HINGHAM — Notre Dame (Hingham) found itself in a unique spot Wednesday, locked in a dogfight. Yet, the Cougars still found a way to accomplish what they do best — win.
Junior Ava Orlando erupted for 25 points, while her sister Elle Orlando finished with 10 points as third-seeded Notre Dame staved off a scare from No. 19 Nashoba, 52-40.
“I thought it was team-oriented,” Ava said. “They brought my energy up, got me really excited to play this game. At first, it was shaking up the nerves a little bit. But once we got in a groove, I feel like we just kept going.”
All season long, the Orlando sisters have wreaked havoc for opposing schools. Despite being heavy underdogs, however, Nashoba simply would not relent. Notre Dame (21-1) failed to gain much separation, and was clinging to a 22-18 edge at the half.
It was a unique situation for the juggernaut program.
“We switched up our full-court defense,” said Notre Dame coach Nickie Orlando. “Which we extended a lot with our ball pressure. That helped with containing them in transition, falling back into our defense there. It came down to ball pressure, making sure we grabbed our rebounds.”
The Wolves continued their pursuit, tying the score at 32 at the midpoint of the third quarter.
Then, Orlando and her squad tightened up their defense.
“Take it play-by-play,” said Orlando. “We’re a very defensive-oriented team, so we start on defense, and then we go from there. Defense makes our offense, and we just have to hone in on being aggressive.”
The junior star and her teammates remain composed.
The Cougars embarked on a 9-0 run, and they were right back on track. With 6:47 to play, Notre Dame was in control with a 41-32 edge.
With about three minutes remaining in regulation, Effie Giannopoulos drove to the basket, finishing a layup as she was fouled. She hit the ensuing free throw attempt, sealing things as Notre Dame made it a 47-37 contest.
In addition to the Orlando sisters’ performances, Giannopoulos added nine points for Notre Dame Academy.
Kiersten Lynch and Maddy Cotter powered Nashoba (12-10), each finishing with nine points apiece themselves.
Notre Dame advances to face sixth-seeded South High Community next.
“This has been a great season,” said the coach. “Especially for our captains, and the leadership they’ve had. So, to go to this extent? 21-1? It’s a testament to how hard they’ve worked. We’re excited for the next round. Keep moving on.”
