As the saying goes, “defense wins championships.”
While it wasn’t a championship game, it had the intensity of one Thursday in Independence. Simon Kenton earned a hard-fought, 47-41 victory over Notre Dame, handing them their second straight loss in a battle defined by tenacious defense on both sides.
Despite the Pandas’ constant substitutions and trust in their depth, the Lady Pioneers’ defense ultimately prevailed, relying on a tight rotation of seven players to gain the upper hand.
“Our girls know it’s all about stops,” Simon Kenton coach Jeff Stowers said. “We can not get baskets, but we know we have to come back and work that much harder on the defensive end. We knew what time it was, that all we had to do was get some stops.”
Notre Dame’s defense was relentless, wearing down the Lady Pioneers with their full-court press. While the fast pace benefited the Pandas style, it also created some disadvantages for them.
“We want to play fast,” Notre Dame head coach Kes Murphy said. “We want to get after it, make it a full court game and control the pace, but you also have to be disciplined in the way in which you play and apply the principles we teach on a day-to-day basis. Ultimately, we’ve got to see it in practice first because we’re inconsistent there too.”
Their inability to convert on offense and the frequent turnovers disrupted their rhythm, creating an imbalance they couldn’t recover from.
“As many turnovers as we had and kudos to Simon Kenton, we’ve got to be better,” Kes Murphy said. “We’ve got kids that have been around for a some time, making decisions that aren’t the best. Those are devastating mistakes.”
Three reached double-digits for the Lady Pioneers. Haylie Webb scored 16 points in the first half, finishing with 20. Bella Ober and Brynli Pernell contributed 11 points apiece.
“We have to play for each other and we’ve got that mentality.” Stowers said. “These girls have been together for a couple years now and they know what to do. We’re waiting on some other girls to come along and help us in the end and I think we’re going to get there, but right now we’re on that solid core right now to do what we ask them to do.”
Although Webb had to contend with the length of Yale commit Sophia Gibson, she didn’t let the height difference deter her.
“I’m not as tall as others in my position, but I’ve been around people that are taller than me mostly every time I play,” Webb said. “I’m pretty used to it. I’ve learned how to maneuver and past that, using my strength the best I can.”
Webb played a key role in helping the Lady Pioneers tie the game at 15 after the first quarter and push out to a 31-24 lead at halftime, holding Notre Dame to single digits in the final three quarters.
Once Simon Kenton gained the lead, they never relinquished it, even as the Pandas mounted a 13-2 run at the end of the third quarter to narrow the gap to 37-34 heading into the fourth, ultimately making it too late for a comeback.
The Lady Pioneers (12-2) extend their winning streak to five games, claiming their sixth victory over Northern Kentucky opponents. They will travel to Frankfort on Saturday for a 3:15 p.m. matchup against Franklin County.
Notre Dame (8-3) will be making the same trip to Franklin County to take on Madison Central at 4:45 p.m.
LADY PIONEERS 47, PANDAS 41
SIMON KENTON — 15-16-6-10— 47
NOTRE DAME — 15-9-9-8— 41
Scoring
SIMON KENTON (47) — Webb 20, Ober 11, Pernell 11, Kelch 3, Gadzala 2
NOTRE DAME (41) — M. Lawrie 10, Gibson 8, Burden 7, LaBordeaux-Humphrey 4, M. McGraw 4, Holtzapfel 3, Lenihan 3, Young 2
Game Stats
3-Pointers: Simon Kenton 5, Notre Dame 2
Free Throws: Simon Kenton 12/13, Notre Dame 1/3
Fouls: Simon Kenton 9, Notre Dame 15
Records: Simon Kenton 12-2, Notre Dame 8-3