For the second tournament in a row, the Borgia basketball Lady Knights claimed third-place honors.
Borgia (9-4) defeated St. Charles West Saturday, 48-36, to win the third-place game of the Union Tournament.
“That’s what we were hoping for coming into the tournament,” Borgia Head Coach Stacia Parsell said. “As a four seed, to win it out was going to be really tough. Coming home with third place is really great for us.”
The win came the afternoon after Borgia fell in the semifinals to Sullivan, 49-41. It was the second time the teams had met in a semifinal game. Sullivan also beat Borgia in the Sullivan Tournament semifinals in December.
Borgia had two players selected to the all-tournament team with senior Katie Lindemann and junior Janie Arand being picked for the 10-player squad.
“Katie Lindemann is a senior we look to when we need a pickup,” Parsell said. “She was 5-5 from the free-throw line. That’s good. She had to defend a good post player and did a good job. Janie does what she’s supposed to do and that’s what we expect.”
Borgia returns to action Thursday, hosting Kennedy. Junior varsity action begins at 5:15 p.m.
St. Charles West
Borgia jumped out to an early lead Saturday afternoon in the third-place game and validated it with a big third quarter, winning 48-36.
Borgia led 13-8 after one quarter and 20-15 at the half.
The Lady Knights ripped out a 19-8 third quarter to lead 39-23 heading into the fourth quarter.
Parsell rotated all of her players into the contest during the game, partially to give them the experience of playing in a trophy game and partially because of necessity.
“Everybody played today,” Parsell said. “Molly Arand got a little nicked up today, so we were able to rest her with some other players coming in to fill that role.”
Arand led the team with 16 points and added six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Lindemann just missed a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds. She added three steals and a blocked shot.
Junior Emily Grahl scored 10 points while adding six assists, three steals and one rebound.
“Emily Grahl had a good tournament, also,” Parsell said. “She had six assists against Sullivan and today she had lots of steals and got up and do the floor. Nobody is fast enough to stop her.”
Sophomore Cassandra Halsted scored six points with six rebounds.
Junior Baylee Godat scored one point while adding three rebounds and a steal.
Sophomore Molly Arand played only in the first half due to injury. She had two steals and one assist.
Others playing were junior Alexis Sine, senior Morgan Spradling (two rebounds and a steal), and senior Madison Wehking.
Sophomore Jessie Schmidt led St. Charles West with 11 points.
Sophomore Kacy Eschweiler scored nine points.
Junior Jensen Houdyshell scored six points while junior Bri Barry scored four points.
Two-point scorers were junior Amy Brown, sophomore Megan Graves and sophomore Molly Leimkuehler.
Also playing were sophomore Ashley Haupert, junior Lizzie Matejka and sophomore Paige Prigge.
Sullivan
Facing the top-seeded Sullivan Lady Eagles for the second time this season in a tournament, Borgia again played a close game, but couldn’t secure the victory, falling 49-41.
“If you look at the way we were going to have to get to the championship game, it was going to be really hard, getting through Union and Sullivan” Parsell said. “We played Sullivan close again. We just couldn’t put together a complete game. It was too tough.”
Borgia led after one quarter, 10-5, and at the half, 24-17.
“It was another good game between Borgia and Sullivan and we were fortunate that we were able to dig ourselves out of a hole and win that game,” Sullivan Head Coach Jason Merkel said.
But Sullivan shut out Borgia in the third quarter, 13-0, to grab a 30-24 advantage going into the final quarter.
Junior Aley Lucas, the tournament MVP, led Sullivan with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Sophomore Kaitlynn Hill and junior Taylor Lucas netted eight points apiece. Hill had seven rebounds and a blocked shot. Taylor Lucas added five rebounds and two assists.
Senior Jessica Heinle scored six points with three assists, two rebounds and a steal.
Junior Sierra Pryor scored five points with four assists, three rebounds and a steal.
Senior Demi Reed posted five points, six rebounds and a steal.
Junior Tessa Johanning added three points, two steals, one assist and one rebound.
Sophomore Megan Brandt recorded three rebounds and two assists.
Janie Arand led Borgia with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Grahl netted nine points with eight assists, four steals and three rebounds.
Halsted and Lindemann scored eight points apiece. Halsted added five rebounds and a steal. Lindemann pulled down seven rebounds.
Godat scored three points.
Molly Arand had two rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Spradling recorded one rebound.
Wehking also played.
