Laura Bagwell-Katalinich may be the best player you've never heard of.

At least Academy of Holy Angels coach Dan Woods thinks so.

"Laura's got to be one of the most underrated players that you'd ever want to see," Woods said. "She doesn't get enough hype, I don't think."

The Stars overcame a second half deficit to edge DeLaSalle 80-74 on Friday night in Tri-Metro West action, led by a season-high 43 points from Bagwell-Katalinich. 

She also knocked down 11 free throws in the second half in the win for Holy Angels (15-4, 4-0), and signed the obligatory autograph on a friend's arm after the performance.

"It was our fan appreciation night," Bagwell-Katalinich said. "Everyone made a point to come out."

A four-year member of the varsity basketball team, a Penn commit and 2016 nominee for the McDonald's All-American game, Bagwell-Katalinich struggled early in the game, missing her first four shots.

"It's a long game," Bagwell-Katalinich said. "Coach Woods has total faith in me. It's great to have my teammates pick me up and my coaches pick me up. That helps a lot."

One of the teammates doing the picking up was sophomore forward Megan Meyer, who made a crucial steal and scored the go-ahead layup with 51 seconds left in the game to seal the win for the Stars.

"It was pretty tough, because it was a frustrating game," Meyer said of her ability to steal the ball cleanly without fouling, alluding to the physicality and closely-called game environment. 

"I just kept in it and I tried to stay calm," Meyer said.

Staying calm is a trait that Woods said is part of the daily practice routine for Holy Angels, ranked No. 9 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News.

"We do talk about not being taken out of the game mentally," Woods said. "That's something we work on."

Woods also said that his players' intelligence makes things easier for the coaching staff.

"They're smart girls," Woods said with a smile. "You don't have to tell them five times, ten times how to do something. They know it the first time."

 


Aiza Wilson lead the balanced scoring for the Islanders with 16 points. Photo by Cheryl Myers

First Report

Senior forward Laura Bagwell-Katalinich scored a season-high 43 points as Academy of Holy Angels overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half to edge Tri-Metro West conference rival DeLaSalle 80-74 on Friday night.

The Stars (15-4, 4-0), ranked No. 9 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News, also got 13 points from sophomore forward Megan Meyer, including the go-ahead layup with 51 seconds to play, to earn the victory.

Senior guards Aiza Wilson and Teja Bodden scored 16 and 15 points, respectively, to lead the Islanders (12-7, 2-2).

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