In a true road game, the Bishop McNamara girls basketball team knew it would have to hit the ground running in Tuesday’s IHSA Class 2A Pontiac Sectional semifinal against the host Indians.

But in a hostile road environment, the Fightin’ Irish came out of the gate sluggish, scoring just a pair of free throws in the first quarter, putting them in a deep early hole that became a 46-32 loss.

“It’s definitely difficult to play a sectional game, period, and to play that team at home, man, shout out to their fans,” Irish coach Khadaizha Sanders said. “They showed up, and as soon as they got the ball, the gym was roaring. That was the thing that we harped on in practice.

“I told them that this is going to be a different type of atmosphere, and with some freshmen, some juniors who really haven’t been in this situation or seen that type of level of play, the lights kind of got too bright for us in the beginning, and we found ourselves down and trying to fight back.”

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Girls Basketball: IHSA Class 2A Pontiac Sectional semis - Bishop McNamara vs. Pontiac Bishop McNamara’s Eliana Isom maneuvers through defenders during the Fightin’ Irish’s 46-32 loss to Pontiac in the IHSA Class 2A Pontiac Sectional semifinal on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, at Pontiac Township High School. (Tiffany Blanchette)

A year removed from a sectional championship, a re-tooled Irish roster boasted just one healthy senior, point guard Eliana Isom, and returning junior forwards Trinitee Thompson and Jaide Burse from last season’s core. Thompson and fellow junior forward Keneyce Davis each had eight points to pace the Irish, but after falling behind 12-2 after a quarter and not hitting a field goal until Mahlyia Johnson sank one a minute into the second, they never mounted too big of a comeback.

“I’m glad we got it this far, but I feel like we should have gotten farther,” Isom, who had four points, rebounds and assists apiece, said. “We should never let the crowd get in our head. We should have played Irish basketball the way (Sanders) taught us.”

Senior guard Trinity Miller had a game-high 20 points for the Indians, who will host Manteno in Thursday’s sectional championship, while the Pontiac defense forced 23 McNamara turnovers and held the Irish to a 14-for-46 (30%) night from the field.

Thompson opened the second half with a pair of quick baskets to make it 33-23 a minute into the half, but that was as close as they’d get.

“I thought that we were kind of getting back locked in,” Sanders said. “I harped on it at halftime, the first four minutes of the third quarter, it matters. We’ve got to come out, throw the first punch, got to put some stops together, but we’ve got to score.

“We turned them over, we did what we needed to do for the most part on the defensive end, and like I said, we didn’t capitalize on those turnovers.”

The Irish (12-17) won four of their first six games this season, including a 55-52 overtime win over Pontiac (22-11), before falling in a funk in which they lost 10 of 12 games over a six-week stretch in December and January.

But after that, they rallied to win five of their next six, showing Sanders that despite their inexperience, they had the potential to make a postseason run.

Sure, those doubts may have crept back in when the Irish were downed by Joliet Catholic 55-33 on their senior night Feb. 11, but their resolve to beat that same Angels team 52-45 in last week’s regional championship round was proof of the progress they’d made.

“At the end of the day, nobody expected us to be regional champs,” Sanders said. “Nobody expected us to be in this game tonight, but we were able to do something that was unexpected.”