The State College Lady Little Lions began the 2016-17 basketball season with a long list of new things on their “to deal with” list.
There was a new coaching staff, new systems, new offenses, defenses and, most of all, four new starters and a whole cast of new players.
The team progressed slowly and not without its share of setbacks, yet here the Little Lions are preparing for the first round of the 2017 6-A PIAA state basketball tournament.
The team finished with a 9-13 regular season record that included some impressive wins, but also a mid-January seven-game losing streak. Then, as the playoffs began, State College turned to ice and was beaten by Altoona in the District 6 championship game, forcing the Lions into the consolation game against Erie McDowell for the remaining spot in the state tournament.
To its credit, and behind 14 points by Maya Bokunewicz, State College hung on for a gritty 32-22 win over McDowell and grabbed a place in the annual Pennsylvania get-together.
First up for State High will be the No. 3 team out of District 7, Mount Lebanon (18-6), at 6 p.m. Friday at Bald Eagle Area High School.
Mount Lebanon, the Section 3 champion in 2017, made it to the District 7 semifinals after a tense 47-44 victory over favored Norwin. The Blue Devils then lost, 61-44, to eventual champion North Allegheny and dropped to the No. 3 seed.
Mount Lebanon is led by forward Kenzie Bushee, a Stony Brook recruit, who is averaging more than 16 points per game. Bushee is joined by all-section guard Kate Sramac (12 ppg), Alyssa Highland, Jess Wilhelm and Jamey Napoleon.
The Devils came out on top in a section that includes Baldwin, Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan and Peters Township, and they also had wins over Villa Maria (Erie), Altoona and Upper St. Clair.
Altoona, of course, was a common opponent with State College, but Mount Lebanon also played, and lost to, defending state champion and Mid-Penn foe Cumberland Valley.
State College center Taylor Love has been the leader of the Lions (she had 17 rebounds against McDowell), but some cold shooting and streaks of turnovers and mistakes have held the Lions back. If Bokunewicz, Kayla Hawbaker, Jessica Lingenfelter and the other State High ball-handlers get good looks, the Lions can be competitive with anyone.
The keys, then, will be if State College can make some shots early and handle the Devils’ pressure. This game could be close going down the stretch.
