2018 Philadelphia Catholic League PIAA State Tournament Round-Up
PIAA Second Round:
Almost every basketball player imagines what it would be like to nail a game winning shot at the buzzer.
Alli Dreger no longer needs to rely on make-believe.
In the second round of Wednesday night’s PIAA Class 5A state tournament, Dreger prevented overtime angst by swishing a short jump shot milliseconds before the buzzer blared, lifting Archbishop Carroll to a 39-37 victory over Lower Dauphin.
“When the ball went in, I felt like my heart jumped,” said Dreger, a senior guard. “It is the most thrilling, amazing feeling I have every experienced.”
Carroll (20-7), which will take on Oakland Catholic (19-8) in the state quarterfinals 2:00 Saturday at Chambersburg Area High School, seized possession after an offensive foul. The Patriots, however, only had five seconds to move coast to coast.
Sophomore Erin Sweeney passed to Molly Masciantonio, who dribbled three quarters of the floor and was then double-teamed. The senior All-Catholic alertly found Dreger alone on the wing parallel to the basket. After gaining control of the pass, Dreger ignored a defender’s hand in her face and calmly drilled the clincher.
“We prepare for these situations in practice every day,” said Dreger, “so I knew what I had to do.”
Carroll vs. Lower Dauphin Highlight Video by Angelise Stuhl
Carroll Post Game Interviews with Alli Dreger, Molly Masciantonio & Erin Sweeney
Masciantonio, who led all scorers with 20 points and fired a three-pointer to tie the game at 37 inside the final minute, was originally supposed to take the last shot but, with defenders all over her, knew that it would be a low-percentage effort.
“I had so much confidence in Alli that she was going to make it, and she did,” said Masciantonio. “That last play was amazing.”
Sweeney could be seen jumping up and down as soon as the ball dropped through the net.
“I was willing to take the shot if needed, but Alli was there and we all knew she would knock it down,” said Sweeney. “We were all so excited because we knew we deserved the win and worked so hard to get it.”
Carroll wasn’t the only local Class 5A squad to advance.
Freshman Kaitlyn Orihel’s best-ever performance helped propel Archbishop Wood to a 48-35 win over Twin Valley. The Vikings (20-7) will meet undefeated West Chester Henderson (30-0) 2:30 Saturday at Spring-Ford High School.
Orihel contributed 13 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter, securing a victory that had begun with a 12-0 first-quarter shutout. Senior teammate Katie May collected 13 points and nine boards.
Wood Freshman Kaitlyn Orihel #4 - PSD photo by Chip Frenette
“Our defense was key to our win,” said May. “We really shut them down for the most part and also made our foul shots down the line. It was a total team effort and was a great test going forward in states.”
In Class 4A action, Bonner-Prendergast (16-10) edged defending state champ Bethlehem Catholic, 40-38, on sophomore Dakota McCaughan’s two free throws with 3.8 seconds remaining in regulation. The Pandas’ next opponent is 18-8 Gwynedd Mercy Academy 2:30 Saturday at Jefferson University.
“Our team has had the potential and the talent all season to achieve such greatness, and for it to shine through at such a critical time was exhilarating,” said McCaughan, who netted 13 points, two more than junior teammate Ariana McGeary. “It was a true testament to the hard work we put in during practices. To have our team come together to overcome such a talented Bethlehem Catholic team was a feeling I will cherish.”
Bonner-Prendie sophomore Dakota McCaughan #20 - PSD photo by Chip Frenette
Meanwhile, West Catholic Prep was busy shocking Southern Columbia, 67-53, in a Class 2A affair. The Burrs (14-12) will greet Mahanoy Area High School 6 PM Friday at Freedom High School.
Despite falling behind by 11-0 and 25-12 in the first quarter, the Burrs used a 24-12 run, highlighted by a pair of three pointers by freshman Daizy Wilson, to close out the first half and trailed by only 37-36.
A 12-2 start in the fourth quarter included two three’s by sophomore Tamiah Robinson, who finished with a game-high 24 points. Freshman teammate Destiney McPhaul added 18 for West Catholic, which outscored SC by 31-16 in the second half.
“This was our biggest comeback this season,” said Burrs coach Beulah Osueke. “I was able to see my team's growth. If we had been down 14 in January or even early February, our shoulders would have slumped and we would have figured the game over with.
“But this time around, each kid stepped up and played within themselves and for one another. This was the strongest I've seen them look as a unit all season. I was concerned with the mistakes that we were making but trusted in our team leaders to be the calm that we needed, and they came through.”
The Burrs’ lone senior, Jaelyn Durrett, said she saw the Burrs coming together toward the end of the season. West’s ability to come back from such a large deficit serves as proof that the team has matured.
“Everyone contributed and fed off of everyone’s energy,” said Durrett. “We finally realized that it’s win or go home and we knew that we’ve worked too hard to lay down.”
West Catholic vs. Southern Columbia Highlight Video
WC Post Game Interviews with Jaelyn Durrett, Kyliah Singletary, Amiyah Edney & head coach Beulah Osueke
West Catholic vs. Southern Columbia
In a Class 3A blowout, Neumann-Goretti overwhelmed Loyalsock Township, 79-31. Benefitting from post-Catholic League sophomore transfer Diamond Johnson (16 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals), senior Catholic League MVP Jabria Ingram (10 points, five steals), junior Tatiana Jones (19 points), and senior Chelsea Keebler (14 points), the Saints (19-7) opened up ridiculous leads of 24-3 after one quarter and 50-19 at halftime.
The defending champs face 22-5 St. Basil’s Academy 5 PM Friday at Bensalem High School.
(John Knebels can be reached at Jknebels@gmail.com or on Twitter @johnknebels.)