City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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Here’s a look at Tuesday’s second-round games involving local girls teams; (District-Seed) in parenthesis:

Girls 6A: Peters Township (7-3) vs. Spring-Ford (1-2) (5:30 PM, Bald Eagle HS)
The Rams may feel like they’re in some kind of alternate universe when Tuesday’s game starts and not because it’s a three-plus hour drive to north of State College. Peters Twp has quite a few similarities to PAC rival Perk Valley, notably a skilled post player, good size across the board and tough guard play. So, really, it’s nothing the Rams won’t have seen before even if it's different players filling those roles. Spring-Ford’s seniors are as battle-tested as the come, led by the duo of Anna Azzara and Mac Pettinelli who are determined to get back to the state final. Senior Katie Tiffan has been terrific defensively and shooting the ball while senior Aaliyah Solliday adds scoring punch and junior forward Karena Preuss has also shot the ball at a high level.

Peters Twp has a terrific anchor in Natalie Wetzel, the 6-foot-3 junior is a top player in her class and first team WPIAL All-Section pick who scores in bunches. Supporting her is Gemma Walker, a 5-foot-10 guard/wing with a potent offensive game and a facilitating point guard in Bri Morreale. Daniela Radulovich also brings size at 6-foot-2 for one of the WPIAL’s top teams.

Girls 6A: North Penn (1-4) vs. North Allegheny (7-2) (7 PM, Bald Eagle HS)
The Knights are back on the state playoff stage, North Penn picking up its first PIAA win since 2017 on Friday night, and now face a long road trip to duel one of the state’s best programs over the past decade. Coach Bri Cullen’s senior-led group has found different ways to get it done this season and the Knights will need to be crisp at both ends to handle an NA team used to playing in March. Senior Caleigh Sperling has led the way for North Penn all year, the Jefferson recruit an offensive catalyst with a game built on getting to the basket and scoring inside the arc while freshman Lily Brown has been a spark off the bench with her fearless aggression. Point guard Cam Crowley and senior Liv Stone are good defenders and North Penn will need some offense from them as well while Leah Mikulski and Tallie Smink have seen their roles increase with senior Kelly Donnelly out for the season.

The Tigers will lean on Lydia Betz - the senior a Goldey-Beacom recruit who will see Sperling in the CACC quite a bit over the coming years - as their go-to offensive option. Senior Kellie McConnell, a Duquesne commit, runs the show at point guard. She’s a cousin of current Indiana Pacer T.J. McConnell, while senior Caroline Henderson (RIT) is a sharpshooter on the perimeter. Grace Heliger is another guard to watch in the backcourt for Spencer Stefko’s veteran group.

Girls 6A: Perkiomen Valley (1-1) vs. Haverford (1-5) (7:30 PM, Upper Merion HS)
The last time these teams met, it was last year’s District 1 title game. This time only the winner gets to extend its season. For Perk Valley, this was the round the Vikings saw their season end a year ago and it’s kind of been a sticking point ever since. PV rolled through its first round matchup but the Fords present an entirely different challenge with enough size and toughness to match up. Everything runs through Quinn Boettinger, the Navy-bound junior center is a skilled finisher inside while junior wing Grace Galbavy is a matchup problem all over the court. The Vikings routinely roll seven deep, with point guard Bella Bacani a floor spacer and defensive pick-pocket while Grace Miley, Lena Stein and Anna Stein bring a ton of energy and defensive clamps and guard Julia Smith can’t be left open on the perimeter.

Haverford saw its season end in the first round of states last year and despite losing some top talent, the Fords came back with a tremendous season. Junior Rian Dotsey, a versatile 6-foot-2 forward, has thrived in her expanded role while senior guard Aniya Eberhart (Millersville) brings punch on offense and defense. Senior Tess Durfee is a workhorse on defense while forwards Natalie Wright and Ashley Wright - no relation - have both been terrific playing both ends of the floor, and junior point guard Megan Kelly has been steady on the ball. The Fords defend as well as anyone on a team level and there’s a chance this could be one of the best games of the tournament.

Girls 6A: Central Dauphin (3-1) vs. Garnet Valley (1-6) (7:30 PM, Pottstown HS)
Garnet Valley was downed by District 3 champion (and eventual state runner-up) Cedar Cliff in the first round last season. The Jags (23-6) get the District 3 champ in the second round this season, facing a Central Dauphin (26-2) squad that was also bounced in the first round a season ago. Garnet Valley’s five losses this season all came to league rivals and fellow Class 6A playoff squads Haverford and Conestoga. Junior 6-foot guard/wing Haylie Adamski was a first team all-league player and the team’s centerpiece. Junior point guard Kylie Mulholland sets the table and can score the ball, while 5-10 senior forward Emily Olsen, who missed last season’s run with an injury, is a Randolph-Macon commit who gives the team an inside presence.

After an opening round win over Kennett, Central Dauphin has now won 14 games in a row since it last lost Jan. 21 to North Allegheny, another state contender. The Rams’ stifling defense was on display in the 41-23 win. Senior 6-foot forward Alexis Ferguson, a nightly double-double threat, is the star of a group that doesn’t have a big-time scorer, instead preferring to lock teams down. The Rams have some more college-level talent behind her in senior 5-4 guard Lauren Cavoli (McDaniel), senior 5-8 wing Leah McGarvey (Gordon College) and sophomore 6-foot forward Olivia Green. 

Girls 6A: Cardinal O’Hara  (12-2) vs. Hazleton Area (2-1) (6 PM, Liberty HS)
Cardinal O’Hara’s in a strange place in the bracket, the Lions moving up from the 12-3 to the 12-2 slot thanks to a forfeit in the District 12 field, which has them in a different spot from last year’s semifinals run and in a spot they’re unlikely to be again. Chrissie Doogan’s Lions, who lost in the Catholic League semifinals, beat Upper Dublin 49-17 in the opening round, showing their capabilities as a high-level defensive program. Senior guard Joanie Quinn (La Salle) and junior wing Molly Rullo (Drexel) are a pair of D-I commits, while Rullo’s younger sister, sophomore guard Megan Rullo, has offers of her own, and freshman guard Brigidanne Donohue has been a bright surprise this season. Senior guard Greta Miller and senior forward Carly Coleman round out the top six, with the 5-11 Coleman becoming a versatile defender and inside scorer.

The Cougars (24-4) are as young as they come, without a senior in the rotation, and six of their top eight scorers are underclassmen. They’ve been powered by freshman guard Kaitlyn Bindas, who doesn’t seem at all bothered by the bright lights of the postseason. The 5-3 point guard went off for 27 points in Hazleton’s first-round win over Pennsbury, hitting five 3-pointers, all in the first half. She was supported by 17 points from junior wing Sophia Shults (5-10), the two the team’s leading scorers on the season. Another freshman, forward Sophia Benyo (5-10), is their third-leading scorer and leading rebounder. Sophomore guards Kayla Lagowy and Alexis Reimold and junior Olivia Williams round out the top six.

Girls 6A: Conestoga (1-3) vs. Archbishop Carroll (12-1) (6 PM, Norristown HS)
A great doubleheader at Norristown — especially if you’re an Archbishop Carroll fan — gets underway with this local matchup of two teams that haven’t played one another but still have no shortage of familiarity. First of all, Carroll senior Felicity McFillin and her junior sister Maddie McFillin both played at Harriton the last few years, one of ‘Stoga’s Central League opponents. Conestoga senior Marisa Francione (Scranton) and Carroll senior Brooke Wilson (West Point) are familiar from playing one another on the grassroots circuit the last few years — while Carroll sophomore Alexis Eberz and Conestoga sophomore Ryann Jennings are teammates with Comets Basketball. Both teams also fell short in their league title games, Conestoga in the Central League and Carroll in the PCL, and are out for some hardware before the season ends. 

Conestoga and Carroll are both guard-heavy groups; ‘Stoga junior Janie Preston (6-1) is the only member of either rotation over 5-10. Francione runs point for the Pioneers (25-4), while Jennings — who scored 19 points in a first-round win over Wilson — is the breakout star, the 5-10 shooting guard now with a couple Division I offers in her pocket. Senior twins Katrina and Bella Valencia both bring defense, rebounding and the occasional shot-making, while junior guard Ruth Lanouette was big off the bench against Wilson with her defense and a couple 3-pointers. Eberz, Wilson and the McFillin sisters are the main names to know for Carroll (18-9), along with a third sister, freshman Abbie McFillin, and junior guard Olivia Nardi. This one will be all about defensive patience and 3-point shooting. 

Girls 2A: Muncy (4-1) vs. Sacred Heart (1-1) (7:30 PM, Martz Hall)
Sacred Heart broke a string of six straight District 1 Class 2A championships last season when it fell to Faith Christian in the title game, but the Lions bounced back for their seventh crown in eight years this year. Coach Zach Shuler’s squad reached the second round in their last PIAA appearance in 2022 and won games in 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017 and added onto that with a 58-22 first-round win over Parkway West. However, the Lions are still looking for their first breakthrough to the PIAA quarters. Junior 6-foot-1 forward Keara McCaffery is the team’s centerpiece, averaging 13.5 ppg, 11.1 rpg and 3.1 bpg. She dropped 23 in the playoff opener, complemented by 19 from Megan Donaohue. Sophomore guard Grace Brown is a table setter and senior wing Maya Walker and junior guard MJ Donohue are a few more of the pieces back who avenged last year’s postseason defeat, while Dani Jeffries has added a scoring punch. 

Senior forwards Kayln Rice and Nolah Moyer, a St. Bonaventure softball commit, lead a young Muncy squad that impressed with a 57-21 first-round win over Lancaster Mennonite after capturing its first District 4 championship since 2001. Freshman guard Ava Eyer has had a few big outings as of late with junior Addi Eyer, junior Addi Gresh and sophomore Anna Zalonis a few of the others rounding out the rotation.

Girls 3A: New Hope-Solebury (1-1) vs. Lancaster Catholic (3-1) (6 PM, Pottstown HS)
This one’s a matchup of two back-to back district champs, as well as a rematch of last year’s second-round matchup, which Lancaster Catholic won 64-54 en route to a semifinals appearance. Lacaster Catholic senior 5-4 point guard Mary Bolesky (American) is the driving force and has inside-out rapport with senior 5-11 wing/forward Rylee Kraft (Shippensburg). Bolesky leads the team in scoring (14.3) and 3’s (66);  Kraft is second on the team with a 12.3 scoring average. Both are in the 1,000-point club. Senior 5-9 guard Autumn Lipson is an AAU teammate of those two and a sniper for Charlie Detz’s Crusaders; she’s hit 44 3’s. Senior guard  Lily Lehman (7.1) and junior guards Stella Higgins (7.3) and Carliegh Anderson (6.4) also play key roles. The Crusaders’ (25-2) only losses are to 6A powers Cardinal O’Hara and Spring-Ford. They’ve won four PIAA championships, most recently in 2018. The others were in 1974, 1989, and 1996.

New Hope (14-10) is without a few leaders from last year, including Gettysburg freshman Reagan Chrencik, but head coach Steve Polinsky isn’t void of postseason experience. Junior guard Izzy Elizondo has become a go-to scoring option this year, while classmates Emily Wilson and Ella Dudeck and senior point guard Nina Meixler have all stepped up. The Lions haven’t been tested yet in the state playoffs, as their first-round opponent forfeited, advancing them into the second round. 

Girls 3A: Hughesville (4-1) vs. West Catholic (12-2) (6 PM, Martz Hall)
The Burrs (12-13) escaped their state opener with a one-point win for the second season in a row, taking down District 11 runner-up Catasauqua, 37-36, in the first round. Sophomore 5-8 guard Ciana Blake led the way with 15 points followed by sophomore 6-foot forward Ciani Scott with nine. Blake hit a DEEP triple with 12 seconds to play for the game-winner. Scott, Blake and 5-foot-11 wing Jasmine Butler are the future of the program, getting another state playoff run to gain experience. Senior 5-7 guard Laila Farmer and junior 6-foot forward Kiajah Henry are the other returners from last season's team.

After winning the first District 4 championship in program history, Hughesville knocked out reigning state champion Dunmoore 39-38 in its first round game. Freshman 5-10 guard/wing Maddie Smith has been the team’s top scorer as well as an important rebounder and pest on defense. Junior 6-foot forward Alli Anstadt will battle Scott inside. Junior 5-11 guard Ava Snyder, senior 5-9 guard Breanna Bobak and sophomore 6-foot forward Vivian Draper are the other top scorers in a lineup that will bring a lot of height into Tuesday’s matchup