It didn’t look like it would be a close game at the beginning. Guy scored the team’s first eight points and tallied 15 in the opening eight minutes, helping St. Anthony build a double-digit advantage, 19-9.
But WSS turned things around in the second period, going on a 7-0 run that closed the gap to 19-16. Guy scored the Lady Bulldogs only basket of the quarter and the hosts were still on top, 22-18, at intermission.
Isabelle Hakman, Fearday and Cameron Rios all scored in the opening two minutes of the second half, helping St. Anthony build a seven-point lead, 27-20. But, again, the Lady Hatchets battled back. In fact, two free throws by Natalie Hayes, a bucket by Mikala Nichols and a three-point play by Hannah Hayes gave WSS its first lead, 32-29.
But a pair of three throws and a bucket by Guy with just two seconds to go sent the Lady Bulldogs into the fourth quarter with a 33-32 edge.
Guy finished with 25 points to lead all scorers, while Fearday nearly had a double-double. She scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds. WSS, which dipped to 3-6, had three players in double figures – Hannah Hayes and Nichols with 11; and Natalie Hayes with 10.
St. Anthony shot 46 percent overall, making 19-of-41 attempts. They were 2-of-3 from behind the arc and 6-for-11 at the foul line. They held a 20-19 rebounding edge, but turned the ball over 23 times.
“We’re going to need to work on our ball handling,” Rios said. “We need to be more crisp offensively. But it was the first time we had faced a trap this season.”
The Lady Bulldogs were playing without two starters. Reese Jones (back) and Grace Karolewicz (hand) were both out due to injury. So St. Anthony played with just one senior, while the rest were freshmen and sophomores.
“The freshmen are playing big minutes and learning how to play at the varsity level,” Rios said. “I think they’re doing pretty well.
“After eight games, I’m very pleased with how the girls are playing,” Rios added. “Our No. 1 goal is to out-work the other team. The girls have been working their tails off.”
The Lady Bulldogs improved to 5-3 on the season. They will play Monday night at home against Altamont.