Pope John Paul finishes girls basketball game with Newman with three players

The competitive spirit of high school basketball was never more evident than Friday night at Newman.

The Pope John Paul II girls were shorthanded to start the game and ended the game with just three players.

Still, they competed amazingly well to the finish before the Greenies prevailed 45-44.

The Lady Jags went into the game without one player who was attending a wedding and another attending a funeral.

Despite missing those players, Pope John Paul II led 12-11 after one quarter and maintained the lead 22-20 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Newman took the lead, outscoring the Lady Jas 14-8 to take a 34-30 lead going to the final period.

Pope John Paul had two players foul out in the final quarter and finished the game with just three players.

Trinity Williams led the Greenies with 16 points while senior Jessica Feraci topped Pope John Paul II with 24 points.

“My girls fought hard the entire game,” said Pope John Paul II coach Christina Mamolo. “We had just five girls entering the game. We played with four most of the fourth quarter and only had three at the end. The fact that we only lost by one point shows the spirit and fortitude of the Lady Jags. I could not have asked for anything more. They played their hearts out from start to finish.”

Newman (3-5) will host Sci Academy next Tuesday at 5 p.m. while the Lady Jags (3-5) will next host Northlake Christian after a long break on January 3.