City of Basketball Love

Andrew Robinson (@ADrobinson3)
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EASTON — The finish line has rounded into view, but Archbishop Wood’s seniors aren’t rushing to get to it.

This year’s PIAA Class 5A girls basketball playoff run has included a few longer bus rides than last year’s, so just by default the Vikings’ trio of seniors are getting an extension on their careers shipping back and forth to venues. Saturday’s trip to Easton Area Middle School brought their strongest test so far of this run in a young but talented Scranton team.

Wood played a strong game on both ends, the seniors in the middle of it, to down the District 2 champion Knights 48-35 in the state quarterfinals.

“We definitely feel like it’s coming to an end, but we also don’t want it to end early,” senior point guard Ava Renninger said. “If we get to the state championship, that’s when I think the emotions will start to pass over, but we have to get there first. 

“We’re trying to stay focused so we can go get what we want, which is that four-peat.”

After last year’s seven-strong senior class, Wood (24-5) — which won last year’s state 5A title and the previous two 4A titles — is back to a more traditional three-member class for 2023-24. However, like their predecessors, Renninger, Alexa Windish and Lauren Greer have suitably elevated their play in their last weeks wearing an Archbishop Wood uniform.

Archbishop Wood seniors, from left, Ava Renninger, Alexa Windish, Lauren Greer. The trio combined for 31 points in Saturday's PIAA Class 5A quarterfinal victory over Scranton at Easton Area Middle School. (Photo: Andrew Robinson/CoBL)

Greer was again a monster on the offensive glass, the senior snaring eight of her 11 caroms off Wood misses, which was no easy feat with 6-foot-1 Zya Small in the middle for Scranton (25-2). Renninger was here, there and everywhere as usual, the Fairleigh Dickinson signee tallying 11 points and three assists while acting as the conduit between coach Mike McDonald on the sideline and the players on the floor.

Windish had her best game of states so far, the Kutztown recruit scoring nine of her 11 points in an assertive second half while also adding another drawn charge to her team lead.

“For us three especially, we have nothing to lose,” Windish said. “We go out, compete and give it our best because that’s all we can do. This is our last couple of games, we all just want to do the very best we can and hopefully get a state championship.”

Junior Emily Knouse, the team’s fourth captain along with the seniors, again led Wood with 14 points while also playing as the primary defender on Small in the paint. Greer had tied with Knouse for the team lead in scoring the last two games, but the senior settled for a quieter five points against the Knights while her rebounding spoke loudly enough.

The only senior yet to announce a college choice, Greer has done a lot of winning this year. She was the goalkeeper in the fall for the soccer team that won a third straight Philadelphia Catholic League title, and with a PCL hoops title already in hand this winter, she and her two classmates want another state ring to finish out on.

“We’re always saying to each other, ‘Let’s finish it out,’” Greer said. “If we get to the state championship, it’s the last game we’re ever going to play with each other. If you win, you go on, and if you lose, it’s over, and I think we know that so it’s why we work really hard — to not lose.”

Wood had an excellent plan on both sides of the ball to combat Scranton. McDonald knew what Small could do from having coached against her on the travel circuit, and she’s only improved since the end of the summer.

The Vikings combated Small’s interior presence — the freshman swatting four shots in the first quarter — by hitting from outside in the first half before switching things up and going to the basket after halftime. On the other end, the team sent plenty of traps and quick pressures at Scranton’s guards while trying to stay close to the Knights’ strong shooters in Maggie O’Shea, Finley Bittenbender and Chrissy Jacklinski, the team’s other standout freshman.

“We have confidence in our kids who have been here before, but we knew we would have to do a lot of things well against them,” McDonald said. “I thought we did everything as well as we could do it against a really good team. The kids just executed.”

Small finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks. McDonald said she reminded him in some ways of 2023 Wood grad Deja Evans, now at Albany. Jacklinksi tallied eight points, less than her average for the postseason, while no one else on Scranton’s roster scored more than three.

“Fortunately for us, they didn’t make them today, but it could have gone a different way for us,” McDonald said. “They’re a really good team, really well coached, they do a really nice job.”

Wood took a 22-12 lead to the half, and while Scranton matched its first-half output in the third quarter alone, the Knights couldn’t slow the Vikings enough to threaten the advantage they’d built in the first 16 minutes.

Last year, the Vikings’ state playoff road consisted of a home game, two trips to Bensalem High School and one to Norristown High School, and all against District 1 opponents. This week, they made a trip to Catasauqua High School and a slightly further trek to Easton, which provided ample time for a team sing-a-long competition.

Windish provides the playlist, a bit of an eclectic mix of current and older tunes, and the seniors said while Knouse in particular “takes it really seriously,” everyone has definitely gotten into it.

Renninger, Windish and Greer know the finish line is in sight. Whether it comes in Hershey or Tuesday, when they face District 11 champion Bethlehem Catholic, will be up to them. 

By Quarter

Archbishop Wood: 17 | 5 | 17 | 9 || 48

Scranton: 8 | 4 | 12 | 11 || 35

Scoring

Archbishop Wood: Emily Knouse 14, Ava Renninger 11, Alexa Windish 11, Lauren Greer 5, Makayla Finnegan 5, Sophia Topakas 2

Scranton: Zya Small 20, Chrissy Jacklinksi 8, Finly Bittenbender 3, Kamryn Alers 2, Maggie O’Shea 2

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PIAA 5A Girls

Quarterfinals (Sat., March 16)
11-1 Bethlehem Catholic 46, 2-2 Abington Heights 33
12-1 Archbishop Wood 48, 2-1 Scranton 35
7-3 McKeesport 57, 7-2 Armstrong 35
10-1 Cathedral Prep vs. 7-4 Oakland Catholic

Semifinals (Tue., March 19)
11-1 Bethlehem Catholic vs. 12-1 Archbishop Wood
7-3 McKeesport vs. 10-1 Cathedral Prep

Championship at Giant Center (Fri., March 23)
TBD, 6 p.m.