Other than a brief flurry by Maryvale in the second quarter, Notre Dame Prep began the defense of its Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference title in commanding fashion, routing the Lions, 56-29, in Towson on Tuesday evening.
Senior Hannah Hartman led the way for the Blazers, scoring a game-high 13 points while classmate Mattie Milchling snared nine rebounds and junior point guard Sydney Tommins added seven assists in the quarterfinal victory.
NDP jumped out to a 21-5 lead after successive three-pointers by Tommins and senior guard Becky Felmeister near the end of the opening period, although junior guard Caroline Federico answered for Maryvale with a swish from beyond the arc at the buzzer.
In the second quarter, after senior guard Sarah Kasun nailed a baseline jumper and junior forward Angela Healy converted a free throw, the Lions went on a 6-0 run to shave the deficit to 10 points.
However, Hartman's three-ball and subsequent layup restored order, helping the Blazers build a more comfortable 33-18 advantage/
They were never headed after that.
"We played with heart, as usual," Maryvale coach Diane O'Dwyer said. "We've done that all year. We just couldn't hit a shot."
NDP will advance to a semifinal, probably against St. Mary's in Annapolis on Thursday. The winner of that contest will earn a berth in the title game on Saturday at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County at 3 p.m.
Beating a good Maryvale team handily can only help in the days ahead.
"We haven't had a game like that in a long time, where we played all 32 minutes," NDP coach Katie Marks said. "We've been struggling to play a full game."
Marks impressed on her troops the need to focus on Maryvale senior Meghan Hildreth and junior Lauren Eckholm, who still combined for 20 points in the loss.
"We were emotionally ready for the game," Marks said. "But this doesn't entitle us to anything. We know what we still have to do (to win another championship.)"
Scoring summary:
Maryvale (29)-Caroline Federico, 6; Lauren Eckholm, 12; Taylor Oliver, 3; Meghan Hildreth, 8.
NDP (56)-Brenda Tester, 4: Sarah Kasun, 4; Hannah Hartman, 13; Angela Healy, 9; Marissa Varnado, 1; Mattie Milchling, 9; Sydney Tommins, 10; Margaret Lane, 2; Becky Felmeister, 7.