CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Logan suffered through separate extended scoring droughts in the second and fourth quarters of Tuesday’s Class AA quarterfinal against Charleston Catholic.
The latter was too much for the No. 6 Wildcats to overcome as the No. 3 Irish outscored LHS by 11 points over the final 5:36 to earn a 45-35 victory at the Charleston Coliseum.
“Defensively, we did a really good job with their screen-and-rolls and did a good job being in positions we needed to, and forced them to take some extra dribbles,” Irish head coach Wes Hevener said. “Each player played good individual defense on top of that and made it difficult for them to get good looks, which is what we wanted to do coming in.”
Ali Wilcox made her only field goal of the contest count in a major way as her three-pointer off the wing with 4:52 remaining left CCHS (18-6) with a 35-31 advantage. Wilcox had made two free throws 44 seconds earlier to give the Irish the lead for good.
“She played off me. I just shot it and it really picked our energy up,” Wilcox said.
“It was a big shot for sure. We went on a little bit of a run there after,” Hevener added. “It changed the momentum of the game.”
After Aurelia Kirby came up with one of her three steals, Catholic stretched its lead to six on Mary Rushworth’s layup.
Nora Aliff accounted for the next four points on two free throws and a paint bucket with 2:49 remaining to make it 11 unanswered Irish points, leaving Logan (17-7) facing a 41-31 deficit.
An Addyson Amick layup with 2:36 to play ended a drought of 3:30 for LHS and made the margin eight, but two Wilcox foul shots at the 1:16 mark put the Irish lead back in double figures the rest of the way.
The Wildcats made 2-of-14 shots in the fourth quarter, including 1 of 11 after Kayden Compton’s go-ahead layup with 6:07 to play.
Both teams executed well offensively in the opening quarter, with the Wildcats making half of their eight-field goal attempts and the Irish 5-of-8 shots, including two triples from Molly Messer to lead, 15-10.
“I think I actually shoot better here. I like when there’s more light,” Messer said.
While the Wildcats missed all 10 of their second-quarter field-goal attempts, they were to within three when Payton Butcher made two foul shots 4:40 before halftime.
CCHS then held LHS scoreless the remainder of the half, while getting a third trey from Messer to lead 21-14 at the intermission.
Bam Mosby opened the third-quarter scoring with a basket from close range and it ignited Logan, which went on to shoot 6 for 11 in the frame while taking its first second-half lead at 26-25 on Butcher’s basket at the 3:30 mark.
“Rushworth had two fouls and we wanted to attack inside,” Wildcats’ head coach Mike Tothe said. “We got inside on multiple possessions, which gave us that momentum to help get us the lead.”
The Wildcats led by two with inside 1 minute left in the third before Kirby canned a three for her lone field goal of the matchup, allowing the Irish to enter the fourth in front, 30-29.
“We had some experience being able to play against teams that have made that run,” Hevener said. “Our girls did a really good job being able to settle in, not get rushed and unglued and really stuck together.”
Rushworth led all players with 13 points and did so on 5-for-8 shooting. Messer added 12 points and half of her team’s six treys.
Wilcox scored nine and made 6-of-8 free throws, while Aliff contributed seven points and a game-best 10 boards.
Butcher led Logan with 12 points, Mosby score 10 and Addyson Amick led all players with five assists in defeat.
The Wildcats missed all 10 of their three-point attempts.
“This is a big stage and environment and we tried to simulate the back drop as best we can with our stage and curtain,” Tothe said, “but it’s one of those things that can kind of consume you if you’re not ready for it.”