ILVGH: State Playoff Previews

Welcome to the ILVGH State Playoff Preview Edition! We take a brief look at nine first round state playoff matchups involving teams from DXI. Congratulations to all the participating teams making it to this point and good luck! We’d like to thank all of the teams, players, coaches, parents, gameday staff members, and everyone else who have helped make this season and these articles possible! You can view the playoff schedule by clicking on DXI Girls Basketball above.

Notre Dame Green Pond v Lake-Lehman

Notre Dame Green Pond(21-5) DXI 1^st place

Score 45.4ppg; allow 28.4ppg

56% FT

3.0 3’s per game

Lake-Lehman(17-10) D2 3^rd place

Score 45.7ppg; allow 40.2ppg

64% FT

2.8 3’s per game

Winner faces: 3-2 Columbia or 4-2 Loyalsock

The Crusaders and Black Knights will meet for the second time this season at Rockne Hall. The previous meeting came in Allentown Central Catholic’s Christmas tournament and the Crusaders emerged 46-35 victors. In that game, Olivia Schweitzer had 14 points and both Ava Shonk and Carly Campbell had nine. Notre Dame took a 26-11 halftime lead. Lake-Lehman’s Ella Wilson had 23 in the loss and has gone on to average 20.9 points per game. Now, the Knights are coming off a buzzer-beating shot by senior Molly Jenkins that got her team by Western Wayne 36-34. The Crusaders are coming off two excellent defensive performances against Pen Argyl and then against Catasauqua in the DXI 3A title game. Olivia Schweitzer went for 17 in the game against the Rough Riders, while Emily Lessig and Carly Campbell have remained consistent contributors. Seniors Wilson and Jenkins may be without teammate and second leading scorer Brenna Hunt, who did not play in the last two games.

Catasauqua v West Catholic Prep

Catasauqua(16-10) DXI 2^nd place

Score 42.3ppg; allow 34.4ppg

54% FT

1.9 3’s per game

West Catholic Prep(11-13) DXII 2^nd place

Score 47.1ppg; allow 47.3ppg

1.7 3’s per game

Winner faces: 4-1 Hughesville or 2-2 Dunmore

The West Catholic Burrs enter the state playoffs having lost five of their last six. The most recent defeat came to Imhotep Charter in the District XII title game, 42-35. Three sophomores makeup the majority of the scoring for the Burrs: Cana Blake(7.3ppg), Ciani Scott(8ppg) and Jasmine Butler(10ppg). Adding to them is Nyla Coleman and her 10.2 points per game. Sakinah Abdus-Salaam(Sr) rounds out the top five for West with 7.1 points per game. The Burrs have a losing record, but many of those losses come against some of the best teams in Philadelphia, such as Cardinal O’Hara, Archbishop Wood, and Neumann-Goretti. Their most recent opponent in District XI was Bethlehem Catholic, who beat the Burrs 62-36.

Catasauqua enters states coming off a 34-26 loss to Notre Dame Green Pond in the DXI championship game. Hailey Jenkins is averaging 16.7 points per game and has taken the Colonial League by storm in her sophomore season. She scored 16 of her team’s points in the loss against NDGP. The Rough Riders bench does not go deep, as the starting five of Bear, Troxell, Jenkins, Soltis, and Becker rarely see bench points added to their totals. However, they have all proven at different points that they can score and add significant support to Jenkins’ consistent high outputs. They will need to be at the top of their game and contribute against a well-balanced Burrs squad.

Central Catholic v Northern Lebanon

Central Catholic(17-9) 1^st place DXI

Score 45.8ppg; allow 39.6ppg

61% FT

3.5 3’s per game

Northern Lebanon(19-7) D3 4^th place

Score: 41ppg; allow 34.7ppg

61% FT

3.3 3’s per game

Winner faces: 3-2 Delone Catholic or 1-2 Pope John Paul II

Head coach Kathy Davidowich believes her team is where they need to be following the return of Molly Driscoll. Driscoll had missed half the season with a foot injury and she has recently said that the time off made her appreciate the game and being able to play all the more. In their District XI playoff run, the Vikettes outscored opponents by an average of 19 points. Prior to this, Central Catholic was looking for more production from more players, such as Abbey Kofroth and Sammy Roth. They, along with Armani Brickhouse have been coming through in big ways recently. The latter two combined for 24 points in a 61-32 rout of Lehighton and 19 against North Schuylkill. Abbey Kofroth was also in double figures at the Spartans with 10 points. In Driscoll’s last outing at Martz Hall, she eclipsed the 1,000 point mark for her career in the first quarter and then lifted her team to victory after a furious Blue Mountain comeback. She had 54 points in the district playoffs and seems to be back at full strength just in time for a state playoff run.

Northern Lebanon is coming off a 54-51 loss to Bishop McDevitt in a game that had to be halted last Wednesday night after the power went out. With the score 41-39 after three quarters, the teams were forced to come back Thursday night to finish up, with McDevitt winning 54-51. Olivia Shutter is the straw that stirs the drink for the Lady Vikings, scoring 24 against McDevitt and averaging 13.2ppg for the year. The junior guard is joined by fellow sophomore guards Kasey Weimer and Hayley Sheroky, who average 9 and 8 points per game respectively. Sheroky and Shutter have combined for 70 triples on the season. While Northern Lebanon has no seniors on its roster, the Central Catholic Vikettes will be playing with and for six seniors who definitely don’t want to go home in round one.

Bethlehem Catholic v Gwynedd Mercy Academy

Bethlehem Catholic(20-5) DXI 1^st place

Score 53.7ppg; allow 37.4ppg

72% FT

8 3’s per game

Gwynedd Mercy Academy(22-5) D1 5^th place

Score 48.4ppg; allow 34.6ppg

59% FT

Winner faces: 12-2 Freire Charter or 1-4 West Chester East

 Bethlehem Catholic entered the DXI 5A playoffs as the prohibitive favorite and did not disappoint. Despite having 19 consecutive days off, the Hawks clobbered East Stroudsburg South 47-8 and routed Whitehall 53-24. Beca has a plethora of senior weapons ready to go in the state tournament, led by Cici Hernandez and her 12.9 points per game. She has hit 66 triples on the season, 20 more than teammate Ella Bincarosky. Bincarosky averages 6.5ppg and is always an outside threat. Fellow senior Akasha Santos provides a solid defensive backbone for her team, often guarding the opponent’s top scorer in man to man. Sophomores Aliyah Brame and Leah Ault round out the lineup, combining for 52 3-pointers on the year and nearly 15 points per game.  

Gwynedd Mercy enters the state playoffs familiar with District XI opponents. The Monarchs notched a 35-31 victory over Central Catholic, beat Liberty 60-45, and routed Notre Dame Green Pond 50-26. They look to keep the trend going, powered by three underclassmen. 5’10” Freshman Ali Kaltenbacher averages 9.4 rebounds per game and 5.7 points. Emilia Coleman averages 14.2ppg and Bailey Balkir brings 10.3ppg. Both are sophomores. The Lady Monarchs enter states winning five of their last six. The lone loss came to Bishop Shanahan. GMA was able to win its playback games, 52-32 over Lower Moreland and 45-42 against Radnor.

Whitehall v West Chester Rustin

Whitehall(7-17)

Score 35.2ppg; allow 47ppg

49% FT

West Chester Rustin(18-8) District 1 3^rd place

Score 46.8ppg; allow 41.4ppg

64% FT

2.5 3’s per game

Winner faces: 2-1 Scranton or 12-4 Palumbo Academy

The Zephyrs enter the state tournament losers in nine of their last ten. They reached states by way of a 46-44 victory over Bangor. Nine Zephyrs scored in that game, led by 10 from Jade Alvarez(Jr) and seven from senior Morgan Dunbar. Whitehall will have its work cut out, facing a Rustin team with two very big weapons. Riley Stackhouse(Sr. 5’8”) averages 15 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game. Most recently, she put up 21 in her team’s 50-43 victory over rival West Chester East. She also scored 24 in Rustin’s victory against Lower Moreland. Sara Betchyk, a 6-foot junior, brings n 8.2 rebounds and 9.7 points per game. Sophomore Jenna Kraft is the team’s assist leader, averaging 4.7 per game. She recently went off for 17 against East and 13 in a loss to Bishop Shanahan.

Emmaus v North Penn

Emmaus(17-11) DXI 3^rd place

Score 47ppg; allow 40.9ppg

65% FT

4.4 3’s per game

North Penn(23-5); D1 4^th place

Score  51.5ppg; allow 40.2ppg

Winner faces: 7-2 North Allegheny or 10-1 Erie

Head coach Kelsey Gallagher’s Green Hornets were at one time 5-8 on the season. Since, they’ve gone 12-3 and had some very big victories against very tough EPC competition. Most notably, Emmaus knocked off top seed Bethlehem Catholic on the road in the first round of the conference tournament. Emmaus then held on in the final moments against Liberty at the PPL Center in the semifinals before falling by 20 against Parkland. More recently, they traveled to Pocono Mountain West for a two point victory and enter states following a six point win over Liberty. This will be Snyder’s first trip to states, as the freshman floor general will experience her second consecutive win or go home game. She is joined by sophomore Gabby DeVita at the top of Emmaus’ scoring on a very deep team. At points this year, 11 Hornets have spent significant time on the floor, providing numerous opportunities to step up in big spots and gain valuable game experience. Snyder leads all scorers, averaging 10 points per game. DeVita is close behind her, averaging 9.8. Junior Cassie Doemling has come on strong lately, going for 14 in the game at PM West.

The North Penn Knights rode a 15 game winning streak into mid-February before losing three of their last five games and earning the 4^th seed in the District 1 tournament. Caleigh Sperling has the hot hand for the Knights, averaging 18 points per game. She recently put up 28 against Haverford and scored her 1,000^th career point in January. The Knights also have their own top-notch freshman in Lila Brown, averaging 8 points per game. Olivia Stone, a 5’10” senior, contributes nine points and six deflections per game.

Easton v Garnet Valley

Easton(24-3) DXI 2^nd place

Score 57.7ppg; allow 29.2ppg

70% FT

6.3 3’s per game

Garnet Valley(22-6) D1 6^th place

Score 54ppg; allow 35.1ppg

65% FT

4.6 3’s per game

Winner faces: 3-1 Central Dauphin or 1-12 Kennett

The Red Rovers, despite being defeated in the District XI title game at the hands of Parkland, still earn a home game in the state playoffs. Fifteen times have Easton’s opponents not gotten out of the 20s, while the Rovers have scored 60 or more 12 times, making for one of the largest average margins of victory across the area. The Elias sisters, Olivia Keckler, and Evalyse Cole are all now playing in a situation where each game could be their last. Cole is averaging 16.3ppg and Megan and Mallory Elias have combined for 102 triples.

Garnet Valley is coming off a 35-28 loss to Haverford on the road. Previously, Garnet had defeated Upper Dublin 50-46 to get into the 5^th place game. The Jaguars are led by a duo of junior talent in Haylie Adamski and Kylie Mullholland. In the victory against Upper Dublin, Adamski scored 19 points and Mulholland had 17. In the defeat at Haverford, the two combined for 21 points, but the team was outscored 23-12 in the second half. Freshman Addison Adamski is also a threat, averaging six points per game and is the 3^rd leading 3-point shooter on the team, knocking down 30 from range. Emily Olsen, a senior, averages 8.8ppg Even though the Jaguars have six losses, those only come against two schools: three against the Fords and three against Conestoga. This game has potential to be high scoring and very close. Easton may have more firepower on paper, but it will need to be a complete effort to get past a very complete first round opponent.

Parkland v Downingtown East

Parkland(26-2) DXI Champions

Score 55.3ppg; allow 33.6ppg

Downingtown East(20-7) D1 10^th place

Score 45.8ppg; allow 38.2ppg

Winner faces: 3-2 Dallastown or 1-7 Central Bucks East

The Downingtown East Cougars are coming off a 44-23 loss to Pennsbury in the District 1 9/10 place game. To reach the game, East defeated West Chester Henderson 31-30. The Cougars are a very young team with a lot of talent, led by sophomores Graces Hodges(9.7ppg) and Charlotte Aldridge(10.1ppg). Kendall Chiavelli, just a freshman, averages 8.8 points per game and sophomore Chloe Hunold brings in 8 per game.

Parkland is coming off another double digit victory over Easton in the DXI title game and is riding a nine game win streak. Over those nine games, the Trojans have won by an average of 16 points per game. Talia Zurinskas is averaging 14.3ppg, while Madi Siggins is scoring 15.5ppg. The Trojans shoot 74% from the charity stripe and average 5.4 3-pointers per game. Senior leadership will be key for the Trojans against the upstart Cougars who will gain a lot of experience playing on the road against a very challenging opponent.

Northern Lehigh v Mast Community Charter II

Northern Lehigh(16-10) DXI 2^nd place

Score 55ppg; allow 41.7ppg

56% FT

4 3’s per game

Mast Community Charter II(13-11) District XII 1^st place

Winner faces: 4-2 Northeast Bradford or 11-3 Marian Catholic

The Northern Lehigh Bulldogs of a year ago skidded to the end of their season. That team lost seven of its final eight and was a first round out in states at the hands of Line Mountain, 56-50. This year’s squad looks much more poised for a state playoff victory. After a 53-35 victory over Williams Valley and hard-fought 52-49 win on the road at top seed Marian Catholic, Northern Lehigh went head to head with a very strong Minersville squad, falling just short for a district title. In the title game, Aubrey Pollard, Dekota Barthold, and Tegan Simms were all in double figures, with Katelynn Barthold adding eight points. Pollard, a senior standout in the Colonial League, has 20 double double and a triple double. She has accomplished a double double in the team’s last eight games straight, including 15 points and 13 boards against Minersville. She is averaging 17.5 points per game and 12.2 rebounds per game. Pollard has a chance to cross the 1,400 career point mark during states and is just 17 points away. She also is a force on defense, leading her team with 4.3 steals per game. Katelynn Barthold is averaging 14.7ppg and is the team’s assist leader at 4 per game. The talent doesn’t end there. Northern Lehigh also has freshman Tegan Simms who leads Northern Lehigh’s 3-point shooting effort at nearly two makes per game.

Mast Charter II could not provide individual or team statistics, so we are unable to preview their accomplishments this season. Last year, Mast Charter II also qualified for states and faced Marian Catholic in round one, losing 76-9.