BY MIKE MASTOVICH
JOHNSTOWN — A lot of experience and talent will be on the floor tonight when District 6 runner-up Northern Cambria and District 11 runner-up Nativity BVM meet in the second round of the PIAA Class A girls basketball playoffs at Lewistown High.
Nativity returns its entire starting five from last year’s state runner-up squad. Northern Cambria has three 1,000-point scorers and four seniors, and all of them played on a state-runner up team two years ago.
“They’re definitely a good team. They pretty much return the same team as they had last year, and they played for a state final,” Northern Cambria coach Eric Thomas said. “We know we have our work cut out for us.
“Our biggest concern is our inside play because they start a 6-foot-1 girl and a 5-11 girl. That presents problems because of our size. But we do a decent job of boxing out and rebounding. If we do what we’re capable of doing we’ll be OK.”
The Green Wave (21-4) have five players who have scored at least 100 points this season, led by junior guard Kiely Chaklos’s 344 points for 14.3 a game and 84 assists, 3.5 a contest. Junior Nikki Farr has 237 points (9.9 a game).
Courtney Field, a 5-11 junior, has 205 points (8.9 average) and 168 rebounds (7.3 average).
Gabrielle Nabholz, a 6-1 senior center, has 114 points and 109 rebounds. Senior guard Sasha Birosik has 108 points and 58 assists.
“Chaklos is pretty good,” Thomas said. “She prefers to drive and dish. We have to be aware of her. They’re very balanced. They’re a good team. We hope we can get out and run with them. We’ve been playing some of our best ball recently, and that’s a good sign. One thing about our girls, we really aren’t intimidated by anybody.
“If we play like we have the last couple of games we’re going to be in pretty good shape.”
Northern Cambria (21-5) used a 16-0 run to build an early lead in a 59-37 win over District 3 Camp Hill in the first round.
The Colts’ 1,000-point club of Breanna Kochinsky (452 points, 18.1 average this season), Ariel Rocco (342, 14.3) and Janae Dunchack (310, 14.1) have poise and big-game experience in a Colts program that has had statewide success in basketball, volleyball and track. Another senior, Jess Rocco (108, 4.3) has been a key part of the Colts success.
Kochinsky also averages
5.9 rebounds, 4.0 steals and
3.8 assists a game. Ariel Rocco hauls in 14.2 rebounds a game while making 3.2 steals and
2.1 assists a night. Dunchack averages 8.9 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.6 assists.
“That experience, and the fact that we have good senior leadership, is special,” Thomas said.
“We have four girls out there who don’t want this to be their last game. They want to keep it going. We came out against Camp Hill and played with that urgency and desire. Our defense has been good. In the three District 6 games and the first round we have not given up 40 points in a game. That’s a good sign.
“In my six years at Northern Cambria this is by far the most experienced group we have had,” Thomas said. “This group of girls have all played so much since their freshman year. I’ve seen it during the postseason this year.
“They’re just coming together and doing what it takes to get the ‘W,’ whether it means being the go-to player or the player who makes the big play defensively. Right now, it’s a total team focus. For them, nothing matters except the win. You’ve got to be that way at this point of the season if you’re going to be successful.”
