By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Danielle Rennekamp is the only senior on the Notre Dame girls basketball team. She didn’t enjoy much success the last two seasons when the Pandas finished 7-22 and 8-18, but her final season is making up for all that.
After Notre Dame defeated Newport Central Catholic, 57-46, in the final first-round game of the 9th Region tournament on Thursday at BB&T Arena, no one was more excited that Rennekamp.
“This is my dream since my freshman year,” she said. “I always wanted to play here. Coming into the game, I was very nervous, but I knew I had my teammates by my side. We were prepared for this, and to come out with a win is just great.”
All but one of Rennekamp’s teammates are sophomores or freshmen, who entered the season with little or no varsity experience. But the Pandas made it to the regional tournament for the first time since 2014 and they’ll take a 20-12 record into their semifinal game against Ryle, the defending regional champion, at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
In the regular-season finale for both teams on Feb. 14, Ryle whipped Notre Dame, 73-40, but Rennekamp sounds like she’s looking forward to the rematch.
“If we prepare and do the things we do, we can play with them,” she said. “We have to stick to our defense, that’s the way to win the game.”
Notre Dame played full-court pressure defense for the entire first half of Thursday’s game, but the Pandas found themselves behind, 27-25, at the break. After they scored the first six points in the third quarter to go ahead, NewCath came right back and tied it at 31-31.
That’s when Notre Dame coach Kes Murphy decided to drop back and play half-court defense. His team responded by going on a 14-3 run to open up a 45-34 lead going into the fourth quarter.
“We weren’t executing our offensive or defensive game plan very well early on,” Murphy said. “It just wasn’t working so we had to switch things up and back off (the press). Our kids settled in a little bit better and it worked.”
After NewCath pulled to within eight points, 46-38, early in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame ran off six straight to regain the momentum and came away with its first regional tournament win in five years.
Notre Dame freshman Lacey Bradshaw took game-high scoring honors with 18 points. Rennekamp was next in line with 15 points. Both of those players scored seven points during their team’s decisive 14-3 run at the end of the third quarter.
“Little bit shaky in the first half, but I think we came out in the second half and knew what we had to fix,” Rennekamp said. “We played quick and fast, and I think that’s what won it for us.”
NOTRE DAME 14 11 20 12 — 57
NEWCATH 9 18 7 12 — 46
NOTRE DAME (20-12): Rennekamp 6 2 15, Feldman 3 3 9, Hemmer 1 2 4, Breeze 0 2 2, Klosterman 1 0 3, Moore 1 0 3, Bradshaw 8 2 19, Aytes 1 0 2. Totals: 21 11 57.
NEWCATH (18-11): Heck 7 1 15, Kinnett 1 0 2, Murphy 2 1 5, Kramer 1 0 2, Zimmerman 3 6 14, Turner 4 0 8. Totals: 18 8 46.
3-point goals: ND — Brawshaw, Rennekamp. NC — Zimmerman 2.
Ryle 60, Ludlow 26
Ryle coach Katie Haitz got exactly what she wanted from her team in the first round of the 9th Region girls tournament at BB&T Arena on Thursday. The defending champions played aggressive defense and dictated a fast-paced tempo to win the game by a 34-point margin.
“Starting out, because it was a different arena and everything, it was a little slow,” Haitz said. “But once we settled in and made some adjustments that we needed to make I was very pleased with how we played.”
The Raiders made 10 steals and forced a total of 15 turnovers on defense. That’s why Ludlow was only able to score nine field goals in 32 minutes. Junior guard Abby Mahan, who was averaging 16 points per game for the Panthers, made just one free throw.
“She’s their go-to player and when you’re playing a team like you want to keep the ball out of her hands,” coach Haitz said. “I felt like we did that very well and, of course, she was in foul trouble for quite a bit of time and that helped us out as well.”
Ludlow was making its first appearance in the regional tournament since 2009. The Panthers won the local Division III conference for small schools this year, but they were no match for a Ryle team that was ranked No. 4 in the state in the last Associated Press coaches poll.
Ryle opened up a 25-12 lead in the first half and put the game away by outscoring Ludlow, 21-7, in the third quarter. The Raiders made a steal or forced a turnover on six of the Panthers’ first eight possessions in that period and got points off four of them.
Junior guard Brie Crittendon scored a game-high 18 points for Ryle. Senior forward Lauren Schwartz finished with 14 points, five steals and three assists. Junior point guard Maddie Scherr had eight points, six rebounds and three assists.
Ludlow’s leading scorer was junior forward Karina Castrellon with 10 points. She was the only player who scored in every quarter for the Panthers.
RYLE 11 14 21 14 — 60
LUDLOW 3 9 7 7 — 26
RYLE (27-5): Crittendon 7 2 18, McGregor 2 2 6, Holtman 1 0 2, Johnson 1 2 4, Schwartz 5 4 14, Williams 0 1 1, Scherr 4 0 8, Douthitt 2 2 7. Totals: 22 13 60,
LUDLOW (22-11): Mahan 0 1 1, Lantry 3 0 7, Castrellon 3 4 10, Stansberry 2 0 4, Wyrick 1 1 4. Totals: 9 6 26.
3-point goals: R — Crittendon 2, Douthitt. L — Lantry, Wyrick.
Walton-Verona 66, Gallatin County 38
Walton-Verona shot 60 percent (18 of 30) from the field with eight 3-point goals to win the first-round game in the 8th Region tournament at Owen County High School.
Junior forward Emma Strunk scored a game-high 19 points, hitting seven of 12 field goal attempts with one trey. Senior forward Brooke Perry finished with nine points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals for the Bearcats.
In the regional semifinals, Walton-Verona (25-8) will take on Collins (21-12) at 8 p.m. Monday. The Bearcats defeated the Titans, 63-36, in a home game on Dec. 17.
Scott 60, Nicholas County 35
Scott took a 44-11 lead in the first half and won the 10th Region first-round game with a running clock in effect on Thursday at Montgomery County High School.
Sophomore forward Mya Meredith got 24 of her game-high 26 points during Scott’s first-half scoring spree. She made both of the Eagles’ 3-point goals and 12 of their 19 free throws during those first 16 minutes.
Scott (19-11) will play George Rogers Clark (25-7) in a regional semifinal game at 7:45 p.m. Monday. The Eagles lost a home game against Clark, 62-53, on Dec. 8.
Regional tournament schedules
9TH REGION BOYS AT BB&T ARENA
Friday
Beechwood (28-5) vs. Cooper (25-5), 6:30 p.m.
Newport (25-8) vs. Covington Catholic (25-7), 8 p.m.
Saturday
Championship game, 7:30 p.m.
9TH REGION GIRLS AT BB&T ARENA
Saturday
Highlands (29-4) vs. Dixie Heights (21-10), noon
Ryle (27-5) vs. Notre Dame (20-12), 1:30 p.m.
Monday
Championship game, 7:30 p.m.
8TH REGION BOYS AT HENRY COUNTY H.S.
Friday
Oldham County (18-13) vs. Gallatin County (27-5), 6:30 p.m.
Walton-Verona (25-6) vs. Spencer County (21-11), 8 p.m.
Saturday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
8TH REGION GIRLS AT OWEN COUNTY H.S.
Monday
Simon Kenton (20-11) vs. Anderson County (27-6), 6:30 p.m.
Walton-Verona (25-8) vs. Collins (21-12), 8 p.m.
Wednesday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
10TH REGION BOYS AT MASON COUNTY FIELDHOUSE
Friday
Campbell County (27-4) vs. Mason County (15-15), 6 p.m.
Scott (19-11) vs. George Rogers Clark (25-7), 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
10TH REGION GIRLS AT MONTGOMERY COUNTY H.S.
Monday
Harrison County (25-7) vs. Mason County (19-12), 6
Scott (23-10) vs. George Rogers Clark (22-10), 7:45 p.m.
Tuesday
Championship game, 7 p.m.