CENTRE COUNTY — In what was an epic confrontation between two of the best Single-A girls basketball teams in the state, St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy escaped the Pirates den in Williamsburg with an exciting 75-72 victory on Friday, Jan. 17.
The Lady WolfPack, led by All-Star guard Naomi Crispin’s 40 points, overcame a 6-point deficit heading into the last quarter by piling up 26 points and sneaking past the Lady Pirates for their 13th win of the season with just one loss.
Crispin took over the WolfPack offense in the last frame by scoring 13 points including a 3-pointer and 4-of-5 from the line. In all, she nailed 11 field goals on the night and was 13-of-16 from the line.
Also helping in the last eight minutes was Aubrey Yartz who scored 6 points (and 18 in the game) and Alexia Luckovich who started things off with a big 3-pointer and scored 5 points (9 altogether).
Williamsburg had taken the lead with a 19-9 run in the third quarter, but Crispin, Luckovich and Yartz, along with a team 10-for-12 performance from the line, made up the difference and led the way to the WolfPack victory.
Williamsburg, now 11-3 for the season, was led by Leanna Royer’s 30 points, but she was held to just one field goal in the pivotal final quarter.
The win for SJCA was No. 13, but it wasn’t the end of the week’s work.
On Monday, Jan. 20, the team traveled to 11-3 Greenwood in Millerstown and continued its winning ways with a 61-43 victory.
It was all about the fourth quarter again for the WolfPack.
The game was competitive throughout with SJCA holding just a 43-40 lead going into the last frame.
But again, led by Crispin’s 24 points and a tight defense down the stretch, the WolfPack went on an 18-3 run and won the game going away.
Crispin scored 8 points in the last quarter, with Lauren Himes and Jacee Cunningham adding five points each. Himes was also in double figures for the night with 15 points.
The win was No. 14 for St. Joseph’s with games coming up at Juniata tonight and East Juniata on Monday, Jan. 27.
STATE COLLEGE GIRLS REBOUND AFTER A MID-PENN LOSS TO ALTOONA
After an icy cold second half against Altoona at home on Tuesday, Jan. 14, led to a one-sided loss, the State College girls basketball team warmed up big time three days later in Harrisburg.
Altoona was already ahead going into the second half of the teams’ Mid Penn contest in the North Gym, but the Lady Little Lions managed just single digits in both the third and fourth quarters and eventually fell, 66-37.
It was only the third loss of the season for the team after 11 wins, but it dropped SC a game behind the 14-2 Lady Mountain Lions in the Commonwealth Conference. It also sets up what will be a crucial District 6 Playoff matchup in February.
The Lions were anything but cold during their trip to Harrisburg three days later.
SC scored 51 points in the middle quarters against the Lady Cougars and held them to just 16 second-half points in a going-away 72-40 victory.
The Lions led by a point going into the second quarter, but they ran off 26 to take a 15-point halftime lead and then settled the matter with 25 more in the third quarter.
Sienna Wilson led four double-digit scorers for State College with 22 points with Mckenna Whitehurst and Sheree Wilson each getting 13 and Jessica Hawbaker adding 10.
The Lions are now 12-3 for the season with Mid Penn games coming up at CD East, home against Carlisle and at Chambersburg.
PENNS VALLEY NOW 7-7 AFTER CLOSE LOSSES TO CLEARFIELD AND RICHLAND
The Penns Valley girls basketball team was right there in LHAC games last week against Clearfield and Richland, but the results were not what the Rams were looking for.
Against Clearfield on Monday, Jan. 13, PV fell behind early by 10 points, but the Rams held on and held on and even made a run down the stretch.
But in the end, Clearfield was able to protect that early lead and came away with a 74-68 win at home.
Down 57-48 going into the last quarter, PV outscored the Bison 20-17 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t quite enough.
The Rams put four players in double figures in the game with Sydnie Dalton leading with 15 points followed by Ellie Romig with 14 and Paige Johnson and Lilly Smith both with 11.
The loss was the sixth of the year for the Rams against seven wins.
Then on Friday, Jan. 17, at Richland, the Rams started quickly but could not hold on against the 9-5 other Lady Rams in a 47-40 loss.
PV took a 26-19 halftime lead, but the Rams went cold in the third quarter and scored just one point while Richland streaked into the lead.
The teams traded baskets down the stretch, with Richland finally holding on for the victory.
Romig and Elle Dinges each scored 10 points for PV with Johnson adding 9.
Penns Valley will now take on Bellefonte at home on Thursday, Jan. 23, and then travel to Tyrone on Monday, Jan. 27.
P-O UPENDS BELLEFONTE FOR ITS SECOND WIN.
Philipsburg-Osceola’s Maddy Malinich and Kaycie Hughes both nailed 3-pointers in a pivotal second quarter as the Lady Mounties pulled away from Bellefonte in Philipsburg on Monday, Jan. 20, in a 53-36 victory.
P-O took an early 5-point lead after one quarter, but the Mounties took control of the game with a 13-2 run in the second quarter.
The defense held Bellefonte to just two points (and 0-for-6 from the line) in the quarter while Malinich and Hughes led the Mountie rally.
The two teams played evenly in the second half with P-O sealing the win with seven points from Lily Warlow and a 6-for-7 mark from the line.
Malinich led P-O with 20 points and Warlow came in with 19 as the team won its second game of the season.
Bellefonte kept playing and outscored the Mounties 18-14 in the final quarter, but the Mountie lead was too big to overcome.
P-O will next face Tyrone tonight at home and then travel to Huntingdon on Monday, Jan. 27.
BALD EAGLES FALL TO CLEARFIELD
The Bald Eagle Area girls’ basketball team hit a rough spot after the Lady Eagles’ 46-32 win over Bellefonte on Monday, Jan. 13.
Since then, the team has lost three games, to Richland, Somerset and Clearfield, and has fallen to 4-9 for the year.
At home against Clearfield on Monday, Jan. 20, BEA fell behind early and never got going in a 65-17 loss.
Sybil Thompson, Lydia Walk and Gabbie Perry led BEA in scoring in the game.
Next up for the team will be a home game against Central tonight followed by a non-league contest at Glendale on Friday, Jan. 24.
