Falcons flourish

Anything the Hammarskjold Vikings could do, the St. Ignatius Falcons could do better – much better.

Undefeated in 25 games heading into Monday’s Superior Secondary Schools Athletic Association high school senior girls basketball final, the Falcons made it 26 in a row and did it with emphasis, thumping the defending champion Vikings 52-21 on home court to claim their first title since winning back-to-back championships in 2005 and 2006.

The Falcons hit the Vikings early and often, hitting 20 straight points in the first and second quarter to build a 28-6 lead and rolling off 16 more in the third quarter, allowing just a single bucket to start the quarter to Hammarskjold’s Anne-Marie McKitrick.

“We came out and pressed them, which I think set the tone for us, and we just kept the lead from there,” said St. Ignatius guard Cassandra Soulias, one of a trio of Falcons, including Katelyn Andrea and Vanessa Masters, who finished with a dozen points on the night.

It was a close match for about three minutes, with the two sides trading baskets back and forth. Hammarskjold took its first and only lead when Karis Barrett dropped an easy lay-in for a 2-0 Vikings advantage.

Senior Laura Cooper, playing with a broken nose and back for a fifth year for with the sole purpose of winning a title, stepped up with three quick baskets that suggested the rout might be on.

It would have to wait, as Barrett netted a pair of hoops to tie the score.

That’s when the floodgates opened and the Falcons stormed out to a 21-6 lead at quarter’s end.

They did much of it without Cooper, who led the team all season and drew the attention of scouts in the stands on Monday night.

But with her injured nose and the prospect a best-of-three regional final against Dryden looming for the upcoming weekend, St. Ignatius coach Lauri MacFarlane sized up the situation and chose to sit her star for much of the game, readying her for bigger and better things.

Cooper said it showed just how talented the Falcons are.

“It shows that a team isn’t made up of one person. Basketball is a team sport. You rely on your posts or your point guards. Everyone has a crucial part in the game,” she said.

The second half was simply a matter of running out the clock – without looking like they were running out the clock.

The Vikings saved their best for last, stringing together three straight baskets in the closing minutes, but it wasn’t nearly enough to save the day.

“We had a wonderful run this year,” said McFarlane, who earned her eighth senior girls title in 20 years. “We were 26-0, we won three tournaments. We just couldn’t seem to do anything wrong this year. It was a good group of kids. They worked hard, very dedicated to the game and it was a blast working for them.”

The Falcons have tentatively scheduled their NWOSSA final opener for Friday at 2 p.m. The schedule will be finalized later this week.