“Welcome to your first one,” Holy Cross coach Ted Arlinghaus told Notre Dame head coach George Stoll after the game.
It was a fitting comment after an overtime thriller Wednesday night in Park Hills, where the Pandas edged the Indians 43-41 in a 35th District rivalry battle.
“I’m new to this,” Stoll said. “I don’t even want to use the word fun. Exhilarating is definitely the right word. When we play each other, it’s going to be a knockdown, drag out.”
The largest lead for either team was just five points, when Notre Dame went up 41-36 in overtime.
Neither side led by more than two at the end of any quarter or overtime. Holy Cross held the edge after the first and third (12-10 and 33-31), while the Pandas took a 24-23 lead into halftime.
Gritty defense, cold shooting, or a combination of both kept either team from gaining separation.
The Pandas shot 18-for-45 from the field and 3-for-16 from three. Holy Cross went 16-for-53 overall and 3-for-15 from deep.
The shooting struggles were evident late.
Notre Dame scored five points and Holy Cross three in the fourth quarter.
“We didn’t shoot the ball particularly well,” Arlinghaus said. “They have a ton of length with multiple six-footers. When you finally beat your man, they rotate over, close out hard, and it makes it tough to actually see the rim.”
The struggle hit Holy Cross last. Sophomore Jai Johnson had three free throws with her team down 43-41 and just under a second left in overtime, but couldn’t convert.
“She battled out there,” Arlinghaus said. “She’s one of our team captains and there’s no question that when you play against Jai, you know you played against Jai. She leaves her mark on the game and she did that again tonight. I trust her to knock those shots down. They just didn’t go in tonight.”
Before that, the Pandas’ defense came up big, including a crucial block from junior Sarah Young in the final 30 seconds. Young finished with a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double and was the dominant interior presence on both ends.
“One hundred percent my teammates,” Young said. “They’re so good at driving and finding me, it makes my job really easy. All I have to do is stand in the paint and they funnel the offense to me.”
Success isn’t new for the junior, who didn’t start playing until her freshman year, as she entered the game coming off a double-double against Scott. But just like her head coach, this was her first real experience in the rivalry.
“It was new, but it was good,” she said. “I was really excited the whole day, and getting to play against my former teammate Riley Eberhard and getting to guard her was cool. It was high intensity, but it was fun for sure.”
She was joined in double figures by senior Addie Lawrie, who added 10 points off the bench.
D’Myah Williams and Johnson led Holy Cross with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The win gives Notre Dame the upper hand heading into postseason seeding for the 35th District Tournament. Both teams still have to play Beechwood to determine the final seedings, with the Pandas playing the Tigers on Feb. 11 in Park Hills and Holy Cross facing Beechwood on Jan. 11 in Fort Mitchell.
Up next, Notre Dame (3-0) will host Russell on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Holy Cross (3-1) will face Boyd County in a neutral-site matchup Saturday at 6:45 p.m. in the Stephanie Wilson Memorial Classic at Bellevue.
MORE PHOTOS: Provided by Charles Bolton
PANDAS 43, INDIANS 41 (OT)
NOTRE DAME — 10-14-7-5–7 — 43
HOLY CROSS — 10-14-7-3-5 — 41
Scoring
Notre Dame (43) — Young 17, Ad. Lawrie 10, Holtzapfel 9, LaBordeaux-Humphrey 5, McGraw 2
Holy Cross (41) — Williams 13, Johnson 12, A. Arlinghaus 6, P. Arlinghaus 6, Eberhard 4
Game Stats
Field Goals: Notre Dame 18/45, Holy Cross 16/53
3-Pointers: Notre Dame 3/16, Holy Cross 3/15
Free Throws: Notre Dame 4/7, Holy Cross 6/15
Rebounds: Notre Dame 36, Holy Cross 32
Assists: Notre Dame 12, Holy Cross 7
Turnovers: Notre Dame 23, Holy Cross 16
Steals: Notre Dame 10, Holy Cross 15
Blocks: Notre Dame 5, Holy Cross 2
Fouls: Notre Dame 14, Holy Cross 14
Records: Notre Dame 3-0, Holy Cross 3-1