It looked to be an exciting Athletic Association of Catholic Academies basketball battle. Mount St. Joseph Academy brought a 10–1 overall record into last Thursday’s game at Gwynedd Mercy Academy, and the host Monarchs were 10–2. Both were undefeated in the early stages of AACA competition, and in contests against Villa Maria Academy, always a solid league franchise, the Mount Magic and the Gwynedd Monarchs had each won by four points.

Expectations don’t always play out into the actual action on the hardwood, but in this case they did. Gwynedd led for most of the evening. The Mount briefly pulled even two times during the third quarter, but the Magic never took the lead until 3.6 seconds remained in the game. That’s when junior guard Caroline Dougherty made two free throws to deliver a 42–40 Mount St. Joseph victory.

Dougherty scored eight points overall and her senior teammate Morgan Cross rang up 12 points as the Magic improved to 4–0 in league play. Gwynedd, which moved to 4–1 in the AACA, received a game–high 15 points from senior Bailey Balkir and 11 from her classmate Brooke Evans.

Balkir will be joining Germantown Academy’s Sylvie Harrington on the team at Gettysburg College (they play club basketball together), and Evans has committed to Stevens Institute of Technology.

As Tuesday’s game began, Balkir bagged a three–pointer from the left wing and her senior classmate Kiersten Hasson hit a shorter jumper from the same side, giving the Monarchs a lead they’d retain into the third quarter.

The Magic got some early free throws from sophomore Caitlin Cavallaro, but didn’t make a field goal until Cross put in a layup with under 90 seconds left in the first period. The quarter ended with the hosts ahead, 11–6.

As the second round got underway, the Magic’s senior post player, Bridget Horgan, sandwiched two baskets from the paint around field goals by Gwynedd’s Evans and Balkir. After Evans scored again to put the home team up by seven, the Mount connected on a drive by sophomore Carly Derouin and a “three” from near the keytop by Cross. It was now a two–point game (17–15) with four–and–a–half minutes to go in the first half.

Gwynedd’s response included a trey by junior Brenna Tronoski, and by halftime the hosts had some more breathing room, leading by eight at 27–19.

Throughout the first half, Gwynedd played at a faster pace and with more intensity on defense than the Magic, but the Mounties picked up their game after the interlude.

In the third quarter, the visitors limited the Monarchs to a lone three–pointer by Balkir. Dougherty, who didn’t score during the first two quarters, found the hoop with a jumper and a layup. Even when she’s not scoring, Dougherty displays a great instinct for rebounding, even though she only tapes in at 5’7”.

The Magic got other field goals from Derouin and Cross, and in the final seconds, sophomore Katie Eichenhofer scored off an offensive rebound to tie the score at 30–30.

As the fourth quarter commenced, Balkir drove the lane to nudge the Monarchs ahead again. Later, the teams were tied at 37–all thanks to Cavallaro’s three-pointer from the left flank with 4:38 remaining. Gwynedd recouped the three points when Evans scored on a drive and also made a free throw awarded on the play.

With the Magic back within two (40–38) thanks to a free throw by Cross, Gwynedd called time out with 2:05 remaining. When the action resumed, a Mount double–team near midcourt resulted in a steal by Cross, who romped down to score to level things out at 40–all.

Next, a tie–up found the possession arrow pointing the Mount’s way, but off the inbounds pass Cross was called for traveling with 25.9 ticks left to play. At Gwynedd’s end, the Monarchs lofted a ball that seemed like something between a short shot and a lob pass. At any rate, Cross snatched the ball out of the air and headed downcourt.

The ball was relayed through Horgan to Dougherty on a cut toward the hoop. She was fouled, and Gwynedd called time out between her two free throws. Both shots danced on the rim briefly, and both fell through, delighting the mass of Mount fans positioned at that end of the court.

With just 3.6 remaining, GMA’s Balkir drove over midcourt and got off a desperation shot, but it wouldn’t go down.

Aside from Cross and Dougherty, the scorers for the Mount were Cavallaro (seven points), Derouin (five), Horgan (four), and Eichenhofer, junior J.J. Miros, and sophomore Nina Meierdiercks (each with two points). In Gwynedd’s scoring column, Balkir and Evans were followed by sophomore Chloe McCarthy (seven points), Tronoski (three), and Hasson and sophomore Riley Bazela (two each).