The Notre Dame Prep Saints girls basketball team is in the midst of a season unlike many before it. The Pautz sisters - senior forward Alivia and freshman wing Ava - are a driving force behind the Saints' run of success.
"They're just competitors and winners," coach Dell Mims, who took over the program in 2020, said of the sisters.
Notre Dame Prep earned a 15-2 regular season record and was ranked No. 5 in the 16-team 4A playoff bracket. Both the young and old Pautz sisters played well in the team's first playoff game. Alivia recorded nearly a double-double with nine points and ten rebounds and Ava scored 12 points and five steals - junior Charlotte Kelmon had a game-high 14 points - in the Saints' 48-22 home victory over No. 12 Combs on Tuesday night.
The playoff victory was the first for Alivia in a Notre Dame Prep uniform. The senior forward - committed to play basketball at Black Hills State University in South Dakota next year - is a four-year varsity player. In the 2021 regular season she led the Saints in average points (16.3), rebounds (11.3), blocks (2.3), steals (2.4) and assists (1.4). Since joining the team as a freshman, she has been one of Notre Dame Prep's best players. As a senior, she is also, according to Mims, one of the vocal leaders in practices.
But, despite her individual success, the Saints struggled the first three years, posting two losing records in the 2019-20 and 2017-18 seasons and still missing the playoffs with a 14-12 record in 2018-19.
But then came her little sister Ava. The freshman started on varsity right away, averaging 7.7 points in the regular season and providing tough on-ball defense against opposing dribblers.
Just a ninth-grader, Ava often defers to her sister or the other seniors when trying to hype up the squad. Mims has noticed on occasion glimmers of the future emotional leader she will become in future seasons.
Ava's insurgence into the lineup, along with the improvement of the other girls on the team, was a major factor in the Saints' recent winning streak this year.
"We were looking forward to playing together. I kind of saw how she (Ava) would fit with everyone and we knew we could have a good team," Alivia said.
Despite growing up together and playing basketball throughout childhood, the age gap between the two sisters meant they never played club basketball together. The 2020-21 high school season was the first time they were on the floor together in meaningful games.
But, despite never sharing the court, the two have always been competitive, even outside of basketball.
"It could be family board games, school, really anything," Alivia said.
And that shared spirit encourages the two to continue working on their skills.
"She (Alivia) definitely pushes me to get better, and I think I hopefully do the same for her," Ava said.
Alivia added that the pair's sister-like closeness transcends just the Pautz's, though. She has noticed a tight-knit relationship between all the Notre Dame Prep girls unlike that of past seasons.
Mims said the two have been role models for the other girls, as well.
"I'm not sure if they do anything other than school, workout and play basketball," Mims said with a smile.
"But they, along with some of the other awesome girls, have allowed us to get where we are now. A few months ago, we weren't even sure we'd have a season, but the Lord blessed us with the opportunity to play and we've taken advantage of it."
However the season ends, Alivia Pautz believes her sister, along with the other young talent on the Saints' roster, will keep the newly-acquired successful tradition going.
"We've seen some up-and-down years since I've been here, so it makes me happy to know that they will be good even after I'm gone.
No. 5 Notre Dame Prep is set to visit No. 4 Mesquite in the 4A quarterfinal on March 12. Ava knows the future is bright, but wants the Saints to do what they can to keep her sister's high school basketball career going just a bit longer.
"Right now that's what's really important to me," she said.
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