Marist point guard Randyll Butler is accustomed to passing the ball to her teammates for big baskets.
But with the clock ticking down and the score tied at 63 Wednesday against No. 4 Fenwick, the junior showed she can score when she knocked down an 8-foot runner from the center of the paint with 2.6 seconds left in a come-from-behind, 65-63 victory.
“I looked up and the clock was at 6 (seconds) and it was time to get to the basket,” Butler said. “I just thought to myself not to take it too seriously because the worst that could happen was to go into overtime.”
Overtime would have been a welcome destination for the No. 12 RedHawks, who trailed 60-51 with two minutes left. Fenwick’s cushion was built largely by senior Kathleen Roche, who scored 10 points during an 11-0 run that wiped out Marist’s 51-49 lead with 5:30 left.
Butler’s three-point play started a 10-2 run that brought her team to within six. Five points by sophomore JeTaun Rouse on consecutive possessions gave the RedHawks (24-4, 7-2) a one-point lead with 31 seconds remaining.
Fenwick freshman Jade Owens split two free throws with 27 seconds left before Marist called a timeout with 16.8 seconds to go.
“We always lose to (Fenwick) by just a few points, so we just had to do it,” Rouse said of her team’s 14th consecutive victory. “I wasn’t going to lose to them this year and I’m not going to lose to them the next two years. This tells everyone that we’re ready to go downstate this year.”
Fenwick (24-3, 7-1) can clinch a share of its 17th consecutive East Suburban Catholic Conference title with a victory Friday on the road against No. 8 Marian Catholic.
Player of the game: Randyll Butler, Marist, 11 points, game-winning basket.
Key performers: Marist — JeTaun Rouse, 15 points, 4 steals; Leah Bolton, 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals; Asiana Bey, 11 points, 8 rebounds. Fenwick — Sarah Williams, 15 points; Kyra Navarrete, 13 points; Kathleen Roche, 12 points.
