City of Basketball Love

Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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WEST CHESTER — The chants can’t kept coming Friday night from the Villa Maria faithful.

The initial applause came following the No. 6 Hurricanes’ 47-40 victory over No. 2 West Chester East in the District 1-5A semifinal, knowing a third straight spot in the district title games was clinched.

Next came their best rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ for senior Carly Catania, who celebrated with 20 points in the win.

By the time it seemed like they were finally tapped out, signs and balloons arrived to mark the milestone 700th win for coach Kathy McCartney — and the hoots and hollers picked up again.

McCartney, who is in her 35th season as head coach, thinks she has a team worthy of the commotion.

“This group that I’m coaching this year is really special,” McCartney said. “To have a personal milestone crossed with them on my bench is phenomenal for me.”

“The chemistry they have, what they have in that locker room is just phenomenal, and it’s why we’ve kind of outplayed our hand. If you would ask people in November, they’re not picking us in the district final. And these kids have worked so hard, and they worked so well together. It’s really quite an accomplishment for them.”

Villa Maria head coach Kathy McCartney (center, holding basketball) won her 700th career game on Friday night. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

While their coach was ready to quickly deflect to her players, the Hurricanes were excited to secure the milestone win for her.

“She pushes us everyday to our abilities,” Catania said. “She’s just the best coach ever. I don’t really know what else to say.” 

It’s hard to give Villa (17-8) the underdog tag as the Hurricanes won the district title as the No. 7 seed in 2022 and went back to the championship game again last season. However, they entered the year having to replace all five starters from the runner-up squad. And even after a successful regular season campaign, a lopsided loss to Gwynedd Mercy in the AACA title game last week didn’t suggest Villa was one of the favorites heading into the postseason.

After dispatching No. 11 Sun Valley and No. 3 Radnor with relative ease to reach the semifinals, the Hurricanes had to fight, scrap and claw against West Chester East (18-8) on Friday night. 

They scored the first seven points of the game and never held a lead larger than that, using a stifling defensive performance to set up a championship game matchup with No. 9 Bishop Shanahan on Wednesday at West Chester University.

“No one really had expectations for us, so we just gave it our all every game and every practice and this is where we have gotten,” said junior Abby Ferry, one of the guiding forces of the Hurricanes’ defense with a pair of steals and blocks.

West Chester East finally got itself out of the early hole when junior Annalise Kubasko (nine points) hit a three 20 seconds into the second half to tie the game at 21-21. The draw lasted 18 seconds as Villa immediately went back up on the other end, never giving up the lead again.

Catania put Villa up by seven with about three minutes left in the fourth, then WCE sophomore Carly Bickle responded with one of her two threes in the period. Less than a minute later junior Sofia Keith, who led her team with 12 points, pulled the Vikings within two, 40-38, with two minutes left. 

As she did multiple times, Catania had an answer. She got to the line to put her team back up by four the next time down the court. The Hurricanes pushed their lead to six before Ferry’s steal with 36.4 seconds left  all but sealed the win. 

“I thought our defense was really good this game, and I thought we battled the whole time,” said West Chester East senior Annie Kerns, who finished with seven points. “It was just the fourth quarter their shots went in and ours didn’t, but I think it was a battle up until the end.”

Villa sophomore guard Sophia Tray scored 10 points and senior Emma O’Hare added seven — both hitting big threes in the third quarter that helped Villa stay in front. They're just two who have stepped into big roles this season.

Friday was a continuation of players rising to the occasion when needed.

“I think what makes this group special is they all do what they have to do when we need it,” McCartney said. “When you need them, they all step up.”

Unlike the Villa program, West Chester East was in somewhat unfamiliar territory Friday night, making its first semifinal appearance since 2021 and quite possibly just the second district semifinal appearance in the last two or three decades (according to a quick peruse through the district and state tournament archives).

A loss to rival West Chester Henderson in the Ches-Mont League championship last week was a motivational factor heading into districts. Now, the Vikings will try to use Friday’s defeat to fuel them the rest of the season, which begins with a playback at home against West Chester Rustin on Tuesday before the state tournament begins March 9.

“We were excited to get back to West Chester, that was our goal,” Kerns said. “But you gotta just take it one game at a time, and the losses, something good is going to come out of us continuing to work toward states. And I think it's going to be a great opportunity for our program to get some looks and play some really talented teams.”

Villa Maria downed Bishop Shanahan in the district championship game in 2022 though not many Hurricanes players had much of a hand in that one. Instead, last season's title game loss to West Chester Rustin is a lasting memory they've carried.

“That sits on our shoulders all the time,” Catania said.

“(It will take) everything we’ve done the last three months, but we’re a special team, so I think we’ll be good,

Villa Maria 47, West Chester East 40

By Quarter

Villa Maria  13 | 8 | 17 | 11 || 47
WC East  9 | 9 | 12 | 10 || 40

Scoring

Villa Maria: Carly Catania 20, Sophia Tray 10, Emma O’Hare 7, Abby Ferry 4, Liz Sharp 4, Sierra Dean 2.

WC East: Sofia Keith 12, Annalise Kubasko 9, Annie Kerns 7, Carly Bickle 6, Lauren Horan 6.

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District 1 5A Girls

Semifinals (Fri., Feb. 23)
9) Bishop Shanahan 49, 4) West Chester Rustin 39
6) Villa Maria 47, 2) West Chester East 40

Playbacks (Fri-Sat., Feb. 23-24)
1) Gwynedd Mercy vs. 5) Lower Moreland
3) Radnor 66, 7) Phoenixville 57

Championship (Wed., Feb. 28)
6) Villa Maria vs. 9) Bishop Shanahan 

Third-place game (Tue., Feb. 27)
2) West Chester East vs. 4) West Chester Rustin

Fifth-place game (Tue., Feb. 27)
3) Radnor vs. TBA