Despite trailing most of the first half, No. 6 seed Number Onesies continued to battle, eventually finishing off No. 4 Gatsby and the Frosted Flakes 21-18 for the Bookstore Basketball championship.
Led by the excellent ball handling and quick feet of sophomore Connaught Blood, Gatsby and the Frosted Flakes continually penetrated the lane for easy hoops. Their relentless attack earned them an early 5-1 advantage.
Number Onesies senior Mary Forr said her team never panicked, knowing their shots would eventually fall.
"We we're just missing shots in the first half," she said. "I had a couple that bricked. We knew they were going to fall, though."
True to form, Number Onesies quickly charged back to tie the game at six. However, Gatsby remained consistent and finished the half leading 11-8.
The game remained competitive throughout the second half as both teams traded buckets. The offenses slowed down as the game wore on and the afternoon heat set in. Blood said fatigue played a role toward the end of the contest.
"We were dogging it out there," she said. "It's been a lot cooler recently so we're not used to it. Yesterday's game was really tough and went right down to the wire, so I think we were feeling that today."
With the game tied at 18, Onesies tightened up the defense, blanking Gatsby for the next several possessions to secure the victory.
Onesies graduate student Caitlin Hutchison said her team's defense of Blood keyed the win.
"[Going to Blood] was really how they ran their offense," Hutchison said. "She has a strong left, so I just tried to force her right and get help defense. I also kept the ball away from her as much as possible."
Blood concurred, saying she had to work hard just to touch the ball.
"It was harder to even get a handle on the ball [in the second half]," she said. "I was running around trying to get open."
Team captain Caitlin Lynch was joined by Tiz Shadley, Christine Hamma, Blood and Erin McDonnell on Gatsby.
Forr led the Onesies to a 21-10 victory over the Monstarz in the semifinal matchup Saturday, a matchup of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's athletes. Forr and varsity volleyball player Marie Roof joined forces with fellow Notre Dame students Caitlin Hutchison, Laura Philipp, and Kaitlin Robinson to form Number Onesie. Jessica Centa, Kayla Wolter and Katherine Wabler, members of the Saint Mary's varsity basketball team, represented the Belles along with freshmen Malea Schulte and Anamaria Weikert.
Forr was dominant in the final minutes of the first half, accounting for three of the last five baskets that sent Number Onesie to halftime with an 11-4 lead.
Gatsby defeated the Dominate-Tricks 21-19 Saturday in the other semifinal matchup. Lynch sunk the game-winning free throw to give her team the victory.
Dominate Tricks consisted of Sarah McNellie, Maggie Ronan, Kelley Murphy, Katie Sullivan and Katherine Ferguson. Ronan, Murphy, and Sullivan are all members of the Saint Mary's varsity basketball team.
