The St. Kilian Pride, a CYO seventh grade girls basketball team, won their division of the inaugural St. Kilian Girls Christmas Basketball Tournament. Their victories came against Our Lady of Grace from West Babylon and Maria Regina of Seaford.

The Pride's first round game on Saturday saw them win by their lowest score of the year. Their victory against Our Lady of Grace (OLG) was by the extremely low uncharacteristic score of 11-9, which was well below their 23 points a game average, but helping their 17 1/2 points per game against average. Jess Wadsworth was the Pride's high scorer with four points. Candace Rossi, the team's leading scorer, was held to her lowest total of the year with just three points. Sarah Khalifa and Alyssa Kildare each contributed two points each. The Pride was down at halftime 6-4, but recovered in the second half, outscoring Our Lady of Grace 7-3. Their stubborn defense held OLG scoreless in the fourth quarter.

The tournament championship game on Sunday saw the real Pride return to the court. Once again they got off to their poor traditional slow start in the first quarter being outscored 6-3. However, the girls got going in the second and third quarter outscoring Maria Regina 15-6. Maria Regina came back strong in the fourth quarter and came within two points with 20 seconds to go. A perfectly run inbounds play called during a timeout allowed the Pride to go the length of the court and score. Candace Rossi threw a long accurate pass over the top of the pressing Maria Regina team to a wide open breaking Jess Wadsworth, who had been sprung open with a down low pick set by Shannon Haas off of an inbounds box play. Wadsworth made the open lay-up and was fouled allowing her to hit a free throw for a three-point play sealing the victory at 27-22.

Wadsworth again led her team in scoring with seven points and Rossi had six points to go along with her usual team leading rebounding effort. All the Pride players scored in this game. Pride rookies, Sarah Khalifa and Alyssa Kildare, had four points and three points respectively continuing to make the Pride a stronger team with their play and on court presence. Shannon Haas and rookie Michelle Cartwright each contributed two big points coming off of strong offensive rebounds. Melissa Maier had one point, but her leadership as the number one point guard on offense and defense is one of the main reasons that the Pride are the winners that they are. Teammates Katie Wood and Katie Thompson were out of town with family for the holidays and did not play; however, they were missed.

Pride coach and tournament director, Joe Fanning, was extremely proud of his team's play. "This team has been in existence for two years, and except for a game or two now and then, they continue to improve with time and experience. They are all extremely talented athletes who work extremely hard offensively and even more so defensively," according to Fanning. St. Kilian CYO president and founder, John Ianno, was at each game played during the tournament and as always was very supportive of his teams, especially the Pride. The Pride were extremely happy to win their division in front of him. Their first-place trophies were well earned and a fitting end to a great tournament. John Ochwat's fifth-grade team and Jerry Mazza's sixth-grade team hosted their respective divisions. They did not win their divisions, but played hard and gave it all they had.

The Pride currently have a 12-3 overall season record and a 9-2 divisional record. They have clinched a playoff spot and are currently in second place in their division with only one regular season game remaining. No matter what happens in the playoffs, the Pride have lived up to their nickname and have become a very competitive hard-working basketball team whose skills continue to get better.