The little things provided big results for Lee High as the Patriots held off pesky Cabrini 79-61 in the quarterfinals of the girls Division II playoffs.
Lee (25-8) forced nine first quarter turnovers as it took a 23-12 lead. Cabrini (17-12) was unable to get closer than 10 the rest of the way although it made several runs.
“Our defensive intensity is what’s holding us together,” Lee coach Valencia Wilson said. “We’re playing really hard. We’re boxing out. We’re pushing the ball in transition. We’re doing the little things and that’s allowing us to be very successful.”
The win gives Lee a semifinal berth and a repeat trip to Alexandria for the state tournament. The Patriots lost to St. Thomas Aquinas in last year’s Division III semifinals.
Diamond Hunter scored eight of her game-high 27 points in the first quarter to get the Patriots started. Lee used a pressing defense from the start, and it paid dividends to the tune of 27 forced turnovers for the game.
Also hitting double figures for Lee were A’Niya Lagarde (13) and Markeisha Hives (10).
Cabrini had its troubles with ball-handling, but stayed in the game with a stellar showing at the foul line, where the Crescents made 23 of 31. Cabrini also made six 3-pointers.
Rayven Patin topped Cabrini with 19 points. Lindsey Lovecchio and Brionne Woods were also factors with 15 points apiece.
Lee took a 40-24 halftime lead, and 53-37 with a minute left in the third quarter. The Crescents forced two turnovers, got a key blocked shot from Woods, and scored the last six points of the quarter. Lovecchio’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer had Cabrini within 53-43.
In the fourth quarter, Lee moved out to a 65-47 lead with four minutes remaining. Featuring 3-pointers by Woods and Lovecchio, Cabrini outscored Lee 10-3 to pull within 68-57 with two minutes left.
It was Cabrini’s final gasp.
“I switched up our game plan and I wish I had stuck with the original one,” Cabrini coach Nancy Walsh said. “We were going to press from the get go. I switched up personnel, and I should have gone with my first instinct.”