TAMPA, FL - The Saint Ignatius Basketball team went south for their Christmas break, heading to Tampa, Florida, for the Cookie Garcia Jesuit Invitational Tournament at Tampa Jesuit High School. Although they did not win the tournament, it was still a successful week for Head Basketball Coach Cam Joyce and his squad, going 2-1 and securing third-place honors. 

Saint Ignatius faced a fellow team up north in the opener, squaring off with the Canisius Crusaders, hailing from Buffalo, New York. From the start, it was obvious that the Wildcats were clicking on all cylinders, finishing the first eight minutes with a 21-5 lead. The Wildcats were even more dominant in the second frame, allowing only three points and dropping in 24 of their own, making it a 37-point game at the break. 

Saint Ignatius shot 80% from deep and 77.8% overall in the third quarter, continuing to tack onto the lead. The backups played all of the fourth quarter, sealing the deal on an 80-23 win. The points were evenly spread out, with only Damon Friery and Quinn Woidke being in double digits. Sam Springer had a nine-point outing with two trifectas and Ezekiel Alfonso also hit two threes and finished with eight tallies. 

On Thursday, the Wildcats entangled with the St. Joseph Prep Hawks, hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Like Saint Ignatius, the Hawks had several Division I prospects on their squad, making this quite the matchup. The teams went back and forth in the first quarter, with neither team able to string together offensive runs and the quarter ended 14-12 in favor of the Hawks. 

The second quarter was the best for the Wildcats, pouring in 27 points and connecting on over 40% of three-pointers, giving them a three-point advantage as the teams went to the locker rooms. Much like the first quarter, the third frame was a stalemate, with the lead changing numerous times and both teams scoring 16 points to keep Saint Ignatius up three with eight minutes left. Despite the efforts of Quinn Woidke, who finished with a game-high 27 points, the Hawks were able to control the final quarter, and with time winding down, Friery missed a three-pointer, giving the Wildcats their second loss of the season, falling 73-70. 

In their final game of the tournament, the Wildcats battled against the Dallas Jesuit (TX) Rangers in the third-place game. Being their third game in as many days, it was not a shock that both teams came out slow, with the first quarter being a grind that the Rangers took a three-point lead out of. The sloppy brand of basketball continued into the second, as Dallas Jesuit extended the lead to 29-24 at halftime. 

The Wildcats finally found their energy coming out of the break, being the much better team in the third quarter and taking a one-point lead into the last quarter. Reece Robinson was pivotal in protecting the lead in the fourth quarter, as most of his 23 points and 12 rebounds came in the previous frame, helping to secure a 71-59 win and third place in the tournament. 

AKRON, OH - It was a quick turnaround for the Wildcats, who flew home Saturday morning and had a heavyweight bout scheduled in Akron against St. Vincent-St. Mary, a program that has quickly become a rival for Saint Ignatius.

The fifth rendition of coach Cam facing off against his father Dru came with the matchup. In the first quarter, the wear on the Wildcats was apparent, letting the Fighting Irish jump to an early lead before the Wildcats battled back to go up two at the end of the frame. 

Saint Ignatius took over the game in the second period, scoring 26 points behind a string of six consecutive made threes, mainly by the Wildcat reserves and putting the visitors up 14. The Fighting Irish put together a solid third quarter, holding the potent Wildcat offense to 17 points and chopping the lead down entering the final quarter.

Both teams had substantial scoring outputs, with the Wildcats dropping 28 and the Irish answering with 22 of their own, but in the end, Saint Ignatius took home an 18-point victory heading into the new year. Quinn Woidke led with 22 points, and his brother Max added a career-high 11 off the bench. Mike Lamirand also had 11, and Jack Zapolnik had a solid 14-point outing. 

The Wildcats are 8-2 overall after the holiday break and will tip off 2024 with a rivalry game against St. Edward from Sullivan Gym on Friday at 7 p.m.