City of Basketball Love

By Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3)
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As a freshman, Lauren Greer got thrown into the fire so that now, as a senior, she’s looking to make history.

The Archbishop Wood senior has made the most of her lone season as a starter, emerging as the Vikings’ best defensive player and a contributor in many ways beyond that. Greer has one game left to play for Wood and if she and her teammates can win it, they’ll do something no other Vikings team has ever done before.

Greer’s defense will certainly be needed as Wood tries to win a fourth straight state title Saturday night against Cathedral Prep at Hershey’s Giant Center in the PIAA 5A title game.

“Lauren Greer, she’s a kid who’s stepped up this season and just became a different level of player,” Wood coach Mike McDonald said. “She’s exceeded our expectations as coaches. I wish she’d decide to play somewhere in college, we’ll see, but she’s just an outstanding player.”

Greer is coming off one of her best defensive performances of the season in Tuesday’s semifinal win over Bethlehem Catholic, holding standout Cici Hernandez to five points on 2-of-11 shooting. On a night where teammate Emily Knouse scored 26 in a dazzling offensive effort, it was Greer who earned the first shoutout from McDonald once the team got off the floor.

All season, whether it was in the Vikings’ usual nonleague gauntlet or the PCL, Greer’s drawn some challenging defensive tasks. She’s defended guards, wings and forwards, a steady approach to preparation and a constant determination on the floor making her an impact stopper.

“I’ve definitely been surprised but it’s just something I take pride in,” Greer said. “Coach Wendy (Young) says we can always score, but it’s about keeping them under the amount we score that’s more important.”

Saturday’s title game provides Greer another chance at a championship, something she’s won several of in her high school career. A JV then swing player her first three seasons with the basketball team, Greer played a key role in this year’s PCL basketball title but she’d already won a pair of them as the starting goalkeeper for Wood’s soccer team each of the last two fall seasons.

Even playing limited minutes on varsity the last three years, Greer still had an indirect impact on Wood’s three consecutive state titles. From the beginning of her time in the program, the guard found herself facing pretty tough opposition as a defender.

“That’s definitely helped, I remember being a freshman and playing against Kaitlyn Orihel, I was scared,” Greer said. “I think stuff like that, playing against Ryanne Allen and those types of players throughout the years has made me a better basketball player.”

Greer’s also picked up the moniker of “workhorse” within the program this year. The senior, aside from her defense, is a relentless rebounder, she’s a keen passer and her shooting has picked up throughout the year.

It’s a trait that her teammates have noticed. Knouse, who assisted Greer’s buzzer-beating winner against a nationally-ranked McDonough (MD) team in December, expects max effort from Greer all the time.

“She’s a total workhorse,” Knouse said after Wood’s first round win against Radnor. “She never stops. It’s honestly annoying that she just keeps on going if you’re against her. Even if she has to sit for eight minutes because of foul trouble, she’s going to come back more aggressive and more angry because she wasn’t in.”

Wood will certainly need Greer on Saturday. Cathedral Prep - formerly known as Villa Maria - is as talented a team as the Vikings have seen all year and the Ramblers have size, skill and physicality they’ve used to make their way back to Hershey.

There’s some postseason history between the programs, Wood defeating the former Villa Maria in 2016 and 2021 in Hershey but that doesn’t mean the Vikings are taking this one lightly. Ramblers coach Doug Chuzie just picked up his 300th win in the semifinals and he’s got a terrific roster.

Senior Jayden McBride, a Georgetown recruit and senior guard Lena Walz, a St. Bonaventure signee, are the Ramblers’ leaders. McBride, the youngest of three sisters who all came through the program, is looking to join her older sisters Kayla (Notre Dame) - currently with the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx - and Karlee (Indiana) as a state champion.

Junior Addie Biel, a 6-foot-2 post player, has been a force in the state playoffs as well, giving Cathedral Prep a big three to complement a stifling defense. The Ramblers are allowing just 28.5 ppg through four rounds of the PIAA tournament.

“Every game, you go into it, you watch a lot of video but you think this could be the one we don't come out on top because it's a very good team on the other end,” McDonald said. “Our kids just continue to show up and continue to impress. It always starts with our defense and rebounding the basketball, taking care of the basketball and shots will fall eventually if we move the ball and get open looks.

“We're going to give them a game plan, stick to it and hope it works.”

Allentown Central Catholic was the last girls’ program to win four straight state titles, the Vikettes going four in a row from 2001-04. A Wood win on Saturday would also bring another milestone as the program’s ninth, which would be the most all-time PIAA titles by one program.

Greer and her two fellow seniors, Ava Renninger and Alexa Windish, have played with determination all postseason and there’s been a noticeable extra edge in states. They know a tough task awaits them, but it’s also the reason they’ve put in five months of work.

“It's still exciting every year because the work you put in, it takes so much out of you and it's so much commitment so knowing that hard work is paying off is very rewarding,” Greer said. “We all know what we're playing for. For us seniors, it's going to be our last game playing together, so we know we're going to have a ton of fun but it's all about winning it and bringing it home.”