COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Fisher Catholic and Bishop Ready met on Wednesday night in an early season test between two unbeaten teams. The Irish withstood multiple runs by the Silver Knights to come out on top by a score of 45-36.

Despite being without starter Ava Albert, Fisher Catholic started the game hot and jumped out to a 7-0 lead behind four points from senior Hillsdale commit Ellie Bruce and a three pointer from junior Sydney Ellis. After nearly four minutes of offensive struggles for the Silver Knights, junior Terriauna Daniels converted from three off of a pass from fellow junior Lia Wahl. The inside presence and prowess of Bruce was too much of a challenge for Ready in the first quarter. She tallied 11 points in the period, single handedly outscoring Bishop Ready. Heading into the second quarter, the Irish commanded a 17-8 lead. 

Bruce added two more points to start the second quarter but Daniels responded quickly with back-to-back threes, igniting the Silver Knights’ offense. A couple of possessions later, it was Wahl’s turn to take over. She forced two turnovers resulting in wide open layups and banked in a three to take the lead for the first time in the game. Bruce regained the lead momentarily after the Fisher Catholic timeout but yet another three from Daniels pushed Ready ahead, their last lead of the game. A two by Wahl trimmed the Irish lead to just two points headed into halftime (30-28). The two man wrecking crew of Daniels and Wahl combined for 18 points in the quarter to pull the Silver Knights back in the game. 

The Irish stepped up the defensive pressure in the third quarter, limiting Bishop Ready to just four points. After being held scoreless in the first half due to increased defensive attention from Wahl, senior Voni Bethel finally got things going offensively to start the quarter. A three from Ellis and layups from junior Vanessa Funk and Bruce extended the lead to nine just before CheChe Sanders converted for the Silver Knights. After three quarters, the Irish maintained a 39-32 lead. 

With one quarter to play, Fisher Catholic was well on their way to their fourth win of the season but Bishop Ready and the Silver Knights continued to fight. Ariyah Spillman sank two free throws and Sanders fished at the rim to cut the lead to just two points. Ready turned up the defensive pressure and held the Irish scoreless for nearly five minutes until Bethel finally came alive from the three point line. The senior sank back-to-back threes to swing the momentum in favor of the Irish and put the game out of reach. Bishop Ready did not score for the remainder of the game and the Irish came out on top 45-36. 

Bruce led the way for Fisher Catholic with 18 points and was supported by Ellis with 9 (three three pointers). Daniels scored 14 in the loss for Bishop Ready (four three pointers) and Wahl added 11. 

For more on Fisher Catholic’s victory, check out the 5 Keys:

1. Defense: Fisher Catholic held Bishop Ready to just eight points in the second half of the game. After giving up 20 points in the second quarter, something had to change if the Irish wanted to win the game. FC deployed a packed in zone defense and challenged Bishop Ready to knock down outside shots. The inside presence of Bruce also made a difference for the Irish. She tallied six blocks on the night and altered numerous other shots.

2. Jayda Dixon: While Dixon only scored three points, her presence was well felt  in other parts of the game. She was a consistent ball handler for Fisher Catholic and distributed the ball incredibly well (five assists on the night). She was a solid defender and played with a great amount of energy. I don’t think she left the floor for the Irish and for good reason.

3. The Law of Averages: Bethel is one of the best shooters around and she struggled from three for the majority of the game. But they call it an average for a reason and shooters find a way to make it happen. The senior finally sank two threes late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach just when her team needed some offensive firepower the most.

4. Seniority: Fisher Catholic boasts five seniors and three juniors on their roster. Down the stretch, the Irish played with great poise and confidence. Senior leadership and experience brought home the win. This team and these seniors have big aspirations for this season and hope to repeat as district champions. Tough games like this will prepare them well for March.

5. Fundamentals: Late in the game, Bishop Ready brought full court pressure in an attempt to swing the momentum. Solid ball handling and passing prevented turnovers for the Irish. It is clear that the team invests a significant amount of time in these fundamentals. Habits like these are a great indicator as to why they have been so successful in the last several years.

MVP: Ellie Bruce (C / Fisher Catholic / 2024)

Top Scorer: Ellie Bruce (C / Fisher Catholic / 2024) - 18

Hustle Player: Jayda Dixon (G / Fisher Catholic / 2024)