Seamless Transition: Rubel Twins propel St. Vincent to state tournament

After seeing their impact on the volleyball team, it should come as no surprise that the Rubel twins were going to propel the St. Vincent girls' basketball team back into the state tournament.

Joining forces with Allie Patrick, Kate and Brie Rubel combined to score 27 points to lead the Lady Indians to a dominating 55-25 win over Chaffee to win the Class 2 District 3 championship on Saturday, March 1, in Chaffee, Mo.

Patrick led the Indians with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting, all from the three-point line. Kate scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting including 4-of-5 from the free throw line and six rebounds. Brie added 13 points with two assists and seven rebounds.

Led by Lana Adams' seven assists, the Indians have demonstrated an ability to move the ball and find the open shooter, especially from behind the arc, where they were 9-of-21.

"We just pass to whoever's open and everyone knows how to drift and get open," Kate Rubel said. "So it's a good system."

The Indians previously defeated Charleston 66-27 on Thursday to set up a showdown against the hosting Red Devils, who went undefeated on their home court during the regular season.

"It's definitely amazing," Kate Rubel said. "It's a different environment and we love it."

The Rubel sisters transferred from Notre Dame High School over the summer. While St. Vincent has won its second district title in three years, the Rubels have now won three straight titles.

"It shows our work ethic and how hard we worked at practice," Brie Rubel said, "especially this team."

As a family, the Rubels have had a rich history within the Notre Dame girls' program. Including the contributions of older sisters Tori and Lexi Rubel, both currently playing college basketball, the Bulldogs are riding a district title streak of six, including a final-four appearance.

Brie and Kate found that the transition from Notre Dame to St. Vincent, two Catholic schools from two different counties 35 miles apart, was seamless.

"From the first day we got there last year, they were super welcoming," Kate Rubel said. "A lot of people came up to say hi. Volleyball was also super welcoming and basketball definitely was. It just meant a lot to us."

"They were very welcoming," Brie Rubel said, "the crowd, the town, the team, everyone just wanted us to fit in well and we did that."

Just like how they led the volleyball team to the final four, the Rubels look to advance to the Class 2 final four. Much like in 2023, the Indians (24-3) have been dominated all season, having lost only three games on the road or neutral sites against Class 4 and 5 powers. They won the Holiday Classic championship over Jackson earlier in the season and are one of the few teams to beat Class 1 juggernaut Delta not once but twice in the same season.

St. Vincent, which is 7-0 at home this season, will host St. Paul Lutheran of Farmington on Tuesday, March 4, in the Class 2 Sectional 2 game. The winner will advance to the quarterfinal round at a location to be determined.

With the combined forces of Valle Catholic, the Giants went 20-7 on their way to win the Class 2 District 4 title.

"It's just gonna come down to who wants it more," Kate Rubel said.