City of Basketball Love

Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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The Philadelphia Catholic League girls basketball playoffs begin on Thursday with the quarterfinal round. The semifinals take place on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at USciences followed by the PCL championship Mon., Feb. 27 at the Palestra. The league looks like a four-team race, but anything can happen this time of the year. Here’s a look ahead to Thursday’s four games:

1) Lansdale Catholic vs. 8) Archbishop Ryan, 7 p.m.

There was a three-way tie atop the PCL standings at the end of the regular season as LC, Wood and O’Hara all snagged a win off each other. The Crusaders earned the tiebreaker and the right to host the lowest seeded opponent in the two rounds before the championship game. 

It all starts with senior guard and St. Joe’s commit Gabby Casey, the all-time leading boys or girls scorer in Lansdale Catholic history who continues adding big outing after big outing to put that mark further out of reach for the next great LC player. LC’s No. 2 is senior wing forward Jaida Helm (5-11), a transfer from Abington this season who recently surpassed the 1,000-point milestone. Without much height on the roster, her presence and effort on the glass is vital. Sophomore guard Sanyiah Littlejohn can get to the hoop and ignite the Crusaders at times, while junior guard Olivia Bocella gets hot in a hurry from outside and sophomore guard Nadia Yemola is another outside threat, who picks her spot, quietly averaging about nine points per game on a squad that doesn't stray far from its starting five.

Ryan finished the regular season with four wins in its last five games, including three PCL victories to secure its playoff spot. LC won the first matchup 75-29, so it’s tough to see the Ragdolls having enough firepower to take down the No. 1 seed. However, coach Jullian Rattliff took over a team that won just one game last season, so grabbing three league wins this season and getting some postseason experience for a group with just one senior in Maria Tierney is a nice reward in his first season. Junior guard Delaney Finn is the team’s top scorer. She’s a microwave from deep, going off for 10 threes and a career-high 30 points in a win over Little Flower to close the season that sent Ryan into the PCL playoffs. Ratliff’s daughter Reynah, who started her career at Wood, runs the point for the Ragdolls and is another offensive threat. Junior 5-11 forward Haley Davis unfortunately went down for the season with a knee injury in late january. Junior forward Eliana Szatkowski, junior guard Jenna Gontz and sophomore guard Riley Lukach are a few other names to know for Ryan.

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2) Archbishop Wood vs. 7) Conwell-Egan

The Vikings ran through the PCL with a perfect record until LC knocked them off in the final week of the regular season. Woods’ only other loss since the start of the new year was a three-point loss to Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.), which was ranked No. 1 in the country at the time. Wood has a balanced group headlined by senior forward Deja Evans, an Albany commit, who has stretches of dominance on both ends during games. Junior guard Ava Renninger runs the show at the point, flanked by senior wings Kara Meredith (Holy Family) and Delaney Finnegan and sophomore wing Emily Knouse. Meredith, Knouse and Finnegan are all capable scorers and shooters and have had more outside shots come their way after sharpshooter Allie Fleming went down for the season with an injury. With Evans blocking shots underneath and Meredith, Knouse and Finnegan’s length on the perimeter, the Vikings are a tough bunch to score against. Junior Alexa Windish adds to the rotation off the bench. 

Egan finds itself in the same position as last season, facing the tall task of taking down Wood in the first round of the PCL playoffs. The two squads opened the regular season against each other with the Vikings walking away with a 68-32 win on Jan. 5. Egan won three of its last four to close the regular season, including a non-league victory over George School. The Eagles lost All-PCL guard Mya Aizen in early December so others have had to step up. Junior Brooke McFadden, a three-year starter, leads the Eagles' scoring attack once again. She can get going from deep. Sophomore 6-foot forward Lily Milewski is a double-double machine and has had some big outings inside for the Eagles. Senior guard Kyliyah Carmichael is the team’s lone senior in the starting lineup. Brooke’s twin sister Brianna joins them in the starting rotation.

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3) Cardinal O’Hara vs. 6) West Catholic, 7 p.m.

These two teams are very familiar with each other, the Lions taking down the Burrs, 55-21 in the final game of the regular season last Thursday. They are set to meet up in the first round of the playoffs exactly a week later. The league’s reigning champion O’Hara finished tied with Wood and LC at the top of the league’s regular season standings despite major roster turnover. Sophomore wing Molly Rullo, who already has a pile of DI offers, is an effective scorer both inside and outside. Junior guard Joanie Quinn has a quick trigger and can get hot from deep. She’s played hero a few times this season on both ends of the court. Those two are the ones often leading the charge but senior point guard Bridget Dawson, junior forward Carly Coleman, junior guard Greta Miller and freshman guard Megan Rullo, Molly’s younger sister, help strengthen the rotation.

The Burrs were the eight-seed in the PCL playoffs last season but fought their way back to .500 in the league in 2023 and now face the reigning champs in the first round. Senior guard Amina Reid leads a group that features a lot of freshmen. She’s got a nice shot and can drive to the group and will pick your pocket on defense. Junior Laila Farmer can score and shoot the ball, whether in the starting lineup or coming off the bench. Freshman 5-7 forward Jalyn Moore plays a lot bigger than her size, another consistent double-double threat. Freshman guard Ciana Blake and freshman 5-11 guard/forward Jasmine Butler are the other two youngsters making waves for WC. 

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4) Archbishop Carroll vs. 5) Neumann-Goretti, 7 p.m.

Both of these squads lost to the top three teams in the league and took care of business in their other six matchups. The difference was Carroll handled Neumann, 67-49, on Feb. 2. Sisters Taylor and Brooke Wilson are Carroll’s top talents. Taylor, an Army commit and versatile forward, can step outside and hits shots or back down a defender in the paint. Brooke, a junior D1 recruit, has a sweet looking jumper and the ability to put the ball on the floor to attack the basket. Freshman guard Alexis Eberz brings some more outside shooting to the Patriots. Senior guards Courtland Schumacher and Meg Sheridan, two key pieces from last season’s title team, round out the starting five, taking what comes to them on offense and contributing to Carroll’s grinding defense. Sophomores guards Olivia Nardi and Kate O’Neill are the first off the bench.

The results of the first meeting suggest an uphill climb for the Saints, but they may be the lone first-round underdog that has the offensive firepower to pull off an upset on the right day. Sophomore guards Amya Scott and Carryn Easley are an explosive duo in the backcourt, capable of heating up from deep or making some tough finishes near the basket. Senior Amirah Hackney, a 5-10 wing, is the team’s third leading scorer and top rebounder on a squad that doesn’t have much size to match up with Taylor Wilson down low. Senior guard Sanej Tyler is another veteran presence, while freshmen Zion Costen and Kamora Berry and junior Ke'Lari Murphy round out the rotation.