Lindahl shrugs off pain to lift GA

As Erin Lindahl gingerly walked to the sideline after the buzzer sounded to end the first half, it wasn't looking good for the Germantown Academy girls' basketball team.

The Patriots' senior guard went down hard after chasing a long rebound. As she lay on the court for a significant length of time, a return to the game didn't seem plausible.

The look on her face said it. The hush of the crowd and the body language of her worried coaches almost confirmed it.

But there was something else going on in Lindahl's head.

"I landed straight - knee to floor contact - and I thought I broke something, did something crazy," Lindahl said after GA's 53-32 win over Notre Dame on Friday.

Although the injury appeared to be one that would keep her on the bench, starting the third quarter on the floor was the only option for Lindahl, who scored a game high of 15 points.

"I was telling myself when I was down there, 'You are going to be fine, take deep breaths,' " Lindahl said. "I was trying to calm myself. When I got up, I was pretty calm at that point and I was just telling myself that I really had to play. We weren't up by that much. I wanted to get back in the game."

She didn't just get back in the game, she provided the third-quarter spark needed by the Patriots (15-2, 5-0 Inter-Ac league), hitting a huge three-pointer less than a minute into the second half to put her team up 26-22. She also pestered the Irish (11-2, 5-1) on the defensive end, giving their guards all they could handle with high pressure.

When Lindahl wasn't driving the lane or hitting outside shots, GA went inside to Lauren Oeth, who earned a double-double, scoring 12 and adding 13 rebounds.

"My team really rallied around me when I got injured," Lindahl said. "Coming together like that always helps spark something."

After the game, Lindahl looked down at her swollen right knee and called it "pretty sore."

No one ever would have known by watching her.

Notre Dame 3 17 8 4 - 32

Germantown Ac. 6 17 19 11 - 53

ND: Amanda McGurk 10, Casey Walsh 5, Rachel Ryan 4, Caitlin Clark 4, Kristen Rogers 4, Katie Mayock 3, Tess Phillips 2.

GA: Erin Lindahl 15, Lauren Oeth 12, Kendall Grasela 9, Cat Polisano 6, Lilly Bolen 4, Rachel Balzer 3, Alexa Naessens 2, Abby Starzecky 2.