DREXEL HILL, PA --Determination did it as the Archbishop Wood Vikings hit the road to take on the Bonner & Prendergast Pandas in Philadelphia Catholic League (PCL) action Tuesday, January 23, 2018. Wood ultimately defeated Prendie by a score of 48-38.
“I thought it was a great win,” said Archbishop Wood head coach Mike McDonald. “They battled. I was happy with their effort.”
The Vikings have been on quite a run recently and after securing a win over Cardinal O’Hara as well as a non-league victory against Garnet Valley, the team entered in to this match with a great deal of confidence. This outcome boosted their record to 12-5 overall and 7-1 in the Catholic League.
Freshman Kaitlyn Orihel kept up the good work as her rookie season progresses. This time she truly dominated and finished with a total of 24 points, the only member of her team to score in double digits.
“Teammates set me up for my shots,” said Orihel.
“She’s tough,” said McDonald. “She’s playing hard all the time. She finishes well. That helps.”
Teammate Annie Whalen backed up Orihel with eight points.
“We really moved the ball on offense,” said Whalen. “We played tough defense. We made smart decisions.”
As confident as the Vikings were, they knew they could not let their guard down as the Pandas continued to press and mount a comeback in the end.
Wood Freshman Kaitlyn Orihel led her team scoring 24 points against the Pandas :photo by Chip Frenette for PSD
Vikings Senior Bridget Arcidiacono sinks a foul shot- video Dan McCarty
“We were tough on the board,” said Orihel. “Prendie is a good team and started to come back.”
Whalen began the game with a three-point field goal and gave her team a permanent lead. Ariana McGeary and Dakota McCaughan both scored for the Pandas in the opening quarter but Orihel hit two three-pointers and a basket for an 11-4 advantage.
Several Vikings contributed during the second quarter including Nicki Greenberg, Katie May, Mia Andrews and Bridget Arcidiacono extending the Wood lead to 23-11.
The Vikings held a 36-25 surplus after three quarters but some of the Pandas roared back to make things tighter.
McGeary and Alexis Gleason combined for a 6-0 sprint and cut it to 38-31 but Wood’s night was far from over. Erin Morgan hit two free throws late in regulation. Whalen also shot two from the foul line with only 15.8 seconds on the clock calling it a game.
“It was a great team effort,” said Whalen.
Wood has yet to face Archbishop Carroll (6-2 PCL) and Archbishop Ryan (7-1 PCL) in the PCL.
“I think we’re confident,” said Orihel. “We’re on a good roll. I definitely think we can keep it going.”
In more league action, Bonner & Prendie takes on rival Cardinal O’Hara Friday, January 26th.
