With the victory, the Irish (14-4, 13-2) clinched at least a share of the OHC South Division title for the second straight season.
“The girls played their hearts out,” said Irish coach Danielle Roe. “We prepared, but at the end of the day, it’s all heart.”
The Irish senior class, which also includes Meghan Foster and Mallory Mullen, weren’t going to go down without a fight in the final home game of their careers.
“I felt like we needed to bring it together a little bit more,” Castle said. “Sometimes, when we have some of the younger girls in, they’re not as comfortable. (The seniors) had to come together as three at least to be able to score. I just kicked it in.”
Greenon freshman guard Sarah Riley scored 13 points and junior Claire Henry added 11 as the Knights fell to 18-3 and 12-3 in the OHC South Division.
“I’m heartbroken for the kids,” said Greenon coach Lonnie Robinson.
The score was tied 16-16 at the half, but the Knights went on a 7-0 run to grab a 32-24 lead with 40 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Catholic Central cut the lead to six points on a bucket by junior Emily Dewitt to pull within six points at 32-26.
At that point, Castle took over. The senior scored seven straight points to give the Irish a 33-32 lead with 4:45 remaining. “She’s the gas,” Roe said. “We knew that Mallory was going to be played a little bit differently. Our biggest thing is that you’ve got to guard five of us. We don’t have just a 1-2 punch. We have five kids ready to go at all times and when their number is called, they’re ready for the occasion.”
The Knights responded with back-to-back 3-pointers by Riley to take a 38-35 lead.
With less than two minutes remaining, Catholic Central freshman Lilliana Roberts — who hadn’t played in any of the previous three quarters — hit back-to-back buckets to give the Irish a 39-38 lead it would never relinquish.
“She really brought us back,” said Foster, who scored 11 points in the win. “It was huge. We’re so proud of her.”
The Knights double-teamed Mullen throughout the game, often leaving one of Catholic Central’s players open outside the lane. Roberts capitalized down the stretch, hitting two key buckets for her team.
“You’ve got to tip your hat to Central,” Robinson said. “They coached them to be there. Our game plan was solid. It was just one where we came up on the wrong side of it.”
With 25 seconds remaining, Castle hit two free throws to make it 41-38. The Knights got a good look at a 3-pointer in the final moments, but they were unable to convert.
Mullen made two free throws with less than 10 seconds remaining to seal the victory for the Irish.
Catholic Central can win the title outright with a victory at Southeastern on Wednesday night in South Charleston. Greenon can still earn a share of the title with a win against Cedarville on Wednesday paired with a Catholic Central loss at Southeastern.
After the game, the Irish cut down the net, celebrating their second straight OHC South Division title.
“We wanted to play our best tonight in our last home game as seniors in a big moment,” Mullen said. “It was a good way to go out.”
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