Mariana Hurtado is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Notre Dame Prep for AZPrep365.com

The Notre Dame Prep Saints girls basketball team did not hold back against the Chaparral Firebirds in the AIA 5A state championship, knocking them out with 73-44 victory in the second round.

Last season, the Saints got eliminated by Mountain Pointe during the first round of the playoffs. 

“This time I was like, we have to make it past round one of the 5A, which technically we did with the bye, and then now we are on to round three, so I’m excited,” coach Patricia Hollerbach.

Hollerbach is looking to bring the first state championship to the Saints.

 “It feels really good, I’m so proud of the team and everyone,” senior and team leader Ava Pautz commented on how it feels to be this far in the season and now the playoffs.

The Firebirds (4-13) managed to get so far in the playoffs despite only four wins. They not only won a play-in game but then they won again before meeting up with Notre Dame (16-2) but the Saints ran away with this game.

“To start the game and like in the first half we moved the ball really well and we kinda got shaky at the start of the second half but picked it back up,” Pautz said after having an amazing start to the game, scoring 15 points in the first half. 

The score at halftime was 34-18 with the Saints having the lead in both quarters. The team’s main priority is to support teamwork and everybody having the ball multiple times during the game.

“Everyone playing together and we all support each other like we always do but it was just really intense, we just came together as a team,” said freshman and team leader Ayla Keefe, who also had a great start to the game, scoring a couple of quick buckets.

As the game progressed, both teams started to play defensively and made it harder for their opponent to score but that did not stop the Saints from bringing the win and advanced to the quarterfinals.

By the end of the game, Pautz tallied 22 points while Keefe put up 19.

The Saints next face off against the Millennium Tigers (13-5) with the winner moving on to the semifinals on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.

“We are going to have different defensive schemes hopefully, but in all and all what we are really focused on is teamwork, just team everything,” said Hollerbach.

“We have a lot that we have been practicing on for weeks now, preparing for Millennium, our expectation is to come ready, we know what we need to do it’s just we have to execute,” Keefe said. 

“Execution is a big thing. Our coach has prepared us well and it just comes to all the little details like defense, boxing out, looking up the lane."  Pautz added.