The usual suspects make it to the championship hoops game in Blair Regional girls league
YMCA H.S. Girls Semis
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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Last season in the PIAA high school basketball playoffs, Williamsburg came within a couple possessions of taking home a state championship in Hershey. The Beard Group (Altoona) was just as close to making an appearance in Hershey after being knocked out in the semis, and Penn Cambria and First Stop (Bishop Guilfoyle) were both eliminated in the state quarterfinals.
It's only fitting in a league filled with talent that those four teams met in the Blair Regional YMCA Summer League semifinals in the high school division on Tuesday evening.
"You're watching teams play at a high level in all different classifications," First Stop coach Kristi Kaack said. "I love this summer league because we have the opportunity to play each other. It's only helping every team get better."
Bishop Guilfoyle will be meeting The Beard Group, a team of Altoona players, in the league championship game on Thursday.
"I think it's outstanding," The Beard Group coach Chris Fleegle said." There are a lot of dedicated individuals on the girls side. That's four really good programs. BG and Williamsburg, it seems like they've been doing it forever. Kudos to the hard work that the young ladies put in."
Stop triumphs
Morgan Ruggery and Layona Williams had a dozen points apiece as First Stop cruised to a victory over the Lady Panthers.
The winners jumped out to a big lead early, and held a 33-14 lead at halftime.
Around this time last season in the Blair Y summer league, the Lady Marauders lost Maurie Querry for the entire high school season. Querry is back and healthy now as she chipped in four points in the win.
"We always said she was a glue player, and I don't think we realized how much until we didn't have her anymore," Kaack said. "She does a really nice job of connecting the whole team. She's very comfortable being in that point guard role. She sees the floor really well. It's just really nice to have her back."
Bishop Guilfoyle was aided by a perfect 15-for-15 game from the foul line. All five starters in the game for BG in Ruggery, Williams, Querry, Mary Haigh, and Anberlyn Petrecca were key contributors in the past.
"We were just saying in our huddle we've had a ton of kids at every open gym," Kaack said. "We have the buy-in in our program right now, which is really fun to have."
Penn Cambria got 14 points from Rachel Fisher.
TBG rolls
Altoona rising junior Brionna Hudson had missed most of the summer nursing an injury, but she has hardly skipped a beat after leading The Beard Group with 14 points in a win over Williamsburg.
"She's a competitive spirit," Fleegle said of Hudson. "There's something about her that she does not want the team to lose. We're very blessed that she has that extra gear that a lot of players don't have that she can make things happen."
Outside of key players Hudson and Raylin Eyer in last year's run to the state semis, The Beard Group featured many new faces in a lineup that graduated starters Zaelinh Nguyen-Moore, Samantha Harpster, and Kendall Cogan. Eyer chipped in 10 points in the win.
"We've spent a lot of time in the gym," Fleegle said. "The girls are really dedicated. I think the run we had last season really energized us to want to work hard and have that same success. We're a young group, and a lot of people are getting opportunities to play."
Williamsburg had three starters from last year's state championship game available on Tuesday in Levada Gorsuch, Bella Royer, and Brynn Lower. Lower drained a pair of three-pointers for six points to lead the Lady Pirates.
Thursday's league championship game between The Beard Group and Bishop Guilfoyle tips off at 5:30 p.m.
PENN CAMBRIA (36): Ave. LeMaster 0 0-0 0, Beard 1 1-2 3, Rabatin 0 2-2 2, Fisher 4 4-5 14, Ava. LeMaster 1 2-3 4, Piotti 0 0-0 0, Davison 1 0-0 2, Shall 0 0-0 0, Cadwallader 3 0-0 6, Rickens 0 0-0 0, Jenkins 0 0-0 0, Milavec 0 0-0 0, McCloskey 1 0-0 3, Harris 1 0-0 2. Totals -- 12 9-12 36.
BISHOP GUILFOYLE (56): Ruggery 3 6-6 12, Haigh 0 2-2 2, Williams 4 1-1 12, Query 1 2- 2 4, Petrecca 2 4-4 9, Homan 4 0-0 11, Steward 2 0-0 4, Geishauser 0 0-0 , Hite 1 0-0 2, Ronan 0 0-0 0, Branconi 0 0-0 0. Totals -- 17 15-15 56.
Halftime: BG, 33-14. 3-point goals: Penn Cambria 3 (Fisher 2, McCloskey); Bishop Guilfoyle 7 (Williams 3, Petrecca, Homan 3).
THE BEARD GROUP (40): Hudson 6 1-1 14, Eyer 3 2-2 10, Davis 0 0-0 0, Harzbacher 1 1-2 4, Rossman 0 1-2 1, Av. Williams 0 3-4 3, R. Lantzy 4 0-0 8, Am. Williams 0 0-0 0, C. Lantzy 0 0-0 0, Neuner 0 0-0 0. Totals -- 14 8-11 40.
WILLIAMSBURG (18): Lower 2 0-0 6, Royer 2 0-0 5, Gorsuch 1 2-4 4, Colbert 0 0-0 0, Alexander 1 1-4 3, Houck 0 0-0 0. Totals -- 6 3-8 18.
Halftime: TBG, 24-8. 3-point goals: The Beard Group 4 (Hudson, Eyer 2, Harzbacher); Williamsburg 3 (Lower 2, Royer).