Senior Night ends in victory Senior Night ends in victory (February 18, 2005)

Graduating Lancers make it one to remember

By Scott Campbell

While St. Francis nursed a three-point lead with 6.6 seconds remaining, junior center Rebecca Tratter stepped to the foul line with a chance to secure the win. Although she missed the free throw, Tratter collected her own rebound and scored as time ran out on Notre Dame-Belmont's rally.

Tratter's lay-up began a raucous celebration as St. Francis rewarded its graduating players with a 54-49 win on its Feb. 11 Senior Night.

"It was a tough win," said St. Francis senior Kim Mooney, whose late steal led to Tratter's foul shot. "We wanted this one really bad, and I think we really came together as a team and pulled it out."

Even though the Lancers cruised to a 19-point win at Notre Dame-Belmont just three weeks ago, they knew from the start that they were in for a dogfight. The Tigers opened up a 12-8 second-quarter lead after early foul trouble sent most of the St. Francis starters to the bench.

The Lancers' pressing defense, which led to 11 steals, disrupted Notre Dame-Belmont's offense, but also meant St. Francis had to dig deep to maintain the frenetic pace and physical style of play.

"Our depth helped tonight," said Lancers coach Ashley Hill. "We pressed; we ran; and we out-tired them."

St. Francis (16-10 overall, 7-8 league) built a six-point lead late in the first half thanks to seven free throws, but saw it disappear as the Tigers charged back en route to a 24-24 halftime tie.

When Notre Dame-Belmont freshman guard Jaclyn Bisordi sunk consecutive three-pointers to lift the Tigers to a 35-30 lead, the Lancers turned to their floor general for an answer. Junior guard Cynthia Curley spurred St. Francis to a 10-0 run to close the third quarter.

"I knew some of our starters were out, so I had to step up and get some points up for us," said Curley, who had game-highs of 19 points and four steals.

In the decisive quarter, St. Francis made sure to look for Tratter, the physical center who finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Although Notre Dame-Belmont (10-16 overall, 3-11 league) pulled to within one point with a minute remaining, Tratter's offensive rebounds and put-back shots proved too much to overcome.

"They did a great job attacking the boards, and ultimately, that was the difference," said Tigers coach Keith Halcovich. "We're just not as big and strong as they are."

By securing fourth place in the tough West Catholic Athletic League, St. Francis was rewarded with a home game against Sacred Heart Prep on Feb. 15 but lost 51-29. Regardless, the Lancers can look forward to the start of Central Coast Section playoffs next week.

"We've talked to our kids about bringing all their talents ... and leaving it on the floor," said Hill. "We'll see how far we can get."

E-mail Scott Campbell at sports@mv-voice.com

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