Basketball Recap: Saint Viator Falls Despite Big Games from Ava Garcia and Bella Gounaris

Saint Viator was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were three points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 60-57 heartbreaker at the hands of the Lake Forest Academy Caxys. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Lions have suffered since January 4, 2024.

Bella Gounaris

Points (Career)

02/04/25 @ Lake Forest Academy	21
12/07/24 vs Prairie Ridge	19
01/18/25 vs Northside	18
12/05/24 @ St. Francis	17
01/07/25 @ Maine West	16

Despite the loss, Saint Viator had strong showings from Bella Gounaris, who went 8 for 17 on her way to 21 points, and Ava Garcia, who went 7 of 17 en route to 18 points. Those 21 points gave Gounaris a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Maggie Ratzki, who posted eight points and four steals.

Saint Viator's defeat dropped their record down to 17-11. As for Lake Forest Academy, they have been performing well recently as they've won 12 of their last 15 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 18-5 record this season.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Saint Viator will head out to take on Nazareth Academy at 7:00 p.m. on February 11th. As for Lake Forest Academy, they are taking a road trip to face off against Deerfield at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Lake Forest Academy has three straight wins, Deerfield has eight straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the court.