WHEELING - For three quarters Tuesday morning, Weirton Madonna went toe-to-toe with Charleston Catholic. However, a bevy of turnovers finally caught up to the Blue Dons at the consolation game of the Undo's Ohio Valley Catholic Tournament.
Junior Meg Whelen scored a game-high 12 points and sophomore Catherine Evans completed the double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds as the Irish used an 18-5, fourth-quarter run to pull away and gain a 47-29 victory against Madonna at the Alma Grace McDonough Center on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit University.
For Coach Don Ogden it was a game where his Blue Dons (1-5) led at the end of the first quarter and never trailed by more than eight points through three.
''One of our biggest goals was to win the first quarter and we did that,'' Ogden said. ''We have not won a first quarter all season. I think we played our best three quarters so far, and if we can ever put four together we will be all right.''
Madonna led the low-scoring affair by a 5-4 count at the end of one before falling behind 15-12 at the intermission. Through two quarters the designated hosts had turned the ball over just nine times, but the Charleston Catholic (2-2) pressure was about to change that.
Coach Ashley Shepler's Irish turned up the heat in the second half, forcing the Blue Dons into 10 turnovers in each of the final two quarters, for a total of 31 in the contest.
''A lot of times when the offense stalls we look to the defense to create points and fortunately that worked for us (Tuesday),'' Shepler said. ''It is about time we pulled through in the fourth quarter - we have struggled there, but I am proud that the girls are learning together.''
Trailing 27-24 with 15 seconds to go in the third, Madonna allowed a late hoop and went down five with 8 minutes to play. But Charleston Catholic also scored the next 12 points to cap a 14-0 run that all but iced things.
Senior Courtney Branczio and sophomores Isabella Anile and Kaitlyn Conner all tallied five points each for the losers, who did managed to record a 39-28 edge off the glass.
''It was all panic when they started pressing us in the second half,'' Ogden added. ''And that is what led to all the turnovers. Each girl seemed to start feeling the pressure to make shots and that made a difference for us.''
Anile and Whelen were named to the All-Tournament team.