Fatima entered the C3D8 tournament at South Callaway last week as the top seed, but Fr. Tolton managed to upset the Lady Comets in Saturday’s championship game, 57-53.

“It was a very physical game, and we didn’t handle that real well,” said Coach Matt Baker. “We made some uncharacteristic turnovers. It got in their heads a little bit, and they started worrying about physicality instead of defensive assignments and doing their individual roles. So, what was a pretty solid defense in the first half turned into us hemorrhaging points and playing catch-up the whole second half.”

Fatima led 15-12 after the first quarter but trailed 29-27 at the half.

Bruiser Madelyn Backes was in foul trouble early, which led to an imbalance on the rebounding front. “That hurt us on the boards, but credit to them,” said Baker. “They shot the lights out, too, which we can’t control. The girls were a little unaggressive.”

On a few possessions in the second half, Baker said Tolton players made it down the court without anyone in a blue jersey picking up the ball. “They went straight in and scored, which, for a fairly senior-laden team, is very uncharacteristic,” he added.

With 1:47 in the third, Fatima trailed 42-34, with neither team scoring the rest of the quarter.

Vivian Bax, who returned just in time for the last regular-season game, hit a trey and then a deuce to pull Fatima within three points at 42-39; she finished with 15 points. Tolton hit another trey, and Kristen Robertson countered with one of the five she drained on her way to a team-high 21 points.

Fatima began fouling but could only hold the deficit to three points until the end when a Tolton FT gave the Lady Trailblazers a 57-53 lead and the win.

Robertson added three rebounds, an assist, and two steals to the mix, as Bax posted three boards, two assists, and a steal.

Other stats: Payton Wieberg (trey, 8 points, 10 rebounds, assist), Alex Berhorst (5-6 FT, 5 points, 6 boards, 2 assists), Elise Dickneite (2-2 FT, 2 points, rebound, assist, steal), and Backes (2 points, 3 rebounds, assist).

Fatima had a target on its back after winning districts the last two seasons, and Baker expected tough competition. “Our number one goal every year that we talk about is getting to this moment, which is no small feat in and of itself,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what the records are when you get in these games. The teams that get there deserve to be there, and they’re hard to beat. You have to play really well. I don’t think we get anybody’s second-best

effort. It doesn’t matter who we play; we get a good, solid damn effort from them. My girls were ready to play, and being ready for that is not an easy task.”

In the semifinals, Fatima beat South Callaway running away, 62-21.

Having Bax in the lineup made a big difference. “You could feel a difference in the girls with Viv on the floor,” said Baker. “They started smiling again. For six or seven weeks, we trod water. For the girls to see the light at the end of the tunnel, having your senior point guard back, even in a limited role, was huge. It gave everyone a confidence boost.”

In the SC game, Bax hit a trio of treys and went 2-2 at the line for 11 points, with a rebound, an assist, and two steals. Natalie Wilbers also scored 11 points with three treys while grabbing two boards and posting two assists and two steals.

Other stats: Anne Boyce (trey, 2-2 FT, 9 points, rebound, steal), Robertson (2 treys, 8 points, rebound, 3 assists, 3 steals), Casey Kleffner (trey, 7 points, rebound, assist), Wieberg (6 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals), Alex Berhorst (2 rebounds, assist, steal) and Backes (4 rebounds), each with four points, and Jane Boyce (2 points, rebound).

Baker is pleased with the commitment his seniors have shown. “Maddie and Payton didn’t really play varsity basketball until this year, through no fault of their own,” he said. “We’ve had some really strong teams during their tenure here, and they stuck it out. They stayed with it when a lot of girls, I don’t think, would have done it. They played three years of JV basketball, and they grew so much. Kris and Viv have been a big piece of what we’ve done for three or four years now. I’m very proud of my seniors.”