LAWRENCE — The intensity was beaming off Aniela Kwo from the opening tip Thursday night.
Flying to the basket, sinking layups while being knocked to the ground. Battling for rebounds in traffic, diving for loose balls, and even taking an elbow to the face, fixing her goggles in transition then taking the pass and knocking down a shot.
There would be no denying Kwo — or Central Catholic — in their playoff opener.
“I can’t even describe how much I wanted it today,” said Kwo. “I wanted it for myself, and for the team. We seniors want to go out with a bang. It meant everything to go out and make a statement. We’ve had some inconsistency this year, so we wanted to keep our foot on the gas and never let up.”
That’s exactly what Kwo and Co. did.
Kwo dominated with 17 gritty points, 12 rebounds and a pair of blocks, all while battling foul trouble, and her dominance in the paint opened up the floor for the likes of Lilly Phillips — who scored a game-high 19 points — as No. 8 Central Catholic rolled over No. 25 Algonquin 64-45 in the Division 1 Round of 32 on Thursday night.
“Kwo was absolutely dominant in the paint,” said Raiders head coach Casey Grange. “Nobody can stop her when she’s on her game, and she was on today. Aniela and Lilly set the tone for us.”
The Raiders (14-7) move on to host No. 9 Franklin (16-6) in the Round of 16 on Sunday at 2 p.m.
“We came out with intensity and didn’t miss a beat,” said Kwo. “We played with physicality and we came out with a huge win. I am so proud of the team.”
The Eagle-Tribune All-Star forward and the Raiders came out absolutely flying, opening the game with a 12-2 run, and taking a commanding 28-8 lead after one quarter.
Kwo was in command under the basket, scoring a pair of baskets in the first quarter, adding six more points in the second quarter, then delivering seven more hard-earned points in the third quarter to erase any thought of an Algonquin rally.
But just as impressive was her work on the boards and her aggressive, low-post defense, leaving Algonquin timid and settling for outside shots.
“I always try to play physical with every opponent I face,” said Kwo. “I feel like it’s just part of my game, and I try to do that every time I’m on the court. And the girls did a great job getting me the ball under the basket.”
While Kwo did her work in the paint, Phillips was hot from the outside.
The junior knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to set the tone in the first quarter, part of a 10-point opening frame, then added nine points the rest of the way as the Raiders cruised to victory.
“We really wanted to show everyone what we’re made of in our first playoff game,” said Phillips. “We wanted to come out with intensity, and it showed. Our defense set the tone, and the offense came naturally. We are so excited for the next round. We can’t wait.”
Central Catholic 64, Algonquin 45
Central Catholic (64): Kerri Finneran 2-6-10, Aniela Kwo 8-1-17, Lilly Phillips 6-4-19, McKenna Devanney 4-1-10, Addison Beers 2-0-4, Caroline Vient 2-0-4, Kate Galvin 0-0-0, Syenna Diaz 0-0-0, Sarah Wilson 0-0-0, Sarah Parker 0-0-0, Cecilia Gilbert 0-0-0. Totals 24-12-64
Algonquin (45): Aliyana Campos 3-0-6, Ashlee Dameri 5-2-13, Isabella Mello-Furtado 1-1-3, Brooke Adams 3-2-10, Aleena Garge 3-2-10, Margret Breeze 1-1-3. Totals 16-8-45
Threes: CC — Lilly Phillips 3, McKenna Devaney; A — Ashlee Dameri, Brooke Adams 2, Aleena Garge 2
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