FRIDAY 3/8
Emmaus 34, North Penn 48
The Green Hornets had already won the hearts of Emmaus fans with some big victories this season. A last-second victory at Rockne Hall, an EPC quarterfinal win at Bethlehem Catholic, and making it to the EPC and DXI finals. For the first time in 17 years, Emmaus had gone all the way to states. It was all gravy entering the state tournament. on the road against a very tough District 1 opponent in the North Penn Knights.
Emmaus came out strong in the first quarter, going bucket for bucket most of the way. Taylor Griffith and Kayla Snyder each hit from distance. Snyder, who did not start due to illness, did not score from the field in the rest of the game. Part of Emmaus’ gameplan was to get inside on North Penn, and Mya Cooper and Cassie Doemling had success early on. Unfortunately for Hornets fans, the Knights’ defense and transition game was in full swing. Caleigh Sperling, who averaged 18ppg coming in, got inside four times in the first quarter, hitting three buckets and drawing a shooting foul. After one, North Penn led 14-10.
The first 2:30 of the second quarter saw both teams go scoreless, until Lily Brown, an outstanding freshman, hit a layup. In the first half, the Knights turned Emmaus over six times and made them pay almost every time in transition, speeding down for a layup or to draw a foul. In the first half, the Knights were a perfect 8/8 from the charity stripe, while Emmaus was 0/1. At half, North Penn led 24-14.
The second half was more of the same from the Knights. After not scoring in the second quarter, Sperling exploded for nine points in the third. North Penn continued to capitalize on Emmaus turnovers at critical junctures of the game. Emmaus was able to cut the deficit to nine and had the ball, but turned the ball over and would not get any closer than that for the rest of the night.
Caleigh Sperling finished the game with 22 points and Brown added 12 more. For Emmaus, both Doemling and Cooper ended the night with nine points. Emmaus will return major star power next season in the likes of Snyder, Doemling, Gabby DeVita, and Olive Whitney, but will lose Mya Cooper’s defense, Taylor Griffith, Julie Adams, and Alexis Krum.
Read more about this game at EmmausSports.com and listen to a replay of the action called by Scott Johnston of Eastern PA Sports Network and Cody Brady of LSV Sports here.
Downingtown East 34, Parkland 41
Parkland used their home crowd and home court advantage to pull out a gutsy win late against District 1’s 6th place Cougars. Parkland’s Madi Siggins and East’s Grace Hodges traded blows in the opening quarter. Hodges hit four times from beyond the arc, while Siggins worked inside for four makes and a pair of free throws. After one, it was 16-16. In the second quarter, the pace slowed down significantly. Parkland was held scoreless for the first half of the quarter and the Cougars took a 21-16 lead on a triple by Charlotte Aldridge and bucket from Hodges. The Trojans were able to respond late with an Aneri McGalla corner 3-ball that tied things up at the half, 21-21.
To open the second half, Downingtown East implemented stall ball tactics to try and shorten the game. However, they turned the ball over and Addi Fritzinger ended up with a corner triple. The Trojans made it five consecutive points off of two turnovers, as Chilcote hit a runner. Then Aldridge made her presence felt once again, hitting back to back threes and then driving the lane and converting on a three point play. Parkland led 32-30 after three.
Like they have done before, notably against Easton, Parkland’s defense went into shutdown mode in the final stanza. East’s only fourth quarter points came on a bucket from Aldridge. A clutch three from Aneri McGalla, combined with the Trojans going 6/8 from the charity stripe down the stretch, allowed them to hold on to the lead and the victory. The Trojans will now face Dallastown on Tuesday night.
Garnet Valley 58, Easton 50(OT)
With homecourt advantage, the Red Rovers used their size and speed to zip out to a 16-2 first quarter lead on the Jaguars. Evalyse Cole got off to a hot start, scoring seven of her team’s first ten, including an early three point play. Megan Elias hit from downtown twice to extend the lead.
After that, Garnet Valley closed the half with a 24-13 advantage, bringing their deficit to just three. The two standout juniors, Haylie Adamski and Kylie Mullholland led the rally all night, combining for 41 points. Each hit four times from range. Adamski’s triple with three minutes left in regulation capped a 9-0 run and put Garnet Valley on top of the Rovers 46-43. Cole responded with a three ball of her own to tie the teams once again. The final two minutes of regulation saw no scoring from either side. Cole had a last second shot blocked by Adamski, which sent the game to overtime.
In the overtime, the Red Rovers ran out of steam and were held to four points. The Jaguars, conversely, fed off the Adamski block to end regulation and proceeded to win the extra session 12-4 and upset Easton on its home court. The Easton seniors finish their career with an 86-11 record, solidifying themselves among some of the best in he program.
Lake-Lehman 50, Notre Dame Green Pond 43(2OT)
The odds that two teams who faced each other in a holiday tournament on a neutral court would meet again in the first round of states were very slim. Nevertheless, the Crusaders and Knights found themselves back at Rockne Hall where they had last met in late December. The first meeting was a double digit Notre Dame victory that saw them build a 26-10 halftime lead and maintain the lead throughout.
This meeting would not be more of the same. This time around, the Knights held the Crusaders to just three first half field goals, one of which was an Olivia Schweitzer triple. Meanwhile, Ella Wilson scored eight in the first half, putting the Knights ahead 17-11 at the break.
Lehman was stingy on defense in the third quarter, as they built up a ten point lead and only allowed three buckets by Lessig until the latter stages of the quarter. That’s when Ella and Olivia Schweitzer combined for three treys to pull Green Pond within one. Olivia hit from downtown again in the fourth quarter and made three of four from the foul line. The teams entered overtime tied at 34.
In the overtime, on strong free throw shooting, Notre Dame took a 40-36 lead with under a minute to play. However, Wilson would respond again with a timely triple and moments later, sophomore Delcia Biscotto scored her only shot of the night. Her top of the key trey with three seconds remaining put the game into double overtime.
In the second overtime session, turnovers plagued the Crusaders early and they were held to just one foul shot make over the four minutes. Ella Wilson tallied 11 of her 24 points in overtime, coming up huge at critical times late. She also had a double-double, amassing ten rebounds. Brenna Hunt added 11 for the Knights. The Crusaders were led in scoring by 21 from Olivia Schweitzer, with Emily Lessig adding 14.
Catasauqua 36, West Catholic 37
Head coach Mark Seremula’s team became the first Rough Riders squad to make the state tournament since 2004, placing the program back on the map and galvanizing the community. They played their hearts out against West Catholic, champions of the Philadelphia Catholic League, leaving it all on the court, but coming up just shy.
The Burrs came out strong, cruising out to a 12-4 lead behind two big Ciana Blake three balls and great inside play from Ciana Scott. Scott made three shots in the paint and drew two free throw attempts early. The Burrs were playing without two of their usual starting five due to transfer rules: Nyla Coleman(10.2ppg) and Sakinah Abdus-Salaam(7.1ppg).
Catasauqua responded, pulling back within 12-8 on Delaney Troxell jumper. She had six in the quarter and Jordan Soltis added four on two field goals. Blake opened the second quarter with a deep ball, pushing the Burrs’ lead back to 19-12. From there, the Rough Riders held West Catholic scores for nearly six minutes as they climbed back. Alivia Bear cleaned up on the boards for a putback, and a Sophia Becker bucket cut the lead to 19-16. At halftime, the deficit was 21-16, as Scott broke the long drought for the Burrs with 55 seconds left. In the first half, Catasauqua forced ten Burrs turnovers.
Catty came out strong in the third quarter, going on a 14-3 run A pair of Hailey Jenkisn free throws tied the game at 24 and a Jordan Soltis jumper gave Catty its first lead of the night. The lead swelled to 32-24 before two quick buckets by Jasmine Butler within 15 seconds pulled West back within four.
The fourth quarter saw a drought for both sides for the first five minutes. After Jenkins had missed four free throws in a row over the third and fourth quarters, she made a pair that put her team up 34-28 with 2:44 to play. Laile Farmer broke a six minute scoreless streak for the Burrs, hitting from range. Jordan Soltis made one of two free throws and Jenkins was able to make one more, pushing the lead to 36-31 with 50 seconds to play in regulation. Unfortunately, free throws would be the killer for Catasauqua. Down the stretch, Jenkins went just 7/16 and missing five of her last six.
That put the ball in the nads of Ciana Blake as time was running out. She drained the game winning 3-pointer with about ten seconds left, her second triple in the final minute of play and fifth on the game. A last-ditch effort for Catty would not fall and the Burrs escaped with a 37-36 victory despite turning the ball over 21 times and without two top players.
Northern Lehigh 79, Mast Community Charter II 16
Aubrey Pollard had not been to the second round of states in her last two seasons. She and her team came out determined to take the next step at Archbishop Wood High School and punched their ticket with authority against the Voyagers from Philadelphia.
Mast II was a bit of a mystery going into this game, having lost 76-9 to Marian Catholic in last year’s state playoffs. Statistics for the team did not exist, but the mismatch was apparent as the game got underway. The Bulldogs dominated the Voyagers all night long, as Mast II struggled to get over midcourt much of the night. Northern Lehigh forced 30 first half turnovers. Eight of those came on steals by Pollard, while the Barthold sisters also wreaked havoc. All three had reached double figures by half, with the score 52-14 and mercy rule invoked. Pollard finished the game with her second triple double of the season, posting 25 points, 10 boards, and 11 steals. Katelynn Barthold scored 13, while her sister Dekota added 11. Cadence Whalen scored nine. A 27-2 second half propelled the Bulldogs into a rematch with Marian Catholic, who they beat in the DXI semifinals 52-49 at Martz Hall last week. This Tuesday, the two will faceoff at Catasauqua.
SATURDAY 3/9
Gwynedd Mercy Academy 34, Bethlehem Catholic 41
The Hawks have consistently shot the three all season long, averaging eight of them per game. Numerous open triples did not fall for Bethlehem Catholic on their home court, but they managed to escape into the second round.
Defense was the name of the game early. Gwynedd Mercy did not score in the opening five minutes, but the Hawks only amassed a 6-0 lead in that timeframe. Emilia Coleman was quickly neutralized, picking up two fouls in the first four minutes. The sophomore, who averages 14 points per game, was scoreless for most of the game. Ella Bincarosky hit a triple with 30 seconds remaining in the quarter, putting Beca up 11-6.
The second quarter was more of the same. Mekhyla Britt laid one in to open the lad to 13-6. The Monarchs did not score until an Allison Kallenbacher three point play attempt with 4:57 to go in the half. She missed the free throw. GMA’s only other basket was a right-wing triple from Brooke Evans with 1:30 remaining. Meanwhile, Cici Hernandez hit her first trey of the night from the right wing and Bincarosky added one with 55 seconds left. Hernandez also had a number of nice assists, finding Daviana Jones with 22 ticks left for a layup. The Hawks man to man defense was suffocating, forcing 10 turnovers.
Bailey Balkir got things going for Gwynedd Mercy in the third quarter, scoring seven points on three field goals. Hernandez hit a left wing triple, ending a three minute scoring drought. Bethlehem Catholic held a 28-21 lead going to the final frame.
It was in the fourth quarter, where the Hawks hit a significant downturn. The Monarchs increased the pressure and Beca began to turn the ball over. Threes by Bincarosky and Hernandez midway through the quarter ended up saving the day. With 2:54 to play, Emilia Coleman drained a three, cutting their deficit to 35-29. Down four, GMA forced another turnover and was about to close the gap further, but Evans was called for an offensive foul away from the ball with :55 left. That was the final turning point in the game, as Hernandez then hit both free throws at the other end to extend the lead to 37-31.
“I told them we have to make some adjustments and let our toughness carry us for the fourth quarter, because [Gwynedd Mercy] isn’t going to give up, and we can’t let up,” were head coach Arnold Alleyne’s words to his team as the Monarchs closed the gap late. Alleyne takes his team to the second round of states in just his first year at the helm following an 8th consecutive district title. “I told the girls, defense is going to carry our offense. Make sure we show our character and toughness. I was really proud of their defensive toughness. We had to show a lot of grit to battle through. We were preaching togetherness the whole time. The goal is one game at a time and continue to do well. It’s not me, it’s them. I’m just grateful to coach such wonderful kids.”
Northern Lebanon 44, Central Catholic 65
The Vikettes have been peaking at the right time. Since entering the District 11 tournament, Central Catholic has outscored opponents by an average of 19 points per game. Molly Driscoll is all the way back, and team chemistry and communication is at a season high. That opened the door for Armani Brickhouse to have herself a game in the senior’s final game played at Rockne Hall.
Brickhouse had seven points at the half, as the Vikettes built a 31-19 lead. Sammy Roth produced six points in the first quarter and Driscoll matched that. Milly Wolf and Ellie Niggel each contributed a trey in their first half efforts.
It was in the second half where Brickhouse would go off, scoring seven in the third quarter and 11 more in the fourth. Despite 24 points from junior Olivia Shutter, Northen Lebanon could not get any closer than the 12 point halftime deficit. A late rally saw them cut it to 15, but Brickhouse’s strong finish helped keep the Lady Vikings at bay. Brickhouse finished with 25 points on the night, surpassing her previous season high of 22. Driscoll finished with 12 and Roth had 10. Central Catholic will now face a familiar foe in Delone Catholic, whom they defeated last year 51-37 on their way to the state quarterfinals.
STATE PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Class AA
3/12
Minersville v Holy Cross; Berwick 6:00
Northern Lehigh v Marian Catholic; Catasauqua 7:30
Class AAAA
3/13
Allentown Central Catholic v Delone Catholic, Warwick 7:00
Class AAAAA
3/13
Bethlehem Catholic v West Chester East, Pottstown 7:30
Class AAAAAA
3/12
Parkland v Dallastown, Governor Mifflin 6:00
LSV Sports 
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