IRTLAND–Kirtland found its groove in the second and third quarters of a 46-36 conference win over visiting Wickliffe on Senior Night on Wednesday.
The Hornets outscored the Blue Devils during that stretch, 28-9, leading to a key conference win.
“Not much changed, we just continued to get stops,” said Kirtland head coach Matt Ridgeway. “Our style right now is getting stops and shots without any turnovers. We can live with a missed shot. The kids did a fantastic job moving without the basketball, and (Kristiana Katic) got isolated one-on-one, and she was lights out inside. Kennedy Boyd really helped set the stage with some leadership.”
Kirtland got off to a 6-0 start with baskets from Addison Fleming and Boyd before Wickliffe answered with a 7-0 run to close out the first frame.
Ava Gabriel scored five of Wickliffe’s seven points.
The Hornets opened the second quarter with a 9-0 run thanks to an Emily Ridgeway 3-pointer and a Lauren Palagyi jumper.
Katic also found a groove in the second with six points, all in the low-post area, but Gabby Ervin connected on a pair of 3-pointers, cutting Kirtland’s lead down to 19-13 at the break.
The third quarter saw Katic continue to dominate with nine more points, giving Kirtland a 34-16 lead heading into the fourth.
Gabriel got going for the Blue Devils with 12 fourth-quarter points, including a 3-pointer, with Ervin also knocking down another triple, but Katic polished off her 21-point, 14-rebound double-double with six more points, giving Kirtland its 10-point win.
The Hornets’ senior forward is coming back into her offensive flow, possibly at the right time as the tournament grows closer.
“A couple of weeks ago, I started falling off, and I knew I needed to pick myself up in practice,” Katic said. “I practiced harder, and I’m starting to get back on track.”
With the tournament around the corner, Kirtland is playing some of its best basketball of the season, and there are potentially even more levels to climb.
“I’d like to think so, but I think we can get even better,” Coach Ridgeway said. “We still haven’t shot well, and I think when we start to shoot well, we will be much more dangerous. Our goals are to have fun and play our best at the end of the year.”
Emily Ridgeway finished with seven points, Fleming pitched in with six, and Boyd added four points in the win.
Wickliffe trailed 42-21 early on in the fourth, then trimmed its deficit down to 10 at the final buzzer.
“We just kept competing,” said Wickliffe head coach Jason Moulton. “I know they were down big, but they didn’t quit, and I think that’s important. They kept competing, and that’s what matters for us.”
The Blue Devils led 7-6 after the first quarter but were down by 18 heading into the fourth.
“We just turned the ball over too much,” Moulton said. “It’s been the story of our season. We didn’t take advantage of easy shots; we just have to keep working and getting better at that.”
Gabriel paced Wickliffe with 17 points, and Ervin added nine.
Kirtland hosts Saint Martin de Porres on January 25, while Wickliffe hosts Cleveland John F. Kennedy on January 27.
