The Mercy Academy basketball team isn’t blessed with an abundance of size, but the Jaguars rebounded like giants Wednesday afternoon.
Mercy posted a 47-22 advantage on the boards and also shot well from 3-point range to defeat Eastern 68-51 in the second round of the Republic Bank/Coca-Cola Consolidated Louisville Invitational Tournament at Bellarmine University’s Knights Hall.
Six-foot-2 reserve Danielle Feldkamp led the Jaguars with nine rebounds and 6-0 starter Camryn Muss added five. But the guards got into the action as well, as 5-9 Josie Woods had seven rebounds and 5-3 guards Maria Schmitz and Jessica Laemmle had five apiece.
They helped Mercy outscore Eastern 19-5 in second-chance points.
MORE COVERAGE | Mercy-Eastern photo gallery
“Effort and heart,” Mercy coach Keith Baisch said. “We tell the kids all the time that rebounding is about passion. You have to have that heart and desire to go get a ball. … The box outs, it seemed like we weren’t missing any today.”
Madison Woods hit 3 of 5 3-point tries and scored 16 points to lead Mercy (14-8), No. 14 in the state in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings. Josie Woods added 13 points, and Laemmle had 12 points and six assists.
The Jaguars finished 8 of 19 (42.1 percent) from 3-point range and avenged a 77-61 loss to Eastern on Nov. 30.
“They’re an incredible shooting team, and tonight we didn’t let them get a lot of shots off,” Laemmle said. “We made them use their opposite hands and put them in positions where some of their other players had to take shots.”
Mikayla Kinnard had 18 points to lead No. 6 Eastern (13-5), which was playing its first game since a 72-64 victory over Pleasure Ridge Park on Jan. 15. Coach Josh Leslie said the long gap between games showed in his team’s lack of conditioning.
“For the LIT, you have to be game-shape ready,” Leslie said. “We were in scrimmage shape. And they put it on us. It felt like we were two steps slow on everything.”
Mercy was hot out of the gate, hitting 5 of 9 3-point tries in the first quarter for a 21-15 lead. The Jaguars led 36-29 at halftime and had seven assists on their 11 field goals.
“Our ball movement was so crisp in the first half,” Baisch said. “That set everything up. When you get that pass in your rhythm, that’s a huge plus.”
Kinnard’s 3-point play pulled Eastern within 47-40 with 1:35 left in the third quarter, but the Eagles never got closer. Josie Woods’ 3-pointer and Laemmle’s basket gave Mercy a 52-40 lead heading to the fourth.
For the Eagles, it was the third straight year they were eliminated from the LIT in the 3:30 p.m. second-round game.
“I feel like that 3:30 punching bag every year in the LIT,” Leslie said. “We show up at 3:30, take some body blows and head on home.”
Mercy advanced to face No. 1 Elizabethtown in Friday’s 7 p.m. quarterfinal. E’town won 68-45 at Mercy on Dec. 10.
“It’s an opportunity for us to show how far we’ve come,” Laemmle said. “Coaches always tell us we have to play the best to be the best. I’m excited, and I think our whole team is, too.”
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.
MERCY 21 15 16 16 – 68
EASTERN 15 14 11 11 – 51
Mercy (14-8) – Reese 1, Schmitz 8, Ziesloft 5, J. Woods 13, M. Woods 16, Laemmle 12, Muthler 4, Feldkamp 9.
Eastern (13-5) – Porter 4, Mishler 8, Thompson 8, Kinnard 18, Beach 2, Collins 6, Pearl 5.
3-point goals – Schmitz, Zeisloft, J. Woods 2, M. Woods 3, Muthler; Mishler 2, Kinnard, Collins 2, Pearl.