Christendom women's basketball: headed to the USCAA National Championship game. The team stunned #2 Penn State Beaver and #3 Central Maine on Monday and Tuesday night to advance to the championship game in Petersburg, Virginia — a first in college history and a testament to the determination, talent, and resilience of this year's team.
Christendom, who went 23-5 in the regular season and entered the National Championship tournament as the #7 seed, began their tournament run with a key win over Penn State Shenango 76-52 on Sunday, earning them a trip to the quarterfinals. Mary Pennefather led the team with 33 points and 16 rebounds in the play-in game, while Catherine Thomas dropped 15 points of her own.
On Monday, the team walked into Virginia State University, hoping to finally defeat #2 Penn State Beaver. Penn was the team that knocked Christendom out of the National Championship tournament last year and had defeated the team earlier in the season, giving Christendom a large chip on their shoulder as they entered the game. From the jump, Christendom dominated, going up 37-19 by the end of the first half. Thomas found a groove and did not stop until the final whistle, ultimately dropping 46 points and seven 3-pointers — both USCAA National Championship tournament records. Her offensive performance helped drive Christendom to a 71-38 upset win, snapping Penn State Beaver's 21-game winning streak and sending Christendom to the semifinal matchup against Central Maine on Tuesday night.
Central Maine, on paper, gave Christendom an even tougher matchup. The team, ranked #3 in the tournament, went 28-1 during the season, including winning 25 straight games. From the start of the game, they carried that momentum hard against Christendom's defense, going up a daunting 17-6 in the first quarter. Rather than give in, Christendom showed their resiliency in the most important moment of their season, playing a much stronger second quarter to cut the score to 24-31 going into the second half. Pennefather, a major force all season, had an outstanding third quarter, dropping 14 points to give Christendom a 51-40 lead going into the final 10 minutes of the game. Central Maine fought hard in these final minutes, but Christendom fought even harder, feeling a National Championship game berth within reach. At last, they held on, grabbing a 60-48 upset win and a trip to their first-ever National Championship game.
Pennefather led the team with 25 points and 12 rebounds, with Regina Bonvissuto, Thomas, and Miranda Keller also playing hard on both sides of the court to secure the Christendom win.
The team will take on Johnson & Wales Charlotte on Wednesday night at 8:15 pm in the National Championship game at Virginia State University.
The team is currently looking to raise more funds to cover costs for the tournament. To support the team's National Championship run, visit here.