Holy Trinity 14 - 22 - 31 - 37, SJB 12 - 19 - 26 - 32. Three players affected the outcome of this CHSAA matchup. Holy Trinity's Jeana Frey, Bridget Grover and Kristen Costello did the little things necessary to help their team overcome SJB. I walked into the gym early in the second quarter and you could feel the tension as the CHSAA best two teams were already going at it. SJB would grab their first lead of the quarter with 1:31 left, on a conventional 3 popint play by Christine Huber. Huber would pick up her 2nd foul 25 seconds later. Terry Green would score twice in the last minute of the half to put Holy Trinity up 22 - 19. Tinity had a chance to extend that lead with 4 seconds to go but Mary Arnstein missed both free throws. The gym was electric as SJB fans looked concerned over the play of their team, while Hoy Trinity fans sensed that they were a half away from defeating the 4-time league champs, for the first time in three years. SJB came out and scored the first two baskets of the half to grab the lead at 23 - 22. In years past, opponents would have crumbled. Not this time as Holy Trinity went on a 5 - 0 run to take the lead back for good. Over the next four minutes, SJB was held to 3 points all from the free throw line, while Hoy Trinity added another 4 points. Toward the end of the quarter, there was some controversy as to whether or not Huber had fouled out - Trinity said she had 5, while the official book said only 4. During this quarter it was apparent that the Trinity players were told to drive the ball at Huber. The intent obviously to get her in foul trouble. The lead might have been larger but Trinity shot 3 for 8 from the free throw line. Once again at the end of the quarter, Trinity left points at the free throw line. In the past, teams have regretted not taking advantage of opportunities to put SJB away, but not tonight. As the 4th quarter opened,  you could see the confidence in the Holy Trinity players, while the SJB looked apprehensive, they didn't have that usual air about themselves. And yet despite all this, SJB's Alexis Smith scored the first two baskets to pull SJB to within 31 - 30. Here was another gut check for the Holy Trinty players, to their credit they didn't fold as Bridget Gorver put a big time move on Huber in the paint. Holy Trinty went back up by 3. SJB's Kate Cronin would score, what would be SJB's last basket of the game, to pull her team to within one. Holy Trinty's defense would shut SJB down for the last 4:23 of the game. Again Trinity failed to take opportunities to finish SJB off as they went 0 for 4 from the free throw line and even missed a wide open layup off an inbounds play, where SJB players left Kristen Costello all alone. The outcome was finally sealed when Julia Finlay dropped two free throws with 7.9 seconds to go. Somebody asked what happened and why the score was so low? One word - defense! The intensity with which both teams played was tremendous as every layup was contested, players dove on the floor for loose balls and fouls were dealt out with a purpose. SJB did a good job pressuring Holy Trinity's guards and taking away the lanes. On the other end, Holy Trinty did a tremendous job sagging down on Huber - sometimes she was covered by 3 players. SJB's guards failed to take advantage of this as they passed up open shots or tried to drive into a zone defense that was already collapsed, Green and Huber's offensive numbers might not have been impressive but what they did on the boards and defensively was outstanding. Holy Trinity's Frey, Grover and K. Costello helped out collapsing on Huber, and did a good job outhustling SJB for loose balls and pulling down some big rebounds. Holy Trinity's coaching staff definitely did their homework in preparing for this game. They cannot afford to miss so many free throws and shots in the lane the next time the two teams meet. I would expect Iervelino, Joyner and Cronin to play better next time. They need to shoot from the outside more, forcing Holy Trinity to come out of their sagging zone defense. The two teams meet again on February 12th at Holy Trinity.