Fontbonne rules fourth quarter for the win  

After a 62-56 loss at home to Maria Regina, the 10-2 Bonnies traveled to Hartsdale for their second meeting with the second-place 10-0 Tigers. With a short-handed team of just seven players, coach Mike Sammon brought the Bonnies up to Westchester to face a full Tiger squad just ahead of the big snow. Knowing that an extra effort was expected, the Bonnies outperformed themselves to bring the game to a dramatic climax for the win in the final quarter.

The Tigers took an 11-10 lead on the play of Bridget Devane (18 points). Kalina Sutherland (12 points) then led the charge to put Maria Regina up 28-23 at halftime. In the second half, the perimeter defense of Olivia Teich (seven points), Sam Spyliopulos (five points), and Alexis Stathopulos allowed the Bonnies to tie the game 42-42 by the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Bonnies brought the game down to the wire with a three-point jolt by Summer Duffy (10 points) that pushed the Bonnies to score 18 points in the final period. With under a minute left and Fontbonne leading 56-54, Maria Regina was forced into a “must foul” situation to regain the ball.

The Tigers’ foul sent Lucy Kuhlmann (12 points) to the line, and she hit two pressure-filled free throws that increased Fontbonne’s lead to 58-54. The Tigers were then forced into an impossible two-possession game that was capped by another set of Fontbonne free throws. To wrap up the win, the Tigers’ next foul sent the game’s high scorer, Maryann Polanco (26 points), to the line and she sank both free throws for the final score of 60-54. 

The win gave Fontbonne an 11-2 third-place record, while Maria Regina maintained second place in the A Division with a record of 10-1, just percentage points ahead of Fontbonne.

Throughout this game, the intensity and competitive pace even impressed the referees. During a timeout in the third period, one of the refs told a Fontbonne parent, “This is one of the better games that I’ve seen all season.”