A tight struggle between the St. Viator and Carmel girls squads Saturday ended in a free-throw shootout, with the Lions winning 53-48 after connecting on 10 of 17 free throws in the final 8 minutes. Carmel hit on just six of a dozen attempts in the same span.
“It’s nice to win a game on free throws. We’ve lost our share the same way,” said St. Viator coach Bill Murmann.
The East Suburban Catholic Conference victory was St. Viator’s first in five games this year, and the Lions’ first league win since the 1995-96 season.
The largest lead in the game occurred early in the second quarter when the host Lions charged ahead with 10 unanswered points to take a 20-14 lead. Jennifer Ansani scored four of her game-high 22 points during the run. Carmel later rallied to close to within 24-21 at halftime.
The teams traded baskets through much of the third quarter after St. Viator (7-13, 1-4) held an early 27-23 lead. Ansani scored twice to put the Lions ahead, but when the buzzer sounded the end of the period, Carmel was on top 38-37. Free throws also played a key role in the third quarter, with Carmel hitting 9 of 11 attempts and St. Viator 7 of 10.
Nicole Maciorowski scored her first points of the game on a driving layup that put the Lions on top 31 seconds into the final quarter. Carmel (7-12, 1-4) tied the score on a free throw, but Maciorowski’s foul shot gave St. Viator a 40-39 lead with 6:26 to play. The Lions led the rest of the way.
Beth Marks scored five of her nine points down the stretch, and Annie Reifsnyder chipped in with a pair of clutch free throws to put the Lions ahead 53-46 with 28 seconds left on the clock.
“Beth (Marks) really came through for us tonight. She spearheaded our defense, and did a nice job applying pressure in a full-court situation,” Murmann said. “Ansani stepped up too. She’s been progressing all year. It’s hard to believe that she’s only a sophomore.”
Reifsnyder finished with nine points, and Maciorowski and Liz Crombie each added five. Ansani worked her way inside to grab 11 rebounds.
Carmel was led by Maura O’Brien’s 19 points and 11 by Lindsay Pepping.
