaster. I am so glad that I could do it with my teammates, who I consider my family, now.”
UP NEXT
McAuley (20-8) will travel to Walnut Grove (22-4) in the quarterfinal round for a 1 p.m. tipoff on Saturday. The Tigers are back-to-back Class 1 state champions and are currently the top-ranked team in the state, according to the MBCA rankings.
“We have two days to prepare for what arguably could be the toughest opponent we’ve faced all year,” Howard said. “It is going to take everything we have to compete in that game. They are a very good team and are very well coached. I told them this next game is going to be super tough. So, if they want to put themselves on the map, that is the game to do it.”
GAME ACTION
The Warriors broke a 7-7 tie midway through the first quarter with a 12-0 run to take control of the lead permanently.
“The first part of that quarter, we just had to get the jitters out,” Howard said. “I think they were a little nervous. After they ran up and down the floor a few times, I felt like they really started to settle in and started to play basketball the way we know how to play.”
Kayleigh Teeter started the game-defining run with a bucket before Kennedy DeRuy knocked down a 3-pointer to push the lead to five. Damaso followed with a basket before DeRuy converted from the perimeter again at the two-minute mark to make the score 17-7. Teeter closed the run with a score on the drive.
McAuley led by as much as 16 points in the second quarter before taking a 35-23 lead into the intermission.
The Warriors came out of the locker room and scored the first eight points of the third quarter to push the lead to 20 points for the first time, essentially putting the game out of reach for Montrose.
“That was an emphasis at halftime,” Howard said of his team’s fast start to the second half. “In the last part of the first half, we let them back into the game by fouling and sending them to the free-throw line. I told them at halftime that they needed to come out with energy in the second half to get the crowd back into it. … I thought we did a really good job of playing good defense and limiting good shots and limiting second-chance opportunities.”
Teeter and DeRuy splashed home 3-balls to start the second half before Teeter converted two charity shots to extend the lead to 43-23 with six minutes to play in the third quarter.
McAuley closed the third on a 6-2 run highlighted by another DeRuy 3-pointer that she followed up with a driving score.
“We needed her to step up and she stepped up tonight in big moments,” Howard said of DeRuy’s performance. “I feel so good for that kid because she works so hard. The last few games have been down games for her, but she was able to find her stride tonight and get back into her flow of the way she likes to play the game.”
Teeter found Lily Black on the pick and roll to close the run, sending the Warriors into the final eight minutes with a 54-29 lead.
Montrose never broke the 20-point barrier before the sound of the final horn.
SCORING LEADERS
DeRuy led McAuley with a game-high 31 points, including a team-high six 3-pointers. Teeter finished with 22 points, while Black had six. Damaso and Kloee Williamson each added five in the win.
Ryan Landes led Montrose with 12 points in the loss.
