Beating a “Bonnie-fied” contender has its benefits.
St. Edmund Prep girls basketball team proved it’s one of its divison’s elite squads with a 44–34 home win over defending-champion Fontbonne Hall Thursday night.
“The girls have to know that they can play with anybody,” Eagles coach Dan Doelger said. “We are right there now.”
His team got there thanks to a 10–2 fourth-quarter run that broke open what had been a tight game. Forward Alexandra Jacques began the spurt with a trey and by completing a 3-point play after she flipped in a nearly impossible shot from directly under the backboard.
“I just thought to go for it,” she said. “I happened to be there and it worked out pretty well.”
Guard Kelly O’Neill capped the run with a trey that put the Eagles (5–2, 4–1) up 34–25 with 5:11 left the game. It was part of a strong shooting night where she scored a game-high 18 points, including four of her team’s six 3-pointers. Cindy Henderson led Fontbonne (4–5, 3–1) with 10 points.
The fourth quarter didn’t produce all smiles for St. Edmund. It watched its heart and soul Erin Blum get tangled up and fall to the floor in pain with an apparent knee injury with 1:46 remaining in the game. The loss of Blum, who has had knee surgery in the past, will be a difficult hurdle for the team.
“It’s tough,” O’Neill said. “She’s an important players on this team.”
Fontbonne is dealing with a key injury of its own. Forward Kristen Sullivan has missed time with a badly sprained ankle and is expected to return within two weeks. Bonnies coach Steve Oliver said his team missed her scoring and rebounding inside, but poor shooting doomed them on this night.
“They shoots were there they just weren’t falling,” Oliver said.
Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.
