BleacherCoaches.com

Congrads to NC on a great game. I hope the Luck of the Irish does not hit State College. Bring home the Gold.

Congrads to BM too on a fantastic year.

Northern Cambria GIRLS are headed for P.I.A.A. STATE TILE Tilt

By CORY ISENBERG
The Tribune-Democrat

The basketball community gathered at the Pitt-Johnstown Sports Center on Tuesday night for the P.I.A.A. Class (AA) girls semifinal clash between Northern Cambria and Bishop McCort.

The game, played before a packed house of more than 2,400, with several hundred turned away, was a rematch of the District # 6 championship won by the Colts.

With just one day of rest since their quarterfinal victory over Girard, Northern Cambria used its stamina to gut out the win over the Crimson Crushers, a 45-42 victory.

“We beat McCort during the district championship and a lot of people were saying it was just a fluke,” sophomore Ariel Rocco said. “We came here to prove that we could play with them. As you can see, we won.”

The Colts advance to Friday’s state championship game at Bryce Jordan Center opposite York Catholic, a 55-52 winner over Trinity.

“It is awesome,” Northern Cambria coach Eric Thomas said. “They have worked so hard, they deserve this. We haven’t ever been to a district championship (in basketball) so to be playing for the state championship is unreal. My girls have so much heart.”
Sophomore Breanna Kochinsky topped the Colts scoring with 16 points, including 12 in the first quarter.

“It means so much and is so amazing because a public school is representing the top two teams at states,” Kochinsky said. “It means so much. I’m glad we have such great fan support.”

Jen Valeria added 11 points, including a trio of 3-pointers with Janae Dunchack and Brittany Sedlock each supplying seven points. Sedlock also had 10 rebounds with Dunchack adding seven. Ariel Rocco added four points and five boards for Northern Cambria (29-1).

Bishop McCort senior Marissa Basile finished with a game-high 18 points before fouling out in the waning seconds of the game.

Senior Brittany Genday added 12 points for the Crushers, who finished the season 29-3, with two of their three losses to the Colts.

Julie Morey added six rebounds for Bishop McCort.

Just as they had done the first time the two teams played, Northern Cambria rolled out to an early advantage and led by eight after the first quarter.

But unlike the first meeting, the Crushers came roaring back in the second quarter, holding the Colts scoreless until the 3:23 mark while opening the frame with a 9-0 run. Bishop McCort outscored Northern Cambria 17-6 to take a 26-23 lead at the half.

“We were a little bit tired,” Thomas admitted. “McCort battled back in that second quarter and we lost a lot of confidence at that point. We regrouped at halftime.”

But just when it looked as though the Colts were on their last legs, they had a resurgence after the intermission, opening the third with a 10-0 run to take a 33-26 lead.

Northern Cambria was up 38-32 heading into the fourth.

“Coach always pumps us up and tells us the first part of the third quarter, the first three or four minutes, are very important,” Valeria said. “We just had to pick up our defense. When we get a lead and hold the ball no one can stop us.”

In the final eight minutes, Bishop McCort, which forced eight turnovers in the final quarter, got to within a point, 43-42, with 25.6 left on a Genday 3-pointer.

Down the stretch, Kochinsky hit one of two free throws, but on the inbound pass the Crushers committed a turnover and had to foul Valeria. The senior also hit one of two with 8.9 seconds left for the three-point cushion.

With time winding down Genday tossed up a 3-pointer, but it clanked off the hoop.

The margin of victory might have been greater except that Northern Cambria again struggled from the free-throw line going just 5-of-12 in the fourth.

“The third quarter in the first couple minutes we knew they were going to come at us,” Bishop McCort coach John Hahn said. “We thought we needed to take over in the first three or four minutes and that’s when they got back in it. They are a nice team. It was a tough way to lose.”

The much-shorter Colts outrebounded Bishop McCort 36-22.

Great Job Northern Cambria! A group of girls from "1" District beating a group of girls from "Many" Districts :lol:

David over Goliath! Public over Private!

~PA

Congrats & Good luck to the NC girls!

You know PA, I have lots of very close friends in portage & they have one thing you do not......CLASS!

ITS NICE TO SEE AT LEAST ONE LOCAL TEAM GOING TO BE IN STATE COLLEGE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

IT WAS NICE TO KNOW THAT BEFORE THE GAME WAS PLAYED WE WOULD AT LEAST HAVE ONE.

SEEMS AS THOUGH THE LAST 6-8 YEARS WE HAVE HAD AT LEAST ONE LOCAL TEAM COMPETING.

MOST YEARS IT HAS BEEN GIRLS TEAMS BUT STILL NICE TO SEE AT LEAST ONE DOWN THERE

Congrats to the Lady Crushers for the fact that they have class...i garuntee if they won they wouldnt have to make it known that they are a catholic school but hey they lost to a better team in my assumption......no shame in that


But thanks OMOS girls Genday,Basile,Pastorek, and Buchan
Westend Girls Hajko and Morey
and the St. Andrews girl Felton

you had a great career playing through the catholc school system

Great game best atmosphere for a hoops game ive been too in a long time..It was impressive

Good Luck NC

God, I'd NEVER admit that I have any friends from PORTAGE...

Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, errrr, I mean Joe Stankovich????????

Was it me or did McCort Girls choke in all of the big games this year? I thought they were supposed to roll over their competition this year, which they did in the games they were supposed to win. However, when faced with a team of their caliber they choked. I am not taking anything away from their impressive season, I was just surprised that did not win the LHAC, D-6 or the Western Final.

they won LHAC?

i could have sworn that guilfoyle won it. i guess not thanks crimson for the correction.