Gerstell Academy girls basketball wins IAAM B Conference championship, defeats John Carroll, 41-39

It was ugly, sloppy and stressful at times, but for the 13th and final Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference game this season, the ending was a Gerstell Academy win.

The top-seeded Falcons completed a perfect conference season, winning the championship after defeating No. 3 seed John Carroll, 41-39, Sunday night at Stevenson University.

“We did it,” Falcons coach Shane Stem said. “All the work we put in and it was for this moment. We earned this moment.”

Gerstell finished the season 17-6 overall, John Carroll finished 14-8.

As both teams gave everything they had in a fight for the conference crown, Eniyah Stinnette’s go-ahead basket with 18 seconds left broke a 39-39 tie and was the difference.

“I was having trouble scoring early in the game,” Stinnette said. “I was just trying to not let my frustration get the best of me.”

The Falcons defense stepped up late, making two key plays as the Patriots failed to convert multiple attempts to tie the game after Stinnette’s basket.

Kiara Hardy’s active hands and quick instincts deflected a pass as the Patriots looked to get ball to an open Carrico behind the arc. After Stinnette’s go-ahead basket, she sealed the win with her help defense as John Carroll looked to drive inside.

“She saved us,” Gerstell’s Annie Jackson said with a huge smile. “She got what I didn’t get, saved us and we won the game.”

After a slow first half for players on both sides, everyone settled down and locked in as the scoring picked up in the third quarter.

Multiple Falcons suffered foul trouble in the first half, denying them a chance to build an offensive rhythm. However, Jackson exploded to start off a high-scoring third quarter.

Now a champion and the program’s all-time leading scorer, Jackson finished with 14 points, showcasing her outside shooting as the Falcons’ lead ballooned. Jackson impacted the game as a distributor as well, finding an open Miley Alguire for a 3-pointer to push the lead to double-digits.

Frustrated with the active hands and zone defense, the Patriots countered with beautiful ball movement.

Vivian Carrico finally got going, hitting multiple outside shots as the lead was cut down to two late in the fourth. A tough inside basket by Grace Marchetti tied the game with two minutes left. Head coach Jim Stromberg rotated Pieper McCue, Alyssa Hughes and Emma Bison as each took turns stationed in the middle of the zone ready to receive the entry pass. From there, the Patriots turned and faced the defense for a mid-range jump shot, or kicked it out quickly to Carrico and other open shooters.

But despite drawing even in the final minute, John Carroll couldn’t make the one final play it needed to overtake the Falcons.

Staring at the championship plaque with tears in his eyes, Stem and others in the Gerstell section marveled at the success and growth of the program.

Seniors like Jackson went from a three-win pandemic-plagued freshman season to an undefeated IAAM championship season that also included road wins over a defending public school regional champion Liberty, and Carroll County champion Westminster, as well as hack-to-back wins over A conference foes Mount Carmel and St. Timothy’s.

Stem and his staff knew this year was the year to strike with seniors Jackson, Stinnette, Mimi Delone and key reserve Kate Roberts. Many trusted the process and the plan Stem put in place, developing his group into champions and setting a new standard at Gerstell Academy.

“We’ve been working on this for seven years,” he said. “For years, we’ve had girls that came in, worked hard, faced adversity and showed that resilience and perseverance. That’s what brought us to this moment, it feels good to reach the top.”

IAAM B Conference Championship

Gerstell Academy — 9 6 15 11 —  41

John Carroll — 3 7 13 16 — 39

GA: Annie Jackson (14), Miley Alguire (8), Eniyah Stinnette (7),  Kiara Hardy (6), Mimi Delone (6)

JC: Vivian Carrico (9), Grace Marchetti (9), Ella Campbell (5), Pieper McCue (4), Emma Bison (4), Alyssa Hughes (3), Kallissa Coats (3), Naimah Saccoh (2)