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Bishop Carroll boys rout Blacklick Valley to reach final

EBENSBURG — One year removed from falling in the District 6 Class 1A finals, the Bishop Carroll boys basketball team made it a priority to right its previous wrongs and make up for past shortcomings.

With a rout over No. 4 Blacklick Valley Friday night in the district semifinal, the Huskies took one step closer to achieving that goal.

Senior Nolan Burk posted a game-high 22 points and was just one block away from a triple-double as the Huskies easily dispatched of the Vikings, 72-25, to advance to their third-straight district title game.

“In a playoff atmosphere like this and one win away from D6, you have to come out and give it everything,” said Burk, who’s Huskies also earned a berth into the state playoffs as well. “It’s pretty much win or go home from here. Everything was just clicking tonight. We were moving the ball well and crashing the boards.”

The Vikings had no answer for the 6-foot-6 Burk all-night long.

Teaming up with teammate Tristan McDannell, the Husky seniors played lights out through the first half.

The two combined for 29 of Bishop Carroll’s 50 first-half points and could have inflicted more damage if they hadn’t been pulled for junior varsity players as a running clock ensued for the entire second half.

Burk netted 14 points in the first quarter alone and finished the game with 15 rebounds and nine blocks.

“It’s nice having him down there,” McDannell said of Burk. “He can kick it out too sometimes if he’s feeling like it. He’s a big dude, that’s for sure. He brings a lot of energy and communicates very well. And he’s a hoss on the boards.”

The Vikings (4-17) failed to garner any offense in the first half.

The Husky press forced 13 turnovers through the first two frames, and Burk alone was able to stifle nearly every drive to the inside.

Bishop Carroll (14-10) endured a 17-0 run to open the game, and Blacklick Valley did not record its first bucket of the game until the waning seconds of the first quarter.

“All last week and all this week, our main focus at practice was our defense,” Burk said. “Defense is what wins you games in the playoffs, and we definitely showed in the first half what all our defense can do.”

In that span, McDannell dropped a trio of 3-point shots, and Hamid Rodkey converted once from beyond the arc as well.

The Huskies missed only three shots in that run.

“We were just moving the ball well and getting open,” McDannell said. “If you have an open shot, you have to take it. (Bishop Carroll coach Cosie Aliquo) always tells us not to be afraid to shoot it.”

Burk found most of his points in garbage time.

With the Vikings unable to field a tall lineup, Burk used his size and lateral quickness to outmuscle Blacklick Valley on the boards all night long.

Several of his points were the result of simple putbacks, though he did display two powerful dribble-drives to the ovation of the Husky faithful.

“The farther we go (in the playoffs), we’re going to see bigger and bigger guys,” McDannell said. “(Burk’s) almost always good for a bucket if you give it to him. He’s solid, and he does so much for us.”

The onslaught continued in the second quarter.

Jordan Bobroski sunk three treys himself as Bishop Carroll outscored the Viking 22-4 in the second stanza.

Blacklick Valley did not show resolve in the third quarter, however, as eight points from Cody Williams helped the Vikings outscore Bishop Carroll, 11-10.

Bishop Carroll will compete for its second District 6 title in three years.

Following a district crown in 2018, the Huskies fell in last year’s title game to Juniata Valley, 50-45.

Bishop Carroll played much of that game without McDannell, who suffered an early injury and was unable to play at 100 percent.

The Huskies will face No. 2 Williamsburg in the championship game Wednesday at Mount Aloysius College at 7:30 p.m.

“We’re focused and ready to go,” Burk said. “We have a little bit of a personal vendetta after losing last year. We’re excited, and we’re ready.”

BISHOP CARROLL (72): Burk 10 2-2 22, McDannell 5 8-8 21, Bobroski 3 0-0 9, Rodkey 3 0-0 7, Semelsberger 2 1-2 5, T. Golden 1 0-0 2, J. Golden 1 0-0 2, Heinrich 0 2-2 2, Dumm 1 0-2 2, Farabaugh 0 0-0 0, Smorto 0 0-0 0, Amigh 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 13-19 72.

BLACKLICK VALLEY (25): Williams 4 0-0 11, Szymusiak 1 4-4 6, Lanzendorfer 2 0-0 4, DiPaolo 1 1-3 3, Thomas 0 0-0 0, McEvoy 0 0-0 0, Beiler 0 0-0 0, Campbell 0 0-0 0, Carter 0 0-0 0, Keilman 0 0-0 0, Wurm 0 0-0 0, Little 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 5-7 25.

3-point field goals: Bishop Carroll 7 (McDannel 3, Boborski 3, Rodkey); Blacklick Valley 3 (Williams 3).

SCORE BY QUARTER

Blacklick Valley 5 4 11 5 — 25

Bishop Carroll 28 22 10 12 — 72

Records: Bishop Carroll (14-10); Blacklick Valley (4-17).

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