Rams coach Lisa Gedaka likened the rivalry to a Big 5 basketball game.
"It could be the No. 1 team in the country against the No. 200 team in the country, but it's going to be a battle to the end," she said.
The theory again proved accurate Saturday. The teams were tied with less than two minutes left before Gloucester pulled away.
"I'm a junior, and I couldn't be more grateful to have one more chance to play in this game," said Gloucester guard Kathleen Velez, who led her team with 10 points and hit 4 of 5 free throws in the fourth quarter.
"So far, we've had three great wins against Gloucester Catholic since I've been here. And to be a part of this win, in front of such a big crowd, is an amazing feeling."
Though fierce rivals, both teams play similar styles. Both are well-coached and preach a patient, methodical, defense-centered game.
It's rare to see a final score this low without plenty of turnovers.
But neither team gave the ball up very often. Instead, the two teams went back and forth, making crisp passes and fighting for open shots, which were consistently hard to find.
"Something that we've really harped on is defining what's a great shot for us," said Gloucester coach Sean Gorman, whose Lions (10-2) have won seven straight. "Any good offensive team, I think, has a knack for knowing what those shots are and then insisting on only taking those shots.
"And I think we've identified what our good shots are. And if it takes 10 seconds or a minute, they'll wait for a good shot, which is a real advantage for us."
Gloucester held in check the Rams' 6-foot-2 center, Nicole Fallon (three points), and it occasionally came at the expense of its perimeter defense.
