Three games were played Friday in the fourth annual SSA Invitational Tournament with the first and third contests coming down to the waning moments.

In the first game, Mandeville hung on to beat Metairie Park Country Day, 50-49, as a 3-point attempt by Country Day’s Katie McComisky was no good with two seconds left.

MHS had gone ahead with 1:01 to play when Kelsey Sparks hit a free throw with the game tied at 49-49.

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The Lady Skippers committed a turnover with 18.5 seconds remaining, giving Country Day a chance. The Lady Cajuns called timeout, the final shot was off and MHS captured the win.

MHS coach T.A. Ricks was happy about the win but not with his team’s performance.

Mandeville’s Amy Howard led everyone with 19 points, while Hannah Tracey and Melanie Gaines each tallied 10.

Howard said it was good to come out on the victorious end of a close contest.

“We haven’t finished a game almost all season,” Howard said. “We had them in the beginning, but we just let them back in it.”

Mandeville took a 22-11 advantage with 4:22 left in the first half, but Country Day was able to get it to 26-21 by halftime.

The Lady Cajuns scored the first points of the third quarter, but the Lady Skippers went on a 7-0 run, led by Howard, who tallied the first five points of the spurt.

The Lady Cajuns cut the lead down to 41-38 by the end of the third quarter, but MHS extended it to 47-38 with 6:15 left.

Mandeville held a 49-43 lead with 3:06 remaining.

Country Day’s Ariel Bartholomew topped the Lady Cajuns with 14 points, while Caroline Schmidt had 11 and McComisky recorded 10 points.

NCS tops

PJP

In the second game, Northlake Christian School led 24-22 after the third quarter but outscored Pope John Paul II, 16-1, in the fourth quarter to capture a 40-23 victory.

Jenni O’Rear came up big for the Lady Wolverines, scoring all 10 of her points in the final period.

“I just focused more. I did what I was taught to do, and it just worked out for the better,” O’ Rear said.

NCS seemed to be in control and took a 15-2 lead with 6:44 left in the second quarter, but the Lady Jaguars came back and got it down to 20-15 by halftime.

PJP began the second half with a 7-2 run and tied the game at 22-22 with 1:39 left in the third quarter.

The spurt began when Madison Kedinger hit for two, then NCS’ Fitzgerald hit a pair of free throws.

Then Christa Roscigno hit a 3-pointer from the left corner and Nicole Saucier hit a base-line jumper to cap the run.

Northlake Christian’s Brandi Chesne, who had eight points, hit a shot with 38 seconds left in the period to give the Lady Wolverines a 24-22 lead heading to the fourth.

Northlake Christian’s defense stepped up in the final quarter to capture the victory.

Hope Fitzgerald finished with eight points for NCS. Roscigno, Saucier and Shelly Pontiff all scored five points for PJP.

Albany edges Pearl River

The final game was also a nail biter as Albany got past Pearl River, 64-62.

PRHS had the ball with 11.9 seconds left and the game knotted at 62-62.

The Lady Hornets applied their full-court press, and Pearl River turned the ball over in the backcourt. Albany’s Julie Patterson scored the game-winning basket.

Caitlyn Harper scored 20 points for the Lady Rebels, while Missy Pichon tallied 12 and Kyra Washington recorded 11.