WILMINGTON — A 13-0 run spanning the end of the first half and nearly all of the third quarter gave Saint Mark’s the lead they needed in a 45-35 win at Padua on Jan. 11. The Spartans came through in their first game since Dec. 28.
Padua took a 22-18 lead late in the first half on a short field goal by Esosa Ediae, but the Spartans answered. With 25 seconds to go, Hailey Short collected a steal and took the ball for a layup, getting fouled in the process. She missed the free throw, but Ava Frohnapfel was there to get the rebound and put back, tying the score. It was 22-22 at the half.
The teams came out running in the second half, but nothing fell until Saint Mark’s Katie Lennon made a twisting layup a minute in. Bella Prado scored inside, and Lauren McDonald hit a mid-range jumper. When Prado made a third-chance bucket with 1:12 remaining in the third, the Spartans’ lead was 31-22.
Grace Trerotola answered with a left-handed runner 20 seconds later; she was fouled and completed the three-point shot for the Pandas’ first points of the second half. But the rest of the third belonged to the Spartans. Frohnapfel scored on a follow shot, then, after a steal, Sophia Messick nailed a three at the buzzer to extend the Saint Mark’s advantage to 11 heading into the fourth quarter.
Trerotola did her best to try to get Padua back into the game in the fourth. She scored seven of her team’s 10 points in the quarter, including a corner three that got the Pandas as close as they would get at 39-32. But Prado scored inside after that triple, and after a Kylie Moor free throw for the Pandas, the Spartans pulled away with two free throws from Danielle DiDomenico and a final field goal from Messick.
Messick had 10 points in the first quarter on the way to a game-high 19. Prado added nine. The Spartans (7-2) host Wilmington Christian on Thursday at 4 p.m.
Trerotola led the Pandas with 10, all in the second half. while Kate MacLennan had seven. Padua (3-5) travels to Conrad on Thursday for a 5:15 p.m. tip.
All photos by Mike Lang.
