Fenwick girls basketball forward Tricia Liston put on a show in the first half of the Friars’ match-up against Marian Catholic on Saturday afternoon. The Duke-bound senior scored 21 of her 37 points in the first two quarters of action to lead her Friars to a 73-63 victory and the program’s 16th-straight East Suburban Catholic Conference title.
A 27-2 run in the first half brought Marian Catholic to its knees. When the damage was done, Liston had scored 16 points – including four three-pointers – and the Friars led 34-18. During the run, Kathleen Roche scored eight points for the Friars (25-2, 10-0), who went into halftime up 55-42.
Liston thwarted any chance of a Marian Catholic comeback in the fourth by hitting 7-of-8 free throws with under two minutes to go.She also finished with 13 rebounds and hit a total of five three-pointers in the game. Roche, who has improved immensely since returning to the lineup from a shoulder injury, finished with 14 points and three rebounds.
Simone Law led the Spartans (22-7, 8-1) with 22 points and nine rebounds. Valerie Finnin added 15 points.
“We took away the perimeter in the first half, which worked pretty well,” said Fenwick head coach Dave Power. “But while we did that Law was able to score some points.
In order to control the lead, we had to give up something.”
On Feb. 3, the Friars walloped Joliet Catholic 69-28 on Senior Parent’s Night in Oak Park. Liston tallied a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds. Danielle McGruder added 10 points for the Friars in the win.
The night before, Fenwick defeated Lake Zurich 56-50 in its final Sweet 16 Tournament game. Liston scored 20 points in that win.
The fifth-ranked Friars are the top seed in the Class 4A Lake Park Sectional. They’ll host the Oak Park Regional beginning on Monday with Conant and Schaumburg going head-to-head at 7:30 p.m. Fenwick will play the winner of that game on Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. The regional title game is scheduled for Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m.