Girls basketball: St. Bede uses size advantage to top Marquette in Tri-County clash

PERU – St. Bede’s offensive rebounding came up big against rival Marquette in Tri-County Conference girls basketball action Monday as the host Bruins came away with a 55-47 victory at Abbott Vincent Gymnasium.

Neither team scored for the first three minutes of the game and committed turnovers on both sides of the court. But at the five-minute mark, Ali Bosnich picked up a steal and layup for the Bruins for the first points of the game.

The Crusaders’ defense poked St. Bede passes away and kept the Bruins from getting into their offense. After Hunter Hopkins’ free throws tied the game at 2, St. Bede scored the next six points.

Lili McClain fed a pass to Ashlyn Ehm, then Lily Bosnich hit a pair of shots at the charity stripe after an offensive board for an 8-2 lead.

Marquette cut the deficit to 10-6 after the first quarter when Hopkins made a strong move to the basket that led to a pair of free throws and added a bunny shot in the lane.

“When we ran our offense I thought we did some nice things getting the ball into the paint.”

—  Stephanie Mickley, St. Bede coach

To start the second quarter, Marquette made it 12-9 after a corner 3-pointer from Kaitlyn Davis, but St. Bede’s Ella Hermes returned the favor with one of her own to put St. Bede ahead 16-9.

Avery Durdan picked up an offensive rebound that led to a pair of free throws to make it 16-11. After the Bruins started to pick up fouls in the front court, Savannah Bray came in and immediately made a strong move in the post for a layup.

“Marquette came out fired up, and I thought both teams were tight early,” St. Bede coach Stephanie Mickley said. “When we ran our offense, I thought we did some nice things getting the ball into the paint. We have to stop reaching on defense. There’s no need to because we’re in position, but that’s where we get in foul trouble.”

Lilly Craig hit a long jumper for Marquette, then Davis hit another 3 to make it 20-16 St. Bede, but the Bruins responded.

Ali Bosnich picked up back-to-back rebounds, then a layup. Moments later Ehm did the same as the St. Bede lead grew to 27-16 on a 7-0 run.

Durdan got a bucket on a fast-break layup, but McClain hit a 3-pointer for St. Bede with six seconds remaining to give St. Bede a 30-18 lead at halftime.

Craig came out strong for Marquette to start the second half, hitting an acrobatic shot to open the half and before following that up with a strong drive to the hoop to go along with a turnaround jumper that made it 31-24.

“I thought our defensive pressure really kept us in the game,” Marquette coach Eric Price said. “We got them in some foul trouble, but when St. Bede would get rolling it was usually on the offensive boards. We’re a scrappy team, but we don’t have a lot of size, so we have to find other ways to make up for that.”

Once again St. Bede had an answer as Ali Bosnich fought through traffic and picked up a bucket and one to push the lead back to double digits at 36-26.

Chloe Larson got an offensive rebound for Marquette and the bucket, but McClain found a cutting Ehm, who converted the layup and followed that with two offensive boards and a layup to give St. Bede a 45-34 advantage heading into the final eight minutes.

Larson hit a hook shot to start the fourth, but Ali Bosnich once again made a nice cut to the basket for a bucket on a pass from Quinn McClain.

Bosnich and Ehm continued to control the boards for the Bruins, which led to another putback from Bosnich and then a floater in the lane from Hermes as St. Bede came away with the victory.

“Ali [Bosnich] just continues to play solid scoring and rebounding, as does Ashlyn [Ehm],” Mickley said. “Both had double-doubles again tonight and are giving teams trouble, and Ashlyn did it while in foul trouble.”

For the game, Ali Bosnich led with 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Ehm added 13 points and 10 boards for St. Bede (14-7, 8-1 TCC). Craig led Marquette with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Davis added 11.