Archbishop Spalding coach Kristie Lilly said she couldn't have dreamed up a better scenario for yesterday's Catholic League quarterfinal game.
Second seed St. Frances gave the seventh-seeded Cavaliers every chance to steal a victory, shooting dismally most of the game and committing 16 turnovers in the first half.
It was everything an opposing coach could ask for. But on this day, it wasn't enough.
Ninth-ranked St. Frances used its speed and athleticism to escape with a 49-31 victory at the College of Notre Dame.
The defending tournament champions -- who advance to tonight's 7 o'clock semifinal against third-seeded St. Mary's at Archbishop Spalding -- shot just 29 percent for the game, including a nine-minute stretch in the second half in which they went 3-for-25 from the field.
Still, they led from the second quarter on by controlling the boards and successfully employing a full-court press.
A 47-34 rebounding edge and 29 forced turnovers aside, however, coach Jerome Shelton said he would have liked to have seen a little offense.
"We looked a little flat offensively," said Shelton, who complimented Spalding's half-court defense. "We did a lot of standing and thinking, and didn't attack enough. We missed a lot of shots that we have to make."
The majority of those misses came from 10 feet or closer. During an especially ugly 1-for-20 stretch to start the third quarter, the Panthers missed 15 times from inside the paint, many on attempted layups.
"That's just what we hoped for," said Lilly, who has just one senior on her roster. "We wanted a situation where we could step up and take advantage, but unfortunately we didn't. We just didn't have the speed to keep up with them."
Spalding hung around for most of the first half, tying the game at 12 on Kathleen O'Hara's 15-footer with 4:27 left before intermission.
But that's when St. Frances made its move.
Sparked by a double-clutch layup by forward Melba Chambers (20 points), St. Frances went on a 10-2 run to lead 22-14 at the half. Forward Kristi Webb (16 points, 14 rebounds) and point guard Jakia Ervin (eight, nine) also played major roles during the spurt, each turning steals into shots, and missed shots into second-chance opportunities.
Led by point guard O'Hara and forward Shannon Cashour (eight points each), Spalding (8-17) remained in striking distance until midway through the fourth quarter. But trailing 36-26 with just over five minutes left, the Cavaliers were outscored 12-2 over the next 2:32.
If the Panthers hope to defend their tournament crown against the likes of rival St. Mary's and top-seeded Seton Keough, Shelton said they'll have to do a better job in the half-court offense.
* St. Mary's 70, John Carroll 43: Annetta Davis scored 17 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as No. 11 St. Mary's (18-9) defeated visiting John Carroll (8-11) in a Catholic tournament quarterfinal. Tara Foran also had 17 points for the Saints.