STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Moore Catholic put together a record-setting 2024-25 season, winning four crowns along the way and finishing the campaign with a remarkable 27-2 record.
This season, Gene Henderson’s girls are on the hunt for a repeat performance and the Mavs are clicking on all cylinders thus far as they hosted Island-rival Notre Dame Academy in a CHSAA AA tilt on Tuesday in Graniteville.
Moore entered the matchup with a 6-1 overall mark, while the fast-starting Gators came in 7-2. Both clubs were 3-0 and tied atop the AA division, meaning something had to give.
Well, the home team easily laid claim to who the league’s top dog is once again as it parlayed a flawless first quarter into a 59-36 drubbing to remain unbeaten in league play as the second half of the season got underway.
Moore Catholic held NDA scoreless in the first quarter and never looked back to record the league victory. The Mavericks celebrate after a made trey. (Annie DeBiase for the Advance/SILive.com)(Annie DeBiase for the Advance/SILive.com)
The Mavs looked like a well-oiled machine in blanking the visitors from Grymes Hill, 18-0, over the game’s first eight minutes.
Moore’s size and physicality was too much for NDA as game-high scorer Mackenzie Felci registered eight of her game-high 18 points in the first. Her sister, Allie (nine points, five boards, block), buried a pair of threes in the period to spark the hot start as well.
“It’s always nice and it always helps to get off to a start like that, especially against an Island rival and strong team like NDA,” said Henderson. “We were both 3-0 coming in and we wanted to play a good game tonight as the second half gets started.”
“Our defense was really strong and we had a lot of momentum after that first quarter that really kept them at a distance the entire game,” noted Henderson.
The Mavs’ height was an issue throughout as they outrebounded the Gators by a whopping 44-25 margin and also blocked eight shots.
Moore Catholic held NDA scoreless in the first quarter and never looked back to record the league victory. Emma Costanzo (33) pushes the ball upcourt for the Mavericks. (Annie DeBiase for the Advance/SILive.com)(Annie DeBiase for the Advance/SILive.com)
Mackenzie Felci had her way in the paint and also featured a strong mid-range game as the senior corralled nine boards and blocked five shots, while altering several others. Classmate Emma Costanzo played a stellar all-around game as she filled the stat sheet with 14 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and three assists. Soph Emma Bruno-Dunn chipped in with seven markers, eight caroms, three helpers and a block, while Veronica Barbato also had seven points. Olivia Bruno-Dunn snared seven boards.
“I always say we have seven starters, but only five can start and we got contributions from a bunch of girls and I’m happy with that,” added Henderson. “Mackenzie is playing real well and she was solid tonight. We were able to defend well and use our size to our advantage. When we hold teams to 36 points, I feel we’re going to win games.”
Felci, meanwhile, was the story of the night for the Graniteville school as she duplicated her hot start with another eight points in the fourth period. She was 4 for 4 from the stripe and the Mavs shot 19 of 24 overall on freebies.
“I’m just trying to do anything I can to help the team win and we were able to get off to a strong start and keep it up the whole game,” quipped Mackenzie Felci. “We are playing well as a team so far this season and we knew NDA was going to be a tough game. We wanted to show up on our home court and we played hard on defense. We moved the ball well on offense and I was able to score with the help of my teammates.”
The Mavs’ offense cooled off a bit in the middle two stanzas, but the team’s defense kept its opponent in a hole all evening as the Gators only got the lead down to 16 early in the fourth. Their mini 6-0 run cut the lead to 38-22, but Costanzo and Mackenzie Felci made sure things wouldn’t get any closer with strong play down the stretch.
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NOTES: Moore is back in action Thursday when it hosts St. Joseph Hill at 7 p.m., while the Gators host Kennedy Catholic, Friday at 6 p.m. at the College of Staten Island … Lindsay McAllister and Samantha Foder split 12 points to lead NDA, while Aliya Monroe had five boards.