City of Basketball Love

By Olivia Valania
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This season will be Alexis Eberz’s final shot at cutting down the nets at the Palestra, a goal that has so narrowly escaped her before. 

Her sophomore year Carroll battled Wood to the end, going into double overtime, but ultimately lost the championship 54-52. Last year, after almost making a comeback from a rocky first half, Carroll was unable to hold off Neumann Goretti, leading to a 50-43 loss and Eberz’s second Catholic League Championship loss in a row.

Eberz does not look to these past losses as something to dwell on, rather as motivation to propel her final PCL campaign and fuel her to finally get her Palestra win.

“It was hard but we are only using it as motivation,” Eberz said. We like to remember how we felt after those two losses and just using it as motivation to get there.”

Thursday night in Archbishop Carroll’s 54-30 win over Lansdale Catholic Eberz put up a dominant performance to lead her team to a 2-0 start in the Catholic League, establishing their momentum to return to the finals. 

It was Eberz pulling the weight in the first half for the Patriots. 

The senior guard contributed 21 of Carroll’s 28 points in the first two quarters, the other 7 points being scored by junior Abbie McFillin. She hit four deep threes over defenders and was able to drive the lane, critically controlling the tempo especially as her younger sister, Kayla Eberz, did not get hot until the third quarter. It was Alexis who went on her own scoring run in the second quarter to push the Patriots to a 14 point lead going into half time.

The second half she was focused on setting up her teammates once they had settled into the game and were ready to put up some scoring. With a couple of steals and assists in the third quarter she was unselfish with the ball passing the ball ahead and scanning the floor for good looks to her team.

“Just doing what I can for my teammates, getting them open, getting the ball at the right time so they can execute their shots,” said Eberz, discussing her in-game thought process in regards to leading her team. “When they are open you have to give it to them.” 

Carroll has not been taking this season lightly.

In preparation for PCL play and a 6A state run come February and March the Patriots utilized December to play some of the hardest competition in the country. 

In their second game of the season they took on St John’s (D.C.) who is ranked No. 23 in the nation per ESPN. The next two games only got harder. They played Long Island Lutheran (N.Y), currently ranked No. 3 and boasts names such Vanderbilt commit Olivia Jones, two Kentucky commits Emily Mcdonald and Savvy Swords, Duke commit Sanai Green, and five-star point guard Taylor Brown. Then they went on to No. 13 in the country and top girls’ team in Pennsylvania, Westtown, matching up with the local forces of Jordyn Palmer and Atlee Vanesko. Though all three ended in losses, they used the experience as an opportunity to get better.

“I think it has prepared us a lot, playing those high-ranked teams,” Eberz said. “I think it has really brought us all together more as we know this is what we have to do. It’s gotten us better and hopefully prepared us for the PCL.”

Within these games head coach Renie Shields saw what her girls needed to fix before PCL play began in January. She came equipped ready to be intentional in practice to be able to make the changes.

“Just slowing down and not rushing through things,” said Shields, commenting on what they have been working on to be more of a threat.  “Things I say all the time, just make layups, don’t turn the ball over, and don’t give the other team chances to score again. Just doing the fundamental things really well.”

In their fixture against Lansdale Catholic they did just that: slowing things down and taking their time running through the offense and showcasing great fundamentals as they shared the ball.

Shields and the rest of the team are working each day to make strides to the Palestra but it means the most to Eberz as she faces her last PCL run before heading off the play under Denise Dillon at Villanova and her final high school season playing with her younger twin sisters Kayla Eberz and Kelsey Eberz.

“It would mean the world to me,” said Eberz, talking about her dream of winning the Catholic League. “It’s a big goal we all have for this team this season so just getting there and getting the win would be amazing.”

The road through the PCL is never easy.

Tuesday, the Patriots face an undefeated Cardinal O'Hara squad filled with sharpshooters, marking their first real challenge on their journey to the Palestra. 

“We have a tough slate,” Shields said. “We have to play O’Hara next Tuesday. They are very good, guard oriented, two big kids, and they all can shoot the ball so we have a big task ahead of us.”

In Catholic League play you have to take things day by day, focusing on each game ahead at a time in order to get a coveted final four spot. Archbishop Carroll is looking to do what it takes to get back there.

“We really want to get to that Palestra,” Eberz said. “So, just doing everything we can to get there is what will get us wins.”

~~~

By Quarter
Archbishop Carroll: 13 | 15 | 18 | 8 || 54
Lansdale Catholic: 8 | 6 | 7 | 9 || 30

Scoring
Archbishop Carroll: Alexis Eberz 23, Abbie McFillin 12, Kayla Eberz 11, Haley Clark 6, Evie Lawrence 2

Lansdale Catholic: Ali Kaltenbacker 8, Allie Esposito 5, Jade Fretz 4, Celynn Picard 4, Kyara Benjamin 3, Helena Larsen 3, Lily Clair 2, Kaitlin Jacoby 1