City of Basketball Love

By Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3)
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Eight teams enter, only two will make it to the Palestra and just one will be able to call itself the PCL girls' basketball champion.

A wild final week made for a lot of movement in the middle section of the table, leaving the No. 4, 5 and 6 seeds in flux until the final full slate of games. While defending champion Lansdale Catholic downed Neumann-Goretti on Tuesday for an inside lane to the four spot, Nazareth Academy flipped the table by downing the Crusaders on Thursday, not only giving the Saints the fourth seed, but pushing LC down to sixth and giving the Pandas the No. 5 seed for their first PCL playoff run.

Archbishop Wood, the lone team to go unbeaten in league play, takes the top seed while Cardinal O’Hara claimed the second spot via its head-to-head win over Archbishop Carroll.

Thursday’s quarterfinals will be played at the higher seed. The semifinals will be played next Tuesday, Feb. 20, at St. Joe’s University City (formerly USciences) with the brackets reseeding if needed. Here’s a preview of Thursday’s  action:
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No. 1 Archbishop Wood v No. 8 Conwell Egan
Regular season: Wood 80-58, Jan. 4

Wood has played in four of the last five PCL championship games and the Vikings have again made it a goal to get back to the Palestra. The four veterans — seniors Ava Renninger, Alexa Windish and Lauren Greer plus junior Emily Knouse — are also the team captains. Renninger (Fairleigh Dickinson) and Knouse (St. Joe’s) have been the team’s top options offensively while Windish (Kutztown) and Greer have been steady in their first season as full-time varsity contributors, the duo taking on any role needed. Sophomore Sophia Topakas has rounded the starting roster, another group of underclassmen fill out the rotation led by freshman Makayla Finnegan, sophomore Emma Yogis and freshmen Sophia McDonald and Regan Przeposki.

Conwell-Egan’s veteran group will be looking to spring a big upset, the Eagles needing to win out in order to extend their season into the PIAA 4A bracket. Senior twins Brooke (TCNJ) and Brianna (Gwynedd Mercy) McFadden enter their final run as teammates, set to split up for college, with Brianna providing a steady hand at point guard and Brooke a consistent scorer over her four years. Junior Lily Milewski can cause matchup problems with her ability to score in the post or out on the perimeter while senior Mya Aizen has given CEC a boost since returning from injury late last month. 

No. 4 Neumann-Goretti vs No. 5 Nazareth Academy
Regular season: Neumann-Goretti 77-52, Jan. 23

The Saints are more than capable of making a run, their guard-heavy lineups able to fill it up offensively and cause havoc with an aggressive defense looking to cause turnovers. Juniors Carryn Easley and Amya Scott are one of the best backcourts in the area, both able to score and facilitate while creating all sorts of pressure with her defense and drives to the rim. Sophomore Kamora Berry is a solid outside shooter who will get a supply of quality looks off her teammates while freshman Regina Baker has been an impact player all season. Coach Andrea Peterson also gets contributions from Tori Richardson and Ikera Ellison, who bring toughness on defense and rebounding.

Last season’s District 1 4A champion started life in the PCL at 3-3. The Pandas closed with wins in four of five, capped with their statement win over LC. Head coach MaryKate McDade Magagna, a program alum, helped keep the team steady through a league slate that featured games with most of the perennial heavyweights in those first six games. The Pandas lean on a junior-heavy lineup that features several multi-sport athletes. Guard Reese Power is the team’s leading scorer, while Gracie Sullivan is aggressive on the glass and Abby Rock will look to knock down a few from the perimeter. 

No. 2 Cardinal O’Hara vs No. 7 West Catholic
Regular season: Cardinal O’Hara 64-37, Jan. 23

The Lions enter the postseason healthy, which very much makes them a contender to not only reach the Palestra, but hoist a hubcap. Senior Joanie Quinn missed about a month with a broken hand, but the La Salle recruit is back to add a steady hand and experience while also taking some of the scoring burden from junior Molly Rullo (Drexel). Senior Carly Coleman has been very good on both ends of the court all season, senior Greta Miller is in her second season starting and sophomore Megan Rullo is much more of a factor this season. Freshman Brigidanne Donohue, who filled in as a starter while Quinn was out, is a confident shooter and has played at a high level both off the bench and in the first five.

West Catholic draws the same quarterfinal opponent as last season, the young Burrs likely needing their best performance of the season to advance to the semifinals. Sophomore Ciani Scott is a strong player in the post, Ciana Blake will run point and Nyla Coleman will look to get downhill and finish around the rim.

No. 3 Archbishop Carroll vs No. 6 Lansdale Catholic
Regular season: Archbishop Carroll 44-31, Jan. 26

Likely the most interesting matchup of the quarterfinal round pits the defending champions on the road against a team that had good success against them a few weeks ago.

Carroll is playing for a fourth straight trip to the PCL semifinals, the Patriots winning four in a row to end their league schedule. Senior Brooke Wilson (Army) sets the pace at point guard and sophomore Alexis Eberz has taken on the role of lead scorer. Junior Maddie McFillin seized a spot in the starting lineup around midseason, joining her older sister Felicity while younger sister Abbie, a freshman, has led the Patriots’ bench unit. Junior Olivia Nardi rounds out the starting lineup while Brooke Olender and Bridget Grant also see time as top reserves.

LC’s ability to execute on offense will be a major factor. The Crusaders have struggled to score in their losses this season, so getting junior forward Grace McDonough going early will be a priority, which should give junior Sanyiah Littlejohn some lanes to attack or dish and potentially open some space for senior Olivia Boccella (Catholic) to get looks from deep.