City of Basketball Love

By Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3)
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Four teams, two spots in the state title game and one venue to sort it all out.

The final four Class 6A girls’ basketball teams left in Pennsylvania will converge on Norristown Monday to sort out which of them get to face each other in Hershey on Friday night. 

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Cardinal O’Hara (12-2) vs Parkland (11-1), 6 p.m.

Monday’s first matchup figures to feature defense, defense, defense and a little more defense.

Parkland’s been extra stingy in the postseason, the Trojans allowing just 32.6 points per game since the end of the regular season. The EPC champions gave up a postseason-high 37 to Archbishop Carroll last time out but even that came with no shortage of frustration for the Patriots.

Seniors Talia Zurinskas and Madi Siggins - the EPC MVP - make it all go for coach Ed Ohlson and despite extra defensive attention their way, the duo has been productive this postseason. Zurrinaskas had 23 against Carroll while Siggins put in 16.

It seems likely Molly Rullo and Carly Coleman will get the starting assignments on the Trojans’ top seniors, but the Lions like to switch - mostly because they have strong defenders across the floor that allow them too - so Zurinaskas and Siggins will see plenty of different defenders in front of them. O’Hara had one of its best defensive efforts of the season on Tuesday, holding District 1 champion Perkiomen Valley to 35 points

O’Hara had three players in double figures on Friday, Megan Rullo leading with 14 while Molly Rullo (Drexel) and Joanie Quinn (La Salle) were right behind with 13. Coleman’s plenty capable of scoring and senior Greta Miller and freshman Brigidanne Donahue are more than capable of putting in a couple threes, so the Lions don’t necessarily need one huge night from one person.

Lions coach Chrissie Doogan preaches that kind of balance.

“Chrissie always says the best teams always have three scorers and throughout the whole year, we’ve shown it can be any three people,” Quinn said. “Knowing anyone can come in and score is really important for us.”

Cardinal O’Hara’s last trip to Hershey came just two years ago, where they topped Chartiers Valley in 5A. Molly Rullo was a starter on that team, while this year’s group of seniors are looking at it as an opportunity to win one they can truly call their own.

Parkland has played well enough to demand O’Hara’s best on Monday and the Lions know if they want to get back to the big arena, it’ll require that kind of team effort again.

“Focus on getting your teammate a shot,” Megan Rullo said. “They’re eventually going to knock it down. If we reverse the ball really well, those are the kind of shots we’re going to get and we have confidence in our shot. Chrissie says ‘shooters shoot’ all the time and we all believe it.”

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Spring-Ford (1-2) vs Garnet Valley (1-6), 7:30 p.m.

District 1 will have its first finalist since 2021-22, it’s just a matter of whether it comes from the PAC or the Central League.

After back-to-back trips to the greater State College area, this trek will feel like nothing for the Rams. Spring-Ford’s senior-laden roster has been on a mission in the state tournament, this their last opportunity to pick up a championship this season.

This year’s seniors were a part of the program the last time the Rams made the state final in 2020-21. Anna Azzara started that game while Mac Pettinelli came off the bench and the two haven’t stepped back from the forefront since. Azzara (Wright State) is a 1,000-point scorer, a great facilitator and superb defender while Pettinelli (St. Bonaventure) owns the program record for assists and rebounds as a guard.

They’ve also gotten plenty of help from classmates Katie Tiffan and Aaliyah Solliday, playing with an equal amount of that “senior nearing the end of their career” level that seems to shine this time of year. Solliday erupted for 25 while Tiffan had 21 on Tuesday against Peters Twp. out at Bald Eagle, then they went for 13 and 19 respectively against Norwin on Friday night at State College

Kareena Preuss, the only non-senior in the first five, has been sharp as well while hitting for double digits in all three state games to this point.

Garnet Valley coach Joe Woods last led the Jaguars to a state final in 2019, but none of his current players have shared that experience. This GV group is looking for its breakout moment while finding itself in a similar scenario to Spring-Ford last year with the key players in their junior seasons.

The Jags have run a tough gauntlet including Easton, District 3 champion Central Dauphin and North Penn, their steady defense fueling an in-form offense. Junior Haylie Adamski, a Division I prospect, leads the core which also includes junior point guard Kylie Mulholland and defense ace Savannah Saunders.

Saunders played a strong game against North Penn’s Caleigh Sperling in the quarterfinals and GV trusts her with any matchup defensively. Mulholland has also been solid this postseason, the quick guard coming off 21 points against the Knights.

Emily Olsen, who fought her way back through two knee injuries, is GV’s lone senior in the starting five. The Randolph Macon recruit can play inside or step outside and knock down shots, giving the Jaguars an extra dynamic.