The Notre Dame Prep girls junior varsity basketball team showcased it young talent in Monday’s game at South Mountain, beating the Jaguars, 38 - 25.  

The Saints got off to a slow start as they trailed 9-7 at the end of the first quarter, but their play sharpened in the second quarter. Notre Dame displayed a strong man-to-man defense and inside game throughout the entire second half.

“Our post play is probably our biggest strength,” said Notre Dame head coach Andy Kiltz. “We have two big posts and they’re our two leading scorers.”

The “two big posts” are sophomore Alivia Pautz, who has averaged 14 points per game this season, and Kelly Ortega, who has averaged about eight points per game.

Kiltz said he is proud of the way the girls have performed under pressure this year, especially because this year’s team is relatively small and comprised of younger players with less experience.

“There are only 15 girls in the [Notre Dame Prep basketball] program this year,” Kiltz said. “We have a lot of younger girls, freshmen and sophomores, who overlap, who play on both JV and varsity teams.”

Several of the younger players were standouts during Monday's game.

In the third quarter Maggie Clements, a freshman,  sank a free throw, helping Notre Dame take a 26-19 lead, and South Mountain couldn't make up the deficit as Notre Dame play in the fourth quarter.

Like Kiltz, Notre Dame assistant coach Ian Mercado remarked on the small size of the team, and, more broadly, the diminishing participation in girls basketball across Arizona.

“Unfortunately the number of girls playing high school basketball is down across the state,” Mercado said.  “So, I tell them not to worry about the score. My goal is always to make sure they have fun.”

South Mountain head coach Brian Willingham expressed his desire to cultivate younger players’ interest in the game, too. Considering the declining popularity of girls basketball in Arizona, he believes it’s important for freshmen to learn the game and develop a love of competition.

“The girls you saw on the court are the girls who started the season. Many of them are first-year players, so I just want them to get experience,” Willingham said.

“Our crew has played hard the whole way. I’m just proud of the effort they’ve put into it and the commitment they’ve shown all year,” Willingham said.