St. Ignatius Outlasts St. Vincent-St. Mary in High-Energy Matchup, 78-73
In a matchup laced with family ties and storied tradition, the St. Ignatius Wildcats, led by head coach Cam Joyce, edged the St. Vincent-St. Mary Fighting Irish, coached by his father, Dru Joyce II, in a 78-73 victory on New Year’s Eve. The Wildcats, now 8-2 on the season, capitalized on a strong start and timely plays down the stretch to fend off a late push by the Irish (3-4).
First Half: Wildcats Set the Tone
The Wildcats came out firing, senior guard Quinn Woidke, who opened the scoring with a steal and layup before draining a transition three. Woidke’s early spark set the tone, and he finished the half with an impressive 15 points, including a buzzer-beating step-back three-pointer to extend St. Ignatius’ lead to 46-35 at the break. Senior forward Damon Friery and junior forward Roy Jones also chipped in with pivotal baskets as the Wildcats built a double-digit lead.
For the Irish, junior DeCarlo Prince and freshman Ascen Lomack provided much-needed offense, while senior center John Whorton showcased his versatility, knocking down shots inside and from beyond the arc.
Second Half: Irish Fight Back
Trailing by 11 at halftime, St. Vincent-St. Mary clawed their way back into the game behind the relentless efforts of Whorton, who led all scorers with 26 points. Lomack continued to shine, displaying poise beyond his years with crafty drives and timely three-pointers.
The Irish trimmed the deficit to as little as one point late in the third quarter, thanks to Lomack’s step-back three that brought the score to 52-51. However, St. Ignatius answered with a clutch corner three from senior guard Kyle Niehaus, closing the quarter with a 56-51 advantage.
Down to the Wire
The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with St. Vincent-St. Mary refusing to go away. Whorton’s three-pointer with 4:22 remaining pulled the Irish within seven, and a subsequent trey from Lomack kept the game within striking distance. However, the Wildcats showcased their composure, as Alex Mack and Jimmy Thomas delivered critical buckets to maintain the lead.
Despite a late flurry by the Irish, highlighted by a contested three-pointer with 9.3 seconds left, the Wildcats sealed the game at the free-throw line, with Thomas knocking down the final two to secure the 78-73 victory.
Standout Scoring Performances
St. Ignatius:
Quinn Woidke: 22 points
Jimmy Thomas: 14 points
Alex Mack: 13 points
St. Vincent-St. Mary:
John Whorton: Game-high 26 points
DeCarlo Prince: 18 points
Ascen Lomack: 18 points