The Lady Red Raiders of Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School faced an uphill battle from the start.
Matched up against the defending District 4 Class A champions – the Lady Warriors of Northumberland Christian – Lourdes’ ladies in red fell short in the title game, 58-40, played at Williamsport High School on March 12.
Entering with a 20-3 record, the Lady Warriors were the district’s number one seed in Class A. Lourdes, at 16-8, came in as the third seed after knocking off rival Sullivan County, 43-27, in the semis.
Lourdes scored the opening basket in what would be its only lead of the evening’s contest. Shooting 3-for-11 in the first quarter and turning the ball over 8 times, the Red Raiders found themselves in a deficit they couldn’t climb out of. Amidst a defensive barrage and a flurry of successive three-pointers by Northumberland Christian, Lourdes quickly fell behind, 23-6.
The Warriors’ attack continued into the second quarter, as the Red Raiders had trouble finding a way inside the paint, scoring two baskets and trailing 34-12 at half.
Coach Mike Klembara’s team didn’t throw in the towel, though. Regrouping at halftime, Lourdes pounded the boards and outscored their opponent 28-24 in the second half, with 12 points from senior Emma Shimko and 6 each from Peyton Kehler, Katilyn Sandri and Leah Kosmer. Still, their efforts weren’t enough to overcome the deficit. The back-to-back 2018 and 2019 district champions ended their season at 16-9.
(Photos by Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
