Dougherty shows scoring chops in Carroll comeback

MARPLE TWP. — Karli Dougherty doesn’t hesitate when she has an open shot. It’s just that the opportunities are few and far between.

The Archbishop Carroll sophomore guard has been a staple in the Patriots’ lineup the last two seasons. She has earned playing time with her hustle, rebounding and defense. She is happy to contribute in any possible. But when it comes to scoring the basketball, Dougherty defers to players like Erin Sweeney and Harlem Jennings, who are Carroll’s leading scorers.

Despite her penchant for allowing others to get the offensive glory, Dougherty has confidence that she can swish buckets from anywhere on the court. She did precisely that at the perfect time in Carroll’s come-from-behind 47-41 victory over Cardinal O’Hara Tuesday night.

Dougherty hit the game-tying 3-point shot with 3:15 left in regulation, then made the go-ahead deuce moments later to lift the Patriots to an impressive triumph. Along the way, Dougherty netted a season-high seven points. All of them came in the final quarter.

“It feels amazing,” Dougherty said. “When the shot went up, I was like, ‘That’s it, I got it.’ Everyone is equal on the team, so everyone is encouraged to take that shot. It doesn’t matter who it is. We all have a position on the court, and if you know it, you’ll get an open shot yourself. We all work together to get that. One shot is two points for all of us.”

The Patriots (8-5, 5-1 Catholic League) overcame a dreadful first half to get their fifth win in six games. Set back early by 10 turnovers, they had a tough time finding a rhythm on the offensive end. Sweeney was held in check thanks to the relentless man-to-man defense of O’Hara’s Erin Welde. Carroll attempted only 13 field goals in the opening half and trailed by eight points at intermission.

When the teams exited the locker room, they appeared to have switched places. O’Hara committed 10 turnovers and shot 7-for-17 from the floor the rest of the while. Meanwhile, Carroll outscored O’Hara, 34-20, in the final two quarters and gave the ball away just once.

“We had to start with the intensity when we got back in the second half,” Dougherty said. “We knew we had to turn it around.”

Utilizing screens and pick and rolls, Sweeney caught fire in the third quarter when she scored all 11 of Carroll’s points. After being held to four points in the first half, the junior guard finished with a game-high 22 points on 5 of 11 shooting. She was 10-for-11 at the charity stripe, including a 7-for-8 effort in the fourth period.

“My coaches just told me to keep moving and to not let them push me around,” Sweeney said. “I just had to get open and hit my shots.”

Carroll shot 52.6 percent (10-for-19) from the field in the second half.

“We realized we couldn’t play scared,” Sweeney said. “We knew we had to go after them and play our game and don’t let them interrupt what we usually do.”

Sweeney was excited to see Dougherty get her moment in the sun.

“I was hyped,” she said. “It was so good to see her (make those shots).”

After Dougherty’s back-to-back baskets, Jennings (11 points) got a steal and layup to put Carroll ahead by four points with 2:04 left to play. The Patriots sealed the win at the free-throw line.

“We’re a lot more comfortable playing with each other and we’re a lot more confident with all of our plays,” Dougherty said. “Every game is big and we know we’ve got to get every win.”

Senior guard Kerry Patterson led O’Hara (8-7, 4-3) with 14 points, five assists and three steals. Sophomore guard Amaris Baker tossed in 12 points.

“It’s really frustrating because we know we could’ve won that game,” Patterson said. “They’re a really good team, so if we were able to get that it would’ve been a really good win for us because they’re doing really well in the Catholic League. We prepared for them, but for some reason when we came out in the second half, we didn’t have it at all.”

Sydni Scott’s drive and layup early in the fourth quarter gave O’Hara a six-point advantage. The Patriots ended the game by scoring 13 of the final 16 points.

The Lions will turn their sights to a rematch of last year’s Catholic League final with Neumann-Goretti Friday night.

“We just have to learn how to finish games because they’re going to get harder as the year goes along,” Patterson said. “We have Neumann Friday and they’re going to be out for blood after the PCL final last year. We have to come out (knowing) they’re going to come out strong, too, and it’s not going to be easy for us.”

Elsewhere in the Catholic League:

Neumann-Goretti 73, Bonner & Prendergast 58 >> Dakota McCaughan poured in a team-high 20 points for the Pandas, who were done in by a 21-10 N-G run in the second quarter. Maeve McCann added 16 points in the loss. Bridie McCann and Ariana McGeary each scored eight points.