Marian C. 68
Trinity    53
Two top-ranked and undefeated teams went head-to-head on Saturday, but it was Marian Catholic that stayed perfect as the Trinity basketball team was unable to hold off the Spartans in a 68-53 loss. It was the first loss for the Blazers, who rank fifth in the state with a 12-1 overall record.
The third quarter told the story of this game. The Spartans (10-0) went on a 12-0 run and ended up outscoring the Blazers 22-13. Trinity had trouble stopping Kalia Turner, who scored 23 points for the Spartans to lead all players on the floor.
The game started out just fine for Trinity. The Blazers connected on four 3-pointers to kick things off. Divinity Brown hit the first, followed by Monica Albano with back-to-back treys. Shakyia Vassar then connected from behind the arc for the first of her two 3-pointers. Outside shooting helped Trinity maintain a slim 16-13 lead after the first quarter.
The Blazers’ inside game suffered when Amanda Macchione had to sit with two fouls. Senior Erica Cross subbed for the first time in two weeks (knee injury), and was able to give Trinity some much needed height. Although she was happy to be back in the line-up, Cross was disappointed with the loss.
“We need learn from this,” she said after the game. “It would have been nice to win.”
The Blazers saw their biggest lead dwindle in the second quarter. They were up nine when the Spartans began to chip away with some fast-break baskets. Before they headed into the locker room, the Spartans achieved their goal, up by two at the half. The second half started with Marian Catholic still on a furious pace that the Blazers could not match in points and steals. The Spartans slowed down the pace of the game in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Albano led the Blazers’ scoring with 17 points.
“We didn’t play bad, but we obviously didn’t have our best game,” said the junior. “It was a good test for us.”
Vassar had 13 points followed by Taricka Linzy who matched her jersey number with 10 points.
“We knew this was a very good team. We made some mistakes,” said Trinity coach Ed Stritzel. “We’re still young, but we’re pretty good, too. I keep telling the girls that we are trying to get ready for February, for state. These are the games that are going to help us.” Stritzel added, “It’s good winning games, but [when you lose] you get a barometer of where you’re at and where you need to go.”
The Blazers took on Loyola last night (after deadline) in the first round of the Holiday Showcase Tournament that runs through Dec. 28. Trinity hosts Downers Grove South on Thursday (6 p.m.) and travels to Loyola to take on Lake Park on Saturday (Noon).