Saturday, March 27, 2010

Bishop Guilfoyle girls come up big early to claim second straight PIAA Class A title

STATE COLLEGE – Bishop Guilfoyle completed a rare perfect season Saturday afternoon by feasting on District 6 mate Northern Cambria in the opening 10 minutes.

The Marauders nabbed their second consecutive PIAA Class A girls' basketball championship, and third in four years, by galloping past the Colts 49-29 at Bryce Jordan Center.

It was the third meeting this season between the Colts and Marauders – the last one in the District 6 final went to overtime.

But this time it wasn't even close.

Bishop Guilfoyle dropped 10 of its first 15 shots, and Northern Cambria...well they missed a lot.

Before this one was 10 minutes old the Marauders were up 14, having no trouble getting easy buckets on the big floor in transition, and killing the Colts on the boards.

Guilfoyle (30-0) senior Alli Williams, who won her third PIAA gold medal, had 10 of her 16 points and five of her 14 rebounds by halftime.

“We knew their strength, so we did everything to make sure they could not penetrate,” Williams said. “We could not have played any better defensively. We really got into their heads. Plus we shot the ball well early.”

The 29 points scored by Northern Cambria (24-6) is the sixth lowest total in PIAA girls' history.

“You've got to convert off steals early, and we really struggled to put the ball in the hoop,” said Colts coach Eric Thomas, whose club shot 23 percent from the floor. “And Alli Williams is such a tough match-up for us. She's so strong and physical.”

Williams is clearly the Marauders' big gun, but the addition of freshman guard Halee Adams this season was a difference maker on several fronts. In this game Adams had 11 points, eight rebounds and a couple assists.

Ariel Rocco and Janae Dunchack accounted for 24 of the Colts' 29 points.

“It's been a lot of pressure all year with so much expected of you,” Williams said. “For my senior year, this was the best ending to a season I could have ever dreamed of.”

From the Associated Press

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