Mirror file photo by Patrick Waksmunski Bishop Guilfoyle's Layona Williams looks to the net by Saint Joseph's Lauren Himes (left) and Naomi Crispin.

Bishop Guilfoyle Academy returned most of its team from last year’s PIAA championship win over Mountain View.

But throughout this season, key players like juniors Gia Adams and Stella Yeskey suffered injuries that led to plenty of missed games.

The Lady Marauders managed to survive those injuries without much of a blip on the radar thanks in large part to a pair of freshmen — Layona Williams and Mary Haigh.

“I think the summer was a big help for that in preparation for the season,” Bishop Guilfoyle coach Kristi Kaack said. “Layona is such a worker. She spends a lot of time in a gym outside of what we do, and Mary is the youngest of a very talented basketball family. She has gotten to watch for many years what it takes to be at that next level, and I think that’s a big advantage for her.”

Williams and Haigh are both expected to start Saturday afternoon’s PIAA semifinal against Bishop Carroll Catholic in Altoona’s Fieldhouse at noon with a chance to play in the state final Friday in Hershey on the line.

“It’s an awesome environment every day at practice,” Haigh said. “I knew with hard work, whatever I could give my team to move through the season was what I was going to do, and I think overall my teammates have been so helpful helping me adjust to starting my high school career.”

Haigh and Williams both faced challenges this year.

Williams suffered a preseason injury herself that made her miss the beginning of the year.

“It was a really hard situation in the beginning,” Kaack said. “She was coming off a phenomenal summer. She played very well in the Y league. She was playing with a lot of confidence, and I think that was a hard thing to get back within that rhythm with no preseason. But once she got a couple weeks in, we really started to notice her getting that confidence back and look more like her old self.”

When Williams got back, it wasn’t long before Adams suffered a hand injury and she was thrust into the starting lineup.

“It was pretty hard, because I had a good summer and expected to go into the season with that momentum,” Williams said. “But then I got hurt, and it was disappointing. Every day at practice, all the girls pushed me, and that’s probably the biggest reason I fired back so quickly.”

Williams provides versatility offensively and has some of the traits that make Adams such a great defender.

“Her quickness and athleticism — I think she’s a very dynamic player,” Kaack said. “She can get to the rim, but she can also shoot so it’s hard for teams to defend her. On the flip side, she also gives us another quick guard to pressure the ball on the defensive end of the floor.”

Haigh started the season coming off the bench as a player who would fill in at the post when Anberlyn Petrecca or Stella Yeskey got into foul trouble.

Her defense was obvious from the start, especially in a solid early-season victory over Williamsburg in which she played extended minutes on Levada Gorsuch.

As the season progressed, Haigh’s name started to show up more on the scoresheet.

“The most surprising part to me right now is Mary’s offensive side of the ball,” Kaack said. “We have always known what she can do on the defensive end of the floor. She has the ability to guard a post player or a guard. She, right now, is drawing a lot of the other team’s best matchups. But where she’s been most impressive is the way she’s finishing around the basket and has been able to shoot the outside shot. She’s versatile on the defensive and offensive side of the ball.”

Haigh’s older brother, Patrick, is Bishop Guilfoyle’s all-time leading scorer.

“I have been surrounded by it for so long,” Haigh said. “I think just having them around has really helped me get in the gym more.”

As with Williams, Haigh’s ability to do many things on the court has proven valuable.

“It’s really awesome that God has blessed me with the opportunity to help my team in any way I can,” Haigh said. “Whether it’s defending a guard or post.”

Williams and Haigh’s development has made the Lady Marauders an extremely deep team, especially with Adams back and Yeskey likely on her way.

“Everyone is just really talented,” Williams said. “Everyone who steps on the floor is special.”

SATURDAY

GIRLS

PIAA CLASS 1A SEMIFINALS

Teams: Bishop Carroll Catholic Lady Huskies (21-7) vs. Bishop Guilfoyle Academy Lady Marauders (28-2)

Site, time: Altoona Area High School Fieldhouse, noon

The coaches: Bishop Carroll–John Strittmatter; Bishop Guilfoyle–Kristi Kaack

Playoff path: Bishop Carroll–def. Glendale, 56-16, in District 6 quarterfinals; def. Saint Joseph’s, 68-63, in semifinals; lost to Bishop Guilfoyle, 61-44, in District 6 championship; def. Coudersport, 77-32, in PIAA first round; def. Farrell, 54-22, in PIAA second round; def. Williamsburg, 60-47, in PIAA quarterfinals. Bishop Guilfoyle–def. Juniata Valley, 57-19, in District 6 quarterfinals; def. Williamsburg, 61-45, in semifinals; def. Bishop Carroll, 61-44, in District 6 championship; def. Clarion-Limestone, 62-19, in PIAA first round; def. Aquinas Academy, 62-27, in PIAA second round; def. Saint Joseph’s, 66-48, in PIAA quarterfinals

Probable starting lineups: Bishop Carroll–G Madison Delauter, jr.; G Adelyn Myers, so.; G-F Ava Pablic, so.; G-F Emily Lucko, fr.; F Maddie Lieb, sr. Bishop Guilfoyle–G Layona Williams, fr.; G Maurie Querry, so.; G Morgan Ruggery, so.; G-F Anberlyn Petrecca, so.; F Mary Haigh, fr.

Key reserves: Bishop Carroll–F Caroline Golden, sr.; G-F Avery Myers, so. Bishop Guilfoyle–F Riley Gofus, sr.; G-F Hannah Homan, so.; G Gia Adams, jr.; F Stella Yeskey, jr.

Who they get: The winner plays the winner of District 4 champion Lourdes Regional and District 3 champion Linville Hill Christian for the PIAA Class 1A championship at the Giant Center in Hershey on Friday, March 28 at noon.

Notable: Bishop Carroll and Bishop Guilfoyle have combined to play 230 state playoff games since 1978, and they have only met in the PIAA playoffs once before. On March 19, 1994 at Hollidaysburg Area High School, the Lady Marauders defeated Bishop Carroll, 52-36, in a PIAA Class 1A quarterfinal game. BG advanced to the state final that year but lost to Lourdes Regional. … Overall, Bishop Carroll is 60-26 in the PIAA playoffs and won state championships in 1987, 2002 and 2003 at the Class 1A level. Just three of BC’s 60 wins have come in Class 2A. The Lady Huskies were the state runner-up in 1996 and 1998. … Bishop Guilfoyle is 110-34 all-time in the PIAA playoffs. … The Lady Marauders have won eight state championships (second all-time in girls basketball). They won 2A titles in 1984 and 1991 and 1A championships in 1993, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2021 and 2024. … BG was the runner-up in 2A in 1987, 1995 and 2004 and the runner-up in 1A in 1994, 1999 and 2011.