Given the emphasis on defense that coaches Kim Coleman of Trinity and Lenae Fergerson of Fenwick have, it’s not surprising that low-scoring games are the norm whenever the girls basketball programs meet.
Such was the case again on Jan. 23 as the Blazers defeated the Friars 43-30 in a Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Red matchup at Dominican University in River Forest.
“It was an ugly one for sure,” Coleman said. “For us, the big focus is defense; if you can’t guard, you can’t play.”
Trinity (15-11) held Fenwick (7-18) without a field goal the entire first half. The Friars did not get their first basket until Kiera Kapsch hit a three-pointer with 3:36 left in the third quarter. Overall, Fenwick made just five field goals in 34 attempts (15% shooting) and 17-of-28 (61%) from the free-throw line.
“I’m not sure why there was such a struggle with the offense,” Fergerson said. “We were missing a lot of layups and free throws, and we didn’t hit any outside jumpers as well. Defensively, we did the job to win the game, but at the end of the day, we have to be able to put the ball in the hole.”
Despite that, Trinity had trouble pulling away from the Friars thanks to foul trouble. The Blazers saw starters Zaria Goins and Luz Del Rosario Kwiatkowski Perez foul out and another starter, Lauren Miller, finished with four fouls. It’s an issue Coleman said will be addressed.
“We can’t guard without fouling. That’s something we need to work and key on,” she said. “As we head into the playoffs, if we keep putting teams in the bonus each quarter, we’re going to struggle to win because we’re going to run into a good free-throw shooting team.”
Chloe Santos led Trinity with 13 points and eight rebounds, continuing to show improvement as the season progresses.
“She’s starting to feel better and get into better shape,” said Coleman of Santos, a sophomore forward. “She had an injury before the season started, but things are rolling with her and she’s becoming more consistent.”
Miller added 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Blazers, while freshman guard Destiny Sacluti had what Coleman described as “a breakout game” with seven points.
On Jan. 25, Miller had 25 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals while Goins added 12 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals in Trinity’s 53-35 home victory over Payton Prep.
In the first round of the GCAC Tournament, Jan. 29, Miller had 21 points and six rebounds in a 44-36 home victory over IC Catholic Prep, which extended the Blazers’ winning streak to six games.
Miller and Goins were named to the GCAC Red All-Conference team. Miller averages 16 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2 steals per game while Goins is averaging 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game.
For Fenwick, GCAC Red All-Conference honoree Grace Kapsch had a game-high 14 points, going 10-of-14 from the charity stripe. However, no other player scored more than four points for the Friars against Trinity.
“We will just have to get back to the basics of finishing with contact, making free throws, and having the mindset to keep working to get better,” said Fergerson.
On Jan. 29, Fenwick snapped a three-game losing streak with a 56-49 home victory over Wheaton St. Francis in the GCAC tournament. Cammie Molis had a game-high 21 points, Grace Kapsch 15 points, and Kiera Kapsch 9.