YOUNGSTOWN — Talk about an electric atmosphere.

The Holy War lived up to its billing on Friday with a packed house of the local community and outstanding student sections.

In the end, the Ursuline Fighting Irish completed the sweep of the Cardinal Mooney Cardinals 52-41 in a Steel Valley Conference game.

“Just a great rivalry game with a packed house because you gotta remember last year we didn’t get to play to these types of crowds,” Ursuline coach Keith Gunther said. “It’s nice to get that back. Looking around the gym, it looks like it’s just packed with their students. It’s packed with ours and then all the community is here for it. It was just a great atmosphere and great for basketball.”

Early on, the Cardinals (11-8, 3-3) answered the bell with Ashton O’Brien hitting two early 3s to quickly make it 6-0.

However, the Irish (12-8, 4-2) answered with Nick Bako hitting two 3s en route to a 18-0 Ursuline run in the opening quarter.

O’Brien along with Rocco Turner led Mooney with 15 points each.

“They came out of the gates hitting those two 3s,” Gunther said. You could tell they were ready. We put in a new zone press and you can tell they had it scouted pretty well. They kicked it out to the corner twice, knocking down the 3s. We had to adjust. We bounced right back, didn’t fall into a mode and we made some shots and got on a serious run. I thought man, we’re about to push ahead here.”

Though this time Mooney didn’t let the game get out of hand like it did exactly a month ago when they lost to the Irish 51-27.

Instead, Jack Pepperney hit a 3 before the end of the quarter to make it 18-9.

That shot seemed to carry over into the second quarter as both teams got into a defensive struggle making just two field goals a piece as it was just a 23-15 Irish lead at the half.

“We just started turning the ball over,” Gunther said. “We started playing slow, trying to move the ball too much instead of moving it one time and letting Terrance (Pankey) go and attack. I thought that was a difference in the second quarter. They made shots. We played timid and turned it over.”

Pankey led the Irish with a game high 22 points.

“I think the game was kind of even after that barrage of 3,” Mooney coach Casey Palermo said. “I thought we got some really good looks early on in the game. We got the ball in the middle a number of times. We got some open looks but we just couldn’t cash them.”

In the third quarter, the Cardinals got it within seven, 29-22, after a Jaxon Menough bucket, but the Irish closed the half out on a 6-2 run to build their lead to 35-24 heading to the fourth quarter.

“Coming out in the third, I thought we played extremely well,” Gunther said. “I thought we attacked. We thought we moved the ball. I thought (Jayden) Payne did a good job on the glass and Terrance did a good job of attacking. I think really overall, we did a good job on Mick. He’s their go to guy.”

Mick Hergenrother was held to just three points for the Cardinals.

Mooney got it with seven again in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t get the necessary shot or stop they needed to put pressure on the Irish.

“Everything they do is centered around Terrance Pankey,” Palermo said. “They play really well around him. They have a lot of shooters. You just have to do the best you can to keep him out of the paint, whether it’s him scoring or creating for the other guys. He’s just an extremely talented player.

“We just wanted to do the best we could to stay in front of him. That’s hard as hell. We tried to start in zone and they came out and hit four or five 3s in the first quarter. We told our guys to just stay in front of Pankey as best you can, help and then recover the shooters and take your chances.”

Midway through the fourth quarter, Turner tried to get Mooney back into it with 3s to get the Cardinals within eight, eight, and seven throughout the quarter only to see Ursuline respond with big shots from behind the arc, in the paint, and from the charity stripe.

“Rocco started knocking down some 3s,” Gunther said. “They got some easy drives, but we were able to keep that beat. I don’t think it ever got below seven. I thought we just played really tough defense and hit the glass pretty decently. Hats off to them. They never quit. A couple of times they hit some shots and gave themselves some hope. Just a great rivalry game with a packed house.”

Mooney kept applying the pressure throughout the fourth quarter and played the Irish even through quarters two, three, and four, but were done in by their opening quarter.

“It was huge,” Palermo said. “I’m looking at our kids in the locker room. Their uniforms are drenched in sweat. They played hard. I think we matched their effort and maybe even exceeded it for the game. I don’t know if we outplayed them, but we definitely played with them. We were right there, but unfortunately they had our number.”

Gunther applauded the Mooney tenacity with their 1-2-2 pressing slowing down his team with how effective it was at times.

“We couldn’t get out and run like we wanted to because you got to move the ball and make sure you’re not turning it over and try to find gaps,” Gunther said. “I thought Terrance was just amazing in the second half of getting to the bucket. We made our free throws and were able to maintain the lead. Defensively, we were pretty gritty all night long.”