Amarah Streiff dropped 22 points in Bishop Ludden's 54-50 victory over Cicero-North Syracuse on Friday.
"I was extremely ecstatic (with the win)," Bishop Ludden coach Carm Petrera said. "Our defense spoke volumes. We knew we had to work tonight."
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Kaitlyn Kibling recorded a double-double – 16 points and 11 rebounds – and five assists. Sarah Boyea added eight points.
For the Northstars, Alexa Kulakowski led with 18 points. Alita Carey-Santangelo threw in 16 points, and Kathleen Taru contributed nine points.
Bishop Ludden squeezed out a 12-11 lead in the first quarter. A 13-6 run in the second quarter gave the Gaelic Knights a 25-17 advantage at the half.
The third quarter was all Northstars, as C-NS ignited a 17-9 zip to tie the game at 34-34 at the end of the third. Petrera noted both teams "started out rocky" in the first half.
"We had control, but once C-NS found its groove, they made it a game," she added.
The Knights and Northstars battled in the fourth quarter, but Ludden outscored C-NS, 20-16, and slipped away with the win.
"We called a timeout (in the fourth quarter) to settle (our team) down," Petrera said. "We told the girls to play your game and defense will take you home. In the fourth quarter, both teams wanted it, but we wanted it a little more. We made a statement."
Petrera mentioned how Streiff, the leading scorer for the Knights, fought through several of C-NS's triple-team defensive scenarios on Friday.
"She has that hard-work grit," Petrera said. "When her shots weren't falling, (Streiff) got the team involved. The team needs her leadership."
Petrera gave credit to Boyea and Kibling as well.
"Boyea showed up in the fourth, made some big free throws and had a huge defensive effort," Petrera said. "Kibling was great tonight. She is just a gifted athlete."
