Lady Falcons edge Crusaders

WEST BURLINGTON - Holy Trinity Catholic lost another heartbreaker to West Burlington Friday night... but just barely.

The Crusaders rallied with four points in the final 40 seconds but came up one short as the Lady Falcons outlasted HTC 54-53 in SEI Superconference south girls' basketball action in West Burlington.

Holy Trinity got 28 points from Mary Kate Bendlage, eight in the final period, as the Crusaders mounted a 12-7 fourth quarter run, but couldn't get over the hill.

The HTC girls didn't get on the board for the first four minutes until senior Kayla Box converted a 3-point play after getting fouled to cut the lead to 4-3. West Burlington would carry a 2-point lead into the second quarter, but would suffer the loss of senior McKenna Marlow for the game to a leg injury.

The Falcons would push the lead to eight at 19-11, but the Crusaders would respond with a 16-12 run through the end of the second quarter to trail by four 31-27.

The Crusaders would tie the game at 39 in the third quarter after a 12-8 run wiped out the Falcons lead. The Falcons would respond with a 10-2 run of their own midway through the fourth quarter, just enough to hold on for the win.

Box finished with 11 points and Presley Myers had six for the Crusaders. Abbey Bence led West Burlington with 27. Taren Havener finished with 17 for the Falcons (7-2 SEI Superconference South, 9-2 overall).

Holy Trinity (4-5, 6-6) takes on Fort Madison Saturday for the school's annual cake auction, in a girls'/boys' varsity double header.