Not much could slow Alexis Markowski against Class A No. 7 Fremont on Friday night.
But when the 6-foot-3 center picked up her third foul early in the third quarter and took a seat, the No. 2 Thunderbolts kept striking behind the play of another standout junior.
Point guard Jillian Aschoff scored a career-high 24 points to complement Markowski's 34 points (also a career-high), and Lincoln Pius X topped the Tigers 71-62 at Pius X to improve to 19-0.
“Jillian really kind of took over there for a stretch and got other people involved,†Pius X coach Ryan Psota said. “She played very well offensively, and when Lex (Markowski) went out, she kind of put it on herself and she did a great job.â€
Markowski recorded a double-double 12 minutes into the game. By that point she had 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Tigers struggled to stop Markowski once the ball was in her hands.
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The South Dakota State recruit, however, picked up her third foul, and Fremont had a chance to improve on a four-point deficit. Instead, Pius X extended the lead.
Aschoff hit a bucket, and Mariam Miller hit a corner three-pointer to quickly push the lead to nine. Aschoff later had a three-point play and followed with a steal and layup as Pius X extended the lead to double digits.
“We had good distribution, we made some big baskets in crucial moments and surviving with Lex in foul trouble shows how dangerous we can be,†Psota said.
The Bolts also have shown how dangerous they can be with Markowski and Aschoff on the floor at the same time. The two combined to hit 25 of 34 shots against the Tigers (16-6). Markowski had 15 points in the fourth quarter, and she had 17 rebounds for the game.
“Having Lex on your team just opens up the entire court, and tonight they really stayed on her, so she opens up lanes for everyone,†said Aschoff, who leads Class A in assists (5.8 per game).
Pius X and Fremont each had strong shooting nights. The Tigers hit nine threes, sophomore Taylor McCabe scored 21 points and senior Sydney Golladay had 16, including four threes.
The start of Friday’s game looked more like a track meet with Pius X taking a 23-18 lead after the first quarter.
“I don’t mind that,†said Aschoff, who can turn up the speed dial when she gets the ball in transition. “It’s more fun, getting out and running.â€
But the Bolts’ defense played a key role in the third quarter with Markowski on the bench, holding Fremont to seven points in the frame.
Friday’s contest was a rematch of the Heartland Athletic Conference Tournament final won by Pius X (61-43).
Lincoln Pius X boys 73, Fremont 47
Following a recent three-game skid, the Thunderbolts notched their third straight victory with the win against Fremont on Friday. Sam Hoiberg led Pius X with a game-high 16 points, followed by Kolbe Rada and Mitchell Sebek, who both scored nine. 12 different Bolts scored as Pius X improved to 15-5 this season.