The Notre Dame Academy Tritons controlled the game from start to finish on Tuesday, January 27, defeating the Green Bay Preble Hornets 73-40 in a Fox River Classic Conference matchup.
The opening minutes were marked by strong defense on both sides, as scoring came slowly.
However, once Notre Dame got started, they were difficult to stop, as an and-one from senior Kaia Waldrop and a three pointer from Aspen Abel gave the Tritons a 6-2 edge.
That sequence sparked a run, and Notre Dame pushed the lead to 10-2 with 12 minutes remaining in the first half.
From there, the Tritons took firm control on both ends of the floor. Brianna Breese found her rhythm from beyond the arc, knocking down three three pointers and scoring 13 points by the eight minute mark.
With eight minutes left in the half, Notre Dame had opened up a 24-7 lead as Preble struggled to convert its scoring opportunities.
Despite the deficit, Teonna Thompson provided a bright spot for the Hornets, attacking the basket and leading Preble in scoring.
Still, Notre Dame’s pressure defense and ball movement proved too much to overcome.
Notre Dame continued to extend its lead in the second half, building the margin to 40 points with 12 minutes remaining.
While Preble began to find more offensive flow after halftime, the Tritons remained steady and disciplined, closing out the game for a 73-40 win.
After the game, head coach Sarah Rhode said she was pleased with how her team handled a busy week by setting the tone early.
“We have three games this week so I was really happy with how we came out and started the game,” Rhode said. “They were very aggressive toward the end, but honestly, I wanted to rest our girls a little bit because we have a really big week ahead, so I was really happy with how we got out to a quick start, and I thought we played really well.”
Rhode emphasized the importance of balance and ball movement as the Tritons prepare for upcoming challenges.
“We are trying to keep doing what we are doing, playing good defense, sharing the ball on offense, working the three point shot, working our inside game with Kaia (Waldrop) and Brianna Breese,” she said. “I thought we shared the ball really well tonight, and that’s something I want to keep building off of, going into West De Pere Thursday and Arrowhead Saturday.”
Defense, Rhode said, remains the foundation of Notre Dame’s success.
“We talk a lot about how our defense creates offense and I think our girls are really starting to buy into that,” she said. “Our press is something we have been working on all season, and I feel like it’s kind of picking up for us. In the half court as well, we take a lot of pride in that. In the second half I thought we got a lot of good stops, and I thought our defense was solid.”
Senior Kaia Waldrop echoed that mindset, emphasizing the team’s unselfish approach and collective effort.
“It is really special to me knowing that I can score as much as I can but also give my teammates the opportunity to do that,” Waldrop said. “We had a wide range of scorers, and we won collectively, and that was really important to me.”
Waldrop said wins like this highlight Notre Dame’s depth and energy.
“A win like this is fun because everyone can get on the court, where everyone is scoring, everyone is able to contribute in different ways, and really just bring energy when everyone goes in,” she said. “That’s the main point.”
She added that the Tritons stayed focused on details as they prepare for a challenging end to the week.
“I think this game was focused on the little things, mainly, ‘let’s focus on our defense’ and ‘let’s focus on our press,’” Waldrop said. “We have two really big games at the end of the week with West De Pere and Arrowhead and we really wanted to focus on the little things and come out and bring a lot of energy.”
With the win, Notre Dame continued its strong conference play, showing depth, discipline, and defensive intensity heading into a pivotal stretch of the season.
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