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"I wonder how many of those 'Ls' (losses) in the 50 games belonged to us," said Murray, whose teams had lost 14 of 15 previous times they played the Irish, including three times in ND's 4-year CVC streak.
"I told my teammates I had to beat them (ND) once before I graduated," said Ford, who scored 16 points, played a solid floor game and was able to dribble time off the clock in the end to thwart any Irish rally.
"We were so hyped up, and when we learned Asia couldn't play we said we'd win it for her."
"I wrote Asia's name and number on my wrist so she'd be out there with us," said Charlene Phelps, who probably played her best 'pressure game' with 12 points and seven rebounds. Twin sister Charnette continued to play inspired, raising her game another notch with 14 points, 10 boards and 6-for-6 foul shooting.
Rivera, though, was the biggest surprise as she grabbed seven boards, hit a big third period hoop, helped out with some great defense on the backline, but most of all didn't turn the ball over.
"I found out yesterday I wasstarting," said Rivera, who went from being THS' top reserve to a starter as Dowling got a 2-game bad for fighting Steinert's Christi Redondo in Tuesday's game.
"Of course I'd rather start than come off the bench, but this was new for me," said Rivera, who was a big help on the back line as she defensed ND's 3-pointers and added pressure in the post.
"The kids believed they could win without Asia," said Murray. "We had our best practice of the year (Wednesday) because they were focused. They didn't feel we were missing a part of our body. We never second guessed 'Rock' (Rivera) could do it.
"Our Wildwood game Friday (a 69-65 win) was a big game and made us stronger because they came away believing they could compete with anybody."
Beating ND was a far bigger test since it was No. 3 in The Trentonian State Top 20 and No. 1 in the Area Top 20, had lost only once to a Jersey team over the last two years and was 14-0 in the CVC Colonial race. Now ND is a half game behind 15-1 THS in the division, with the teams likely to end as co-champs.
Unlike the previous three CVC meetings when Trenton got up early but couldn't hold off an ND rally, this time the Tornadoes scored eight points around Jacki Reddy's 3-pointer to take an 8-4 lead it never relinquished.
It got its lead to 19-11 over the first five minutes of the second period, a span in which Irish center Michelle Campbell got two quick personal fouls.
A 7-1 Trenton run near the end of the first half produced the first double-digit (23-12) lead. The closest the Irish got after that was 33-28 before Charlene Phelps closed the third period with a baseline layup from a Ford feed and a foul shot that put Trenton up eight.
Ford's twisting layup early in the final period that brought the loudest response from the THS fans in the packed gym got the lead to 11. Despite double-team coverage from the Phelps twins Campbell powered her way to an 8-point, 8-rebound fourth period, but this time Trenton held on as Ford kept the momentum going by dribbling time off then hitting a clinching layup at 0:52.
"I told our girls I don't think we'll play a team as talented as this the rest of the year," said ND coach Ann DeMille, who knows a third Irish/THS game isn't out of the question even though it would have to come in the NJSIAA's State Tournament of Champions next month.
"Tonight we struggled early to get into our offense, and I think their talent had a lot to do with it," added DeMille. "We played well the second half, but against a team like them you've got to do it the whole game.
"This will help us because you want to play the best teams at the end of the season. We'll respond positively from this."
The question is if THS can add to its momentum and extend a win streak that's now at 10 when it plays at West Windsor South tomorrow, faces New York parochial power St. Peter's of Staten Island Sunday at the Prime Events Shootout in Absecon, and returns to Tornado Alley Wednesday to take on a new North Jersey challenger in St. Patrick's of Elizabeth.
With the Notre Dame monkey finally off their back who knows how far the Lady Tornadoes can go from here.
