03/11/26 Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Bishop Guilfoyle's Layona Williams puts up a shot over Aquinas Academy's Elliot Keverline.

INDIANA — The Bishop Guilfoyle Lady Marauders started off their PIAA Class 1A second-round playoff game against Aquinas Academy like gangbusters Wednesday night, scoring the first 11 points.

Aquinas punched back, rallying to score the next seven, but the Lady Marauders — like the two-time defending state champions that they are — came at Aquinas in waves for the remainder of the game, roaring to a 65-32 victory at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Ed Fry Arena.

The win advanced Bishop Guilfoyle (26-2) into Saturday’s quarterfinal-round matchup against another District 6 school, Saint Joseph’s Academy, at a site and time to be determined. Saint Joesph’s advanced to the quarters with a second-round 70-37 victory over Clarion-Limestone Wednesday.

BG came out of the gates quickly in Wednesday’s game, riding junior Morgan Ruggery’s 3-pointer, two inside field goals by senior Stella Yeskey, another field goal by junior Anberlyn Petrecca and two free throws by sophomore Layona Williams to the early 11-0 lead.

Aquinas (22-4), the third-place finisher in the WPIAL tournament, responded by reeling off seven straight points — with field goals by senior Tess Duer and junior Katie Tarquino, along with a 3-pointer from the right corner by senior Elliot Keverline — comprising the rally.

03/11/26 Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Bishop Guilfoyle's Mary Haigh passes by Aquinas Academy's Alannah Heyward.

BG, however, regained control by scoring eight of the next 13 points to go up 19-12 after one quarter, then carried the second quarter, 16-7, to grab a 35-19 halftime lead.

Ruggery scored nine first-half points and Petrecca and Williams chipped in seven apiece for District 6 champion BG in the first 16 minutes.

“I think that after scoring those first 11 points, things got a little slow for us, and we didn’t defend with intensity,” BG coach Kristi Kaack said. “But after that, especially in the second half, we did a nice job in the defensive end.”

The Lady Marauders used excellent ball movement to put together a very balanced scoring attack, with Williams and Petrecca scoring 14 points apiece and Ruggery adding 13. Seven BG players entered the scoring column.

“I went to look at our scorebook after the game, and I couldn’t remember who had our points,” Kaack said. “That’s a credit to this group — they pass the ball unbelievably well, and they always make that extra pass to find a better look.”

BG kicked the running clock into effect late in the third quarter on a 3-point field goal by junior Hannah Homan that gave the Lady Marauders a 56-25 lead.

“I thought that our first-half defense wasn’t up to par, but in the second half, we really ramped it up and went out and got it,” said Williams, who led the Lady Marauders in rebounds with seven. “Offensively, we moved the ball well and got some good looks.”

Aquinas Academy was led by senior Tess Duer’s game-high 16 points, but no other Lady Crusaders’ player reached double figures.

“When you win multiple state championships, you’re a good basketball team,” Aquinas coach Andrew Kurzawski said of the Lady Marauders. “They’re obviously a better basketball team than we are. We expected this to be a tough contest. It was a very physical game, and when you cannot get into the flow of the game, it makes for a very difficult game.”

Yeskey suffered a hand injury while falling in the middle of a scrum in the first half and sat out the rest of the half, as well as the entire second half. Kaack said that Yeskey’s status is unknown pending a physical examination.

Saint Joseph’s Academy will be a familiar opponent for the Lady Marauders.

“We played them last season in this round,” Kaack said. “They have returned all of their starters this year and so have we. We’re quite familiar with them.”

BISHOP GUILFOYLE (65): Ruggery 5 2-4 13, Petrecca 6 0-0 14, Williams 4 4-4 14, Haigh 3 2-4 9, Adams 0 0-0 0, Homan 2 0-0 6, Yeskey 3 0-0 6, B. Biaconi 1 1-2 3, Geishauser 0 0-0 0, Seaman 0 0-0 0, Seidel 0 0-0 0. Totals — 24 9-14 65.

AQUINAS ACADEMY (32): Duer 7 0-0 16, E. Keverline 2 2-2 7, Guillen 0 0-0 0, Bezila 1 1-6 3, Tarquino 3 0-4 6, Hite 0 0-0 0, L. Heverline 0 0-0 0, Koenig 0 0-0 0, Bandurski 0 0-0 0. Totals — 13 3-8 32.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Bishop Guilfoyle 19 16 23 7–65

Aquinas Academy 12 7 7 6–32

3-point goals: Bishop Guilfoyle 8 (Petrecca 2, Williams 2, Homan 2, Ruggery, Haigh); Aquinas Academy 3 (Duer 2, E. Keverline).

Records: Bishop Guilfoyle (26-2); Aquinas Academy (22-4).

Officials: Terri Piatek, Mark Surike, John Page.