Each year before what is simply known as "The Game," the seniors at Mercy gather the team in the school's chapel without any coaches to talk about the historical importance of its matchup with archrival Institute of Notre Dame.
With both the Magic and IND struggling in the tough Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference, "The Game" was even more vital because a victory could be the highlight of the season. The pre-game message resonated with the younger players, as Mercy shook off a sluggish start to pull away for a 45-24 victory in the 44th edition of the event before an estimated 4,800 at Towson University. Mercy has won four consecutive games in the series and leads 29-15 all time.
"There isn't any other girls high school event that is like this in the state," Mercy coach Mary Ella Marion said. "The guys have Loyola-Calvert Hall and Poly-City in football, but there really isn't any other kind of athletic event that two schools get so much behind and pull from so many constituencies in terms of their alums. It's not just a game because there is cheering, dance and pepping thrown in there."
Freshman Aubrey Wetzelberger led the Magic with 14 points, and senior Ava Trageser finished with 12. Shana Brown was the spark for IND, finishing with 14 points and creating matchup problems with her quickness.
With the score tied at 9 at the end of the opening quarter, Mercy (6-12, 2-8 IAAM) settled down and took control with its transition game and tight man-to-man defense. A layup by Samantha Hruz off a nifty midcourt pass by Taylor Carter capped a 9-0 run midway through the second quarter, and the Magic led 17-12 at the break.
"Everyone was all hyped up because of the atmosphere, and after halftime, we just settled down," Trageser said. "We just pulled away. It's extremely special, and I am going to miss it so much when I graduate."
A jumper by Wetzelberger extended the lead to 25-14 midway through the third quarter. A pair of 3-pointers by Carter in the final two minutes of the quarter gave the Magic an 18-point lead heading into the final quarter, and the Indians (0-13, 0-9) never threatened the rest of the way.
"IND played really well in the first half, and it seemed like we couldn't get any offense," Marion said. "The second half was a totally different story. We moved the ball well against their zone defense."
M-Wetzelberger 14, Trageser 12, Carter 8, Hruz 8, Scheve 3.
Totals: 17 7-14 45.
IND-Brown 14, Petrides 2, Grant 2, Gillard 2, Berlin 2, Fridley 1, Horn 1. Totals: 8 7-13 24.Half: M, 17-12.
Discuss this story and others in our talk forums Most recent high school sports talk forum topics: More sports talk forums: Orioles | Ravens | Pro Sports | College | Lacrosse | High School | Outdoors Note: In-story commenting has been temporarily disabled due to technical issues. We are working to correct the issue and will bring back this feature in the future. In the meantime, please use our talk forums to discuss stories.