By Kim J. Harmon

 

WATERBURY – Being in such close proximity to powerhouses like Holy Cross and Naugatuck, it is understandable how the St. Margaret’s-McTernan girls’ basketball team could sometimes slip under the radar.

But local fans had to sit up and take notice last month – they just had to – as Cat Maher of Newtown not only broke the all-time school scoring record (in a 63-22 win over Pomfret) but also broke the all-time city scoring record (in a 61-30 win over Hamden Hall).

Wow.

“If she is open and she is on,” said SMMT coach Ray Behr, “she is amazing.”

Maher finished her career at the Waterbury school with 1,886 points – breaking the school record of 1,620 points held by Jess Capone (now a junior at Western Connecticut State University) and breaking the 25-year-old city record of 1,681 points held by Charlene Shepard of the former Notre Dame Academy.

Maher also finished with 180 three-pointers.

“The school record has been a goal of mine for a long time,” said Maher, 17, who reached that goal with a career-high 36-point effort against Pomfret, “and it was a great goal to achieve at home.”

Maher became a scorer from the moment she set foot in the gym at St. Margaret’s-McTernan.

“Oh – God! I have had the pleasure of knowing her since the seventh grade,” said coach Behr, “and ever since I saw her play I fell in love with her style. I love her intensity. And since she has come in we have made four straight trips to the New England (Class D) finals with one New England championship and a CISAC championship.”

The N.E. Class D championship came last year, in a win over the Wooster School (the other three trips, the Highlanders lost the title bid to St. Andrew’s of East Providence, Rhode Island). The CISAC championship came this year as Maher scored 34 points and made nine steals in a 67-30 win over – yes – the Wooster School.

“She understands the game so well,” said coach Behr, “and has the heart of a warrior.”

When Maher roared past the 1,000-point barrier last year, it was expected that she would break Capone’s school record around the middle of the 2002-03 season. And she got the chance on January 25 in the 13th game of the season.

“I wasn’t sure how close I was until I got to 30 points and coach Behr took me out and told me about it,” Maher said. “I was excited, but since we had a lot of games on the road coming up, I wanted to break (the record) in front of the home crowd.”

The Highlanders were on the road 10 days later when Maher – needing just two points – canned a three-pointer to break the all-time Waterbury scoring record.

“I didn’t find out about the city record until this year,” she said, “but it’s a nice thing to think about.”

All of this is even more amazing considering how Maher suffered a knee injury (the meniscus) during fall basketball. She had arthroscopic surgery and was ready when the team started the season with a home game against the Williams School on December 9.

“I was ready,” said Maher, “but I was a step-and-a-half slower and my shot was a little off. It was a little tough getting back into it, but I worked hard. I wore a knee brace, but I didn’t really need it. It was my security blanket.”

The Highlanders won their first four games before dropping a 55-47 decision to Kingswood of Oxford, won their next five games before suffering a 72-67 loss to Kings Low Heywood Thomas, and then won their next two before suffering a 72-55 loss to Cheshire Academy.

“We had a great season considering we lost Cait Boulier,” said Maher. “I was a little nervous because no one person could fill her shoes – we all stepped up.”

The Highlanders then went on a nine-game winning streak that took them right to the New England Class D championship game against St. Andrew’s. The loss to the powerhouse from Rhode Island (three New England championships in four years) dropped the Highlanders to 20-4.

“It’s extremely sad that it’s all over,” said Maher, “I can’t help thinking about it.”

But she will soon have other things to think about – like AAU basketball and taking her game on to Division III Babson College. Besides that, she will also have the fond memories of all her teammates and the wonderment of the two scoring records to ease her mind.