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The undefeated, very young Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School girls basketball team has impressed this season with its potent combination of talent and overall depth.
Count first-year Central High School coach Blake Over to be among the latest to take notice.
BG placed three freshmen starters in double figures Friday night, and the Lady Marauders shot a sizzling 53.3 percent from the floor en route to a 62-33 Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference victory over Central at the Pleasant Valley gymnasium.
Guard Morgan Ruggery scored a game-high 16 points and two other freshmen, guard Maurie Querry and forward Anberlyn Petrecca, chipped in 15 apiece for BG, which converted 24 of its 45 floor shots in hiking its overall record to 8-0 and its conference mark to 6-0.
"I think they're obviously a really good team,'' Over said of the Lady Marauders, who opened the game on a 12-0 run. "They shot the ball lights out tonight. We were in their face defensively some of the time, but they were still making their shots.
"For a team whose lineup is made up of underclassmen to come out and perform and shoot the ball the way they did tonight is really outstanding,'' Over added.
With Querry scoring five points on two field goals and a free throw, Petrecca connecting on a 3-point shot, and Ruggery and sophomore forward Stella Yeskey both logging field goals, BG bolted out to the 12-0 lead in the game's opening minutes.
Central (4-3, 3-2) eventually whittled the deficit down to 17-12 on a 3-pointer by senior Bralyn Ellis early in the second period, but the Lady Maraders responded with an 11-2 run to take a 28-14 halftime lead.
Sophomore guard Gia Adams came off the bench to score a 3-point shot and running layup during the surge for BG, which also got two field goals from Ruggery and another bucket from Querry to take control of the game.
"We had that quick start, then they kind of came back at us, but I was proud of the way our girls responded after (Central) made their run,'' BG coach Kristi Kaack said. "We started to press defensively, we disrupted their offense, and we got a couple of nice steals that we converted into easy layups.''
Six players entered the scoring column Friday night for BG, with sophomore forwards Yeskey and Alana Lightner providing strength underneath the basket that opened up the Lady Marauders' outside shooting game.
"We have a balanced team, with so many different options on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor,'' Kaack said. "The work of Stella and Alana Lightner inside opens up the floor for some outside shots for us.''
BG carried the third quarter, 20-10, to take a 48-24 lead after three stops. Ruggery came up big in the third period for BG, hitting a pair of 3-point shots and a field goal from inside.
"I think we played disciplined defense and we rebounded very well,'' Ruggery said. "Our press on defense was a big part of the game for us as well, and we really worked together well as a team.''
BG outrebounded Central, 29-23, with Lightner grabbing a team-high seven rebounds for the Lady Marauders. Central -- which made only 13 of 42 floor shots for just under 31 percent -- was led by senior forward MacKenzie Rhykerd's 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds from Ellis.
Both teams are idle until next Thursday, when Central meets Penn Cambria in the Tyrone Tournament and BG faces North Catholic of Pittsburgh in the North Allegheny Tournament.
"Our youth has been impressive and we're getting good numbers from everybody across the board,'' Kaack said. "If somebody is struggling for us, somebody else picks them up, which is really nice.
"I'm just really happy with where we are at as a team right now.''
CENTRAL (33): Diehl 3 0-0 7, Knepp 1 0-0 2, Ellis 2 1-2 6, Dickson 1 0-0 3, Rhykerd 5 1-3 11, Boyles 1 2-2 4, L. Imes 0 0-2 0, Benton 0 0-0 0. Totals - 13 4-9 33.
BISHOP GUILFOYLE (62): Querry 6 3-6 15, Petrecca 5 2-4 15, Lightner 3 0-2 6, Ruggery 6 2-2 16, Yeskey 1 0-0 2, Gofus 0 0-0 0, Adams 3 0-0 8, Steward 0 0-0 0, Marasco 0 0-0 0. Totals - 24 7-14 62.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Central 4 10 10 9--33
Bishop Guilfoyle 15 13 20 14--62
3-point goals: Central 3 (Diehl, Ellis, Dickson); Bishop Guilfoyle 7 (Petrecca 3, Ruggery 2, Adams 2).
Records: Central (4-3 overall, 3-2 in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference); Bishop Guilfoyle (8-0, 6-0).
Officials: Bill Pfeffer, Craig Andros, Joe Bilka.
JV: Bishop Guilfoyle, 31-25. High scorers--Addie Imes, C, 8; Alyssa Hite, BG, 12.