×

PC girls savor state playoff berth

CRESSON — Basketball at any level is a game of runs and swings of momentum.

In a District 6 Class 3A quarterfinal girls playoff game Friday night, third-seeded Penn Cambria enjoyed the largest and most significant ones.

After dominating the first quarter and building a 19-4 lead, Penn Cambria ruled the third quarter, 33-9 en route to a 75-44 rout of sixth-seeded Marion Center at the Penn Cambria High School gymnasium.

After Marion Center had drawn to within 28-21 at halftime on the strength of a 10-point run at the end of the second quarter, Penn Cambria came out blazing in the third quarter, opening the period with a 10-point surge of its own, to take a 38-21 lead and control of the game.

The win earned Penn Cambria (18-6) a spot in Tuesday’s semifinals at a neutral site against the winner of today’s game between seventh-seeded United and second-seeded Tyrone. More importantly, it clinched the program’s first PIAA state playoff berth in 26 years.

“We automatically advance to the PIAA tournament now,” Penn Cambria coach Keith Saleme said. “It’s huge for our program and it goes to show what kind of hard work that the players have put in. We haven’t been to the state playoffs in 26 years, and I’m ecstatic for the girls.”

Penn Cambria enjoyed balanced scoring, as senior guard Makalynn Clapper celebrated her 18th birthday by scoring a game-high 19 points, while senior guard Laken Guzic added 17, senior forward Mia McCarthy scored 13, and another senior guard, Emmy Harvey, added 10.

McCarthy got Penn Cambria rolling in the third quarter with a pair of 3-point field goals to put the Lady Panthers ahead, 34-21. After Guzic registered a length-of-the-court layup, Clapper scored off an assist from Guzic to give Penn Cambria the 38-21 advantage.

After Marion Center (14-9) hit a pair of free throws, Penn Cambria scored the next 18 points to expand its advantage to 56-21 and blow the game open.

“What sparked me is that, as a senior, I knew it could be my last game ever, and I didn’t want to end,” said McCarthy, who scored 11 points in the third period. “We knew that we had to come out really strong and give it all that we had.”

Clapper agreed that that was Penn Cambria’s game plan in the third quarter.

“In the beginning of the second half, we knew what we had to do,” said Clapper, who scored eight third-quarter points. “We executed really well. This is a great start for the playoffs.”

Penn Cambria got off to a great start in the game, using its pressure defense to force several steals that led to baskets en route to taking the 19-4 lead at the first-quarter pole.

Clapper had nine of the first-quarter points for the Lady Panthers, who built a 28-11 second-quarter lead before Marion Center temporarily made a game of it prior to intermission.

“Penn Cambria is a very good team — they press the whole game, that’s their style,” Marion Center coach Julie Horner said. “We knew their press was coming, and we were prepared for it, but when you make a mistake, it has a domino effect.”

Senior Jackie Fetsko led Marion Center with 12 points.

It’s on to the next round for Penn Cambria, which is embracing the challenge.

“This is a great team, and every single one of us is prepared,” McCarthy said.

MARION CENTER (44): Fetsko 4 4-9 12, Snyder 1 3-6 5, Fulton 2 1-2 6, Monroe 3 3-4 9, Alabran 1 0-2 3, Ackerman 2 1-3 7, Coble 0 0-2 0, Armstrong 0 2-2 2, Gatskie 0 0-0 0. Totals — 13 14-28 44.

PENN CAMBRIA (76): Harvey 5 0-0 10, L. Guzic 7 1-1 17, Clapper 6 5-9 19, McCarthy 5 0-0 13, Hockenos 2 0-0 4, H. Saleme 2 0-0 6, Grove 1 0-0 2, Shaugis 0 0-0 0, Kunsman 1 0-0 2, Lilly 0 0-0 0, M. Saleme 0 0-0 0, Maccia 1 0-0 2, Rabatin 0 0-0 0, Fitzsimmons 0 0-0 0, Cornell 0 0-0 0, O’Donnell 0 0-0 0, C. Guzic 0 0-0 0. Totals — 30 6-10 75.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Marion Center 4 17 9 14 — 44

Penn Cambria 19 9 33 14 — 75

3-point goals: Marion Center 4 (Ackerman 2, Fulton, Alabran); Penn Cambria 9 (McCarthy 3, L. Guzic 2, Clapper 2, H. Saleme 2).

Records: Marion Center (14-9); Penn Cambria (18-6).

Officials: Sue Kovensky, Jack McDougal, Brian Smith.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.39/week.

Subscribe Today