CENTRE COUNTY — In local girls’ basketball action, Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy kept rolling with its 15th consecutive win, and the State College Lady Little Lions are now 13-5 after winning their 6th in a row with a 40-28 win over Williamsport.
Philipsburg-Osceola got a much-needed non-league victory, but Penns Valley, Bellefonte and Bald Eagle Area all took LHAC losses.
Here’s a closer look at what’s happening:
The Saint Joseph’s Academy girls’ basketball team braced for a visit from 17-1 Williamsburg on Jan. 28, but the WolfPack was more than ready on both sides of the court.
The WolfPack opened the game with 21 points in each of the first two quarters, but that was just half of the story.
The also held the high-scoring Blue Pirates to single digits in both frames and took a commanding 42-16 lead at halftime.
There was no let-up in the second half, although Williamsburg was a bit more effective with 28 points.
SJCA placed four players in double figures in the game with senior guard Naomi Crispin leading with 24 points — 15 in the first half — followed by Aubrey Yartz with 15, Lauren Himes with 11 and Alexia Luckovich with 10.
The win, the team’s 15th, was the first of three straight blowouts.
The next night at Newport, it was 40-15 at halftime in a game that ended up as a 65-21 win. Newport was held to single digits in every quarter.
It was Crispin again with 21 points, while Luciovich added 15.
Finally, at home on Monday night SJCA ran away from Line Mountain, 75-41. A full box score was not available at this writing, but the WolfPack bolted out to a 49-21 lead after two quarters and finished the win from there.
Now at 17-2 for the season, SJCA has three games remaining on its schedule: home against East Juniata and away at Juniata Valley and Jersey Shore.
The team is presently at No. 3 in the District 6, Single-A Rankings behind No. 1 Bishop Guilfyle and No. 2 Bishop Carroll.
In State College, the Lady Little Lions have gotten hot at just the right time.
After wins over Cumberland Valley on Jan. 29 and Williamsport on Feb. 2, the team is now at 13-5 and riding on a 6-game winning streak.
At CV, the Little Lions escaped with a razor-thin, defense-minded 38-30 victory in a Mid-Penn Commonwealth contest. SC held Cumberland to just 10 first-half points and then had to hold on through the third and fourth quarters. State College came through by holding CV to single digits again in the final eight minutes.
Then on Monday night, the team kept it going with a 40-28 non-league win over Williamsport at home.
The win was the Lions’ 6th in a row and it improved their record to 13-5 and inched them closer to No. 1 Altoona in the District 6, AAAAAA Playoff Rankings.
In Philipsburg on Monday night, the Philipsburg-Osceola Lady Mounties won their sixth game of the season in a 48-22 victory over Moshannon Valley.
The Mounties and Damsels played a tight first half, but P-O turned up the defense in the second half and pulled away for the win. The P-O defense held MV to single digits in the third and fourth quarters.
McKenna Thorp led P-O with 14 points, while Emily Gustkey scored 10 and Kaycie Hughes and Kaelin Wagner each scored eight.
Roxie Wagner led MV with 11 points, and Lily Switala scored 10.
P-O will now face Clearfield away on February 5 and Central at home on February 9.
In Spring Mills, the Penns Valley girls’ team lost its last two LHAC games to Bishop Carroll, 60-39, at home and Hollidaysburg, 55-40, at Hollidaysburg on Monday.
The high scorers for PV at Hollidaysburg were Paige Johnson with 18 points, Ellie Romig with 10 and Sydnie Dalton with 5.
The Rams are now at 8-10 for the season with games against Bald Eagle Area and Clearfield coming up, both at home.
The Rams are now No. 4 in the District 6, AAA Playoff Rankings behind Cambria Heights (12-8). Central Cambria, 16-3, is No. 1.
Other Scores:
Bellwood-Antis 77, BEA 24
—Kinsey Clark scored 9 points and Addison Mottin had 7.
Bishop Guilfoyle 66, Bellefonte 10
