Holy Cross Lady Indians win third All 'A' state title in last 4 years

OWENSBORO, Ky - For the third time in the last four years, the Holy Cross Lady Indians are All "A" state champions. They defeated Owensboro Catholic, 60-42, to win their fourth overall small-school title.

"This feeling never gets old. I love it," head coach Ted Arlinghaus said.

The Lady Indians are now on a 12-game winning streak as they head into the final three weeks of the regular season. Here's how they took down the Lady Aces.

3 keys to the Holy Cross Lady Indians' title run

3-point shooting: Over four games, Holy Cross made 34 total 3-pointers, getting better from beyond the arc as the tournament went on. In the championship, they went 7-of-10 in the first half and finished 10-of-17. Alyssa Arlinghaus had half of the triples, going 5-of-6.

Those 17 triples were the fewest they'd shot in any of the tournament games, showing their diligence with lower-percentage shots in a do-or-die environment.

"I was anticipating them playing some man, some zone because (Owensboro Catholic head coach Michael Robertson) does a great job over there. So one of the things we talked about it, let's pass up a good shot to get a great shot," Ted Arlinghaus said.

Conversely, they held the Lady Aces to just 2-of-16 from beyond the arc, including a 0-for-7 mark in the first half. Arlinghaus is content with giving up contested 3-pointers and they did a good job of pressuring the Lady Aces. The shots for the home team just wouldn't fall.

Fast starts: In the state tournament, Holy Cross averaged 33.3 points in the first half. That's really a conglomeration of the defensive pressure they apply and a fast-paced offense with multiple scoring options.

In the championship game, it was two Jai Johnson 3-pointers that gave the Indians a 15-8 lead after eight minutes. She combined with Riley Eberhard and Alyssa Arlinghaus to score 15 of the team's 18 second-quarter points. They also limited Owensboro Catholic to nine field goal attempts in the stanza and 21 in the first half.

Total team effort: Arlinghaus likes to mention that Holy Cross assists on nearly 75 percent of its baskets. While that number was slightly lower on Sunday, there are a few other numbers that tell the story of this team's togetherness.

Six different players recorded a rebound, led by Paige Arlinghaus's six. Johnson, Eberhard and Alyssa Arlinghaus all recorded three steals, and five different players made multiple field goals.

Between the semifinal win over Lexington Christian and the championship, Holy Cross went back to its hotel to rest. Johnson said she and a few teammates made TikToks, spending a little more energy than they should have, but helping take the edge off playing Owensboro Catholic on its home floor.

"All we were running off of was energy from each other. Everybody was telling each other, 'Let's go. Let's get this last win,'" Johnson said.

Holy Cross held Owensboro Catholic leading scorer Taylor Mannahan, who averages 14.2 points, to just 4. The only players who met or exceeded their season averages were Katie Hagan (13 points) and Sophia Newby (11 points).

What's next for Holy Cross?

The Lady Indians have completed just two of their five goals for this season. That's not to say they've underachieved; they simply haven't come to the other three challenges yet.

Holy Cross returns to Northern Kentucky to face Scott on Feb. 5 before playing Huntington Prep in the Camel Classic on Feb. 7.

They'll most likely be the two-seed in the 35th District tournament in late February. Winning that bracket is the third goal, which will set them up for the fourth goal, the Ninth Region tournament. Of course, their final feat to be achieved is always winning the state championship.

"This is just one part of the step in order to get to the state championship and winning regionals. It builds our momentum up," Eberhard said.

An all-tournament honoree who transferred from Notre Dame, Eberhard made a little history of her own. Her mom, Camie, won the All "A" tournament with Bishop Brossart in 1999. Arlinghaus believes they are the first mother-daughter combo to claim small-school state titles.

Holy Cross 60, Owensboro Catholic 42

Holy Cross: A Arlinghaus 8 0 21, Johnson 6 0 14, P Arlinghaus 4 1 10, Eberhard 2 2 7, Hunt 2 0 4, Sturgeon 1 0 3, Brooke Saalfeld 0 1 1. Totals: 23 4 60.

Owensboro Catholic: Hagan 5 3 13, Newby 4 3 11, Munsey 3 0 8, Mannahan 2 0 4, Martin 1 0 2, Riley 1 0 2, Boarman 1 0 2. Totals: 17 6 42.

3-pointers: HC 10 (A Arlinghaus 5, Johnson 2, P Arlinghaus, Eberhard, Sturgeon); OC 2 (Munsey 2). Half: HC 33-15.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Holy Cross Lady Indians win third All 'A' state title in last 4 years