Sacred Heart Cathedral's Girls' varsity basketball team defeated the St. Ignatius Wildcats on Tuesday, January 30 at the USF War Memorial Gym.
Both teams started off strong, exchanging multiple turnovers before Madison Eade '25 put the first points up on the board with a layup for the Irish. The first quarter was closely contested throughout, with Reza Po '24 converting a layup for SHC to give the Irish a 15-14 advantage as the quarter came to a close.
Kiana Moniz '24 led the Irish into the second quarter, adding to their lead with a three-pointer in the first minute coming off a nice Aniyah Versosa '25 pass. Saint Ignatius pulled ahead later in the quarter, catching SHC off guard and taking a 21-18 lead with two minutes left in the half. The Irish fought back harder, ending the first half on a 5-0 run to secure a 23-21 lead.
In the third quarter, both teams showcased the spirit and grit that has defined both teams' thus far in the season. The Irish faced adversity as the Wildcats took the lead at the start and began to build on it throughout the quarter. Key baskets, including a Moniz layup that closed the score gap to five points and a Versosa basket with seconds to go in the third kept the Irish within striking distance for the comeback.
In the fourth quarter, Madison Eade '25 was on fire. She made sure SHC did not fall further behind by scoring two consecutive layups to open the quarter, including a tough layup after grabbing the offensive rebound, followed by a Versosa three that tied the game at 41-41. Saint Ignatius continued to fight hard by keeping the score close and never falling behind by more than five points. Once the Irish got their lead, they could not be stopped. With a minute to go in the game, Moniz forced a crucial turnover for SHC after an Irish three-pointer. Despite the foul shots for the Wildcats in the final 20 seconds of the fourth, which brought the score gap to three, the Fighting Irish stayed true to their name, taking home the win with a final score of 49-45.
Coach Demetrius Jackson was very pleased with his team's effort and growth in the face of adversity so far this season. "This team has grown exponentially both on and off the court," Coach Jackson reflected, "The Bruce was just another example of their continued development and growth both as individuals and as a team."
With that win, SHC's Girls Basketball varsity team continued their winning streak with an overall record of 16-2. They'll continue their fight into February, with their season wrapping up on February 13 when they play the Riordan Crusaders. Best of the luck to the team and as always, go Irish!
