CHARLEROI — Bishop McCort encountered some difficulties arriving at Charleroi High School for its PIAA Class AA girls first-round playoffs game on Friday.
First there was the snowstorm that hit the Johnstown area, thick enough to appear like fog.
The Crushers made it to Charleroi, only to have their bus driver take a wrong turn on the way to the high school.
The bus got stuck at the bottom of a hill, forcing parents and officials from Bishop McCort to pick up the players and coaches in cars to take them the last mile to the school.
Instead of being sluggish and tight to begin the game, the Crushers came out pressing.
Bishop McCort spotted the Prexies the first basket, then rattled off a 9-0 run and used that early momentum to take a 67-48 victory.
“We had a rough time getting here,” said Bishop McCort coach John Hahn. “Ten inches of snow in Johnstown, then we get here and the bus got stuck. But maybe it’s better that way. We had no time to think. Maybe we’ll do that next game.”
Marissa Basile gave the Crushers (27-2) a 3-2 lead with a 3-pointer. Then, Bishop McCort stole three straight inbounds passes and turned each into a basket.
Washington coach Mike Maltony had to call a timeout less than 90 seconds into the game.
“It was quick,” said Maltony. “That got us back on our heels. We had film on them, but film doesn’t do it justice.”
The Prexies (24-3) fell out of their game plan, rushing passes and shots. On the other end, the Crushers relentlessly drove the lane, exposing Washington’s interior defense. When the inside shot wasn’t there, Bishop McCort kicked it out for a jumper or 3-pointer.
Washington trailed by 12 after the first quarter, and it might’ve been more if it hadn’t been for Jocelyn Floyd’s superb defense.
Floyd came a rebound short of a triple-double, scoring 18 points with 11 steals. Five of those steals came in the first quarter. But, after Floyd picked up her second foul with 2:17 left in the opening quarter, she had to tone down her aggressiveness.
“She was as good as advertised,” Hahn said.
Washington recovered and slowly whittled away, but still trailed by nine at halftime. A 5-0 run – fueled by two Floyd steals and layups – began the third quarter, and suddenly Bishop McCort’s lead was down to 40-36. But the Prexies didn’t have quite enough to get over the hump.
Hahn called a timeout. Then, Basile and Lindsay Buchan each made a 3-pointer during a 12-4 run to stretch the lead back to 12. Washington never got closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
“I thought we had that spark we needed,” said Maltony. “Then they made their run. We couldn’t recover from their barrage of layups.”
Jenna Phillips (12 points) hit three 3-pointers in the first half, forcing the Crushers to change from a zone to a man defense. In the second half, she was shut down, scoring only two points.
The late arrival didn’t affect Bishop McCort offensively, either.
Three of the Crushers’ starters hit double figures, led by Basile with 18. Brittany Genday had 15 points and Sarah Pastorek 12. Julie Morey and Buchan each scored eight points.
They combined for 61 points.
“That’s been us all year,” said Hahn. “That’s what we need to win. We had since last Saturday to prepare. The girls couldn’t wait for this game.”
Bishop McCort moves on, but the Prexies, who ended their season with two consecutive losses, look to next season.
High School Sports
Long trip pays off for McCort
- High School Sports
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Richland's Lumley settles for pair of silver medals
Paige Lumley was on an emotional roller coaster and seeing silver on Saturday at the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
The Richland senior had state record jumps twice during the triple jump competition, but ended up with a silver–medal leap of 40 feet,
1¾ inches.
Defending state champion, second-seeded junior Lanae Newsome of Brookville, won with a jump of 40-3½. -
Ridge’s Dull takes second with school-record time
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Chestnut Ridge senior Michael Young capped six years of triple jumping with a silver medal Friday on the first day of the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Seth Grove Stadium on the campus of Shippensburg University.
Young had a career-best leap of 45-9¼ just behind Jared Horne of Schuylkill Valley whose winning jump was 46-9. -
Forest Hills’ Smay places fifth in Class AA long jump
Brooke Smay is moving on up.
The Forest Hills junior earned a fifth-place position in the Class AA long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 3 ½ inches Friday on the first day of the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University. -
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There were more than a few huge plays. Of course a number of individuals stepped up to secure a 3-1 victory over LHAC rival Bishop Guilfoyle. -
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Hollidaysburg pitcher Dom Viduya and his Golden Tigers teammates beat defending champion Somerset 3-1 in Thursday’s District 6 Class AAA championship game at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
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Pitcher's 'bad day' results in no-hitter
Bridgit Yothers struggled on the mound on Thursday.
But the Chestnut Ridge right-hander was able to persevere through her issues, throwing a no-hitter against Bedford in their District 5 Class AA semifinal and helping the Lions to a 5-0 victory. -
Local athletes look to shine at PIAA track and field meet
Each of the nearly 50 area athletes who will be competing at this weekend’s PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University, will be looking for his or her best performance of the season, but only the top eight finishers in each event for both boys and girls will stand on the podium in front of the crowd at Seth Grove Stadium.
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Westmont, Somerset represented at PIAA Class AA tennis tourney
The PIAA Class AA tennis tournament showcases the top players in the state, which includes three area athletes, when it begins today at the Hershey Racquet Club.
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Corridini’s hit propels Shade
Tasha Corridini had been having a tough time at the plate on Wednesday.
The Shade leftfielder had struck out twice in her prior two at-bats against Shanksville-Stonycreek pitcher Kayla Stockenus.
But in the bottom of the seventh of a scoreless game with Kaily Karl on first, Corridini clubbed a triple out to the fence, scoring Karl and giving the Panthers a walk-off 1-0 win over the Vikings in a District 5 Class A softball quarterfinal. - More High School Sports Headlines
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