- Log in to post comments
By: Kate Harman
The ball went around and around.
It circled the rim on Tuesday night, after Kenzie Gardler made her way through traffic and attacked the basket.
Around and around for the Cardinal O’Hara guard until finally it fell in as the buzzer sounded.
The play only ended the third quarter of the Catholic League semifinals, but it crucially extended the Lions’ lead from five points to seven.
It was a deficit Archbishop Wood couldn’t overcome, as Gardler and fellow senior Maura Hendrixson powered O’Hara to a 39-35 win at Jefferson University.
“Last time we played them [Wood], they took me and Maura out of it,” Gardler, a Villanova recruit, said. “I think Maura had two points and I had four. So, this time it was all about being aggressive, finding the open person and if we were open to shoot it.”
Aggressive? Check.
Open to shoot? Check.
Together, Gardler and Drexel-bound Hendrixson combined for 27 points, including 17 in the second half, as the duo hit big three-pointers and knocked down free throws when it mattered most.
Hendrixson was hot early, as she
“We knew from the previous game,” Hendrixson said. “I wanted to – had to – do something right off the bat. That way the defense could then focus on me and I could find my open teammates.”
The Lions (19-4) withstood a late comeback surge from the Vikings (17-7), as senior Katie May made some big shots late for Wood. The Northeastern recruit put up 10 fourth quarter points, including two huge three-pointers, but every time she made a play on one end, the Lions knocked down free throws on the other, to protect the lead.
“We kept our composure,” Gardler said. “We just kept each other in the game, helped each other out, told each other to be strong with the ball. We were up by four so we knew they were going to foul us at that point. Getting up in the beginning was a huge deal because we had that cushion.”
“From day one we were all about getting back to the Palestra, that was our goal,” Gardler said. “States is a huge deal for us but PCL, playoffs, playing for the city is a huge deal. Playing at Penn in front of 9000 people - it’s the best experience my whole high school career I could think of. By far.”
On Monday, Gardler, Hendrixson, and the Lions get to experience it all over again.
@ka_harman
Cardinal O’Hara 10 6 9 14 – 39
Archbishop Wood 8 6 4 17 – 35
CO: Maura Hendrixson 14, Kenzie Gardley 13, Siobhan Boylan 4, Stephanie Huesby 4, Kerry Paterson 2, Erin Welde 2
AW: Katie May 18, Erin Morgan 5, Kaitlyn Orihel 3, Lindsay Tretter 3, Mia Andrews 2, Bridget Archidiacono 2, Annie Whalen 2