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By Michael Boytim
mboytim@altoonamirror.com
CRESSON -- Drake is one of the top musical acts in the world, but he's got nothing on the feeling that comes with winning a District 6 championship, apparently.
A few minutes after Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic was awarded the District 6 Class 1A championship trophy after a hard-fought 46-42 win over defending champion Williamsburg at Mount Aloysius on Wednesday, sophomore Stella Yeskey began screaming and celebrating with her teammates after they made it off the court.
In all the excitement of the Lady Marauders' win, she had briefly forgotten she had just won more than a gold medal.
"I bet my mom. I said if we won the D6 championship that she should get me Drake tickets," Yeskey said. "She said yes. Both things are really exciting, but I have to say the D6 championship is even more exciting."
Halfway through Wednesday's game, it appeared Bishop Guilfoyle would once again finish as the runner-up to Williamsburg as it was last season. The Lady Blue Pirates led 25-16, and the Lady Marauders weren't playing with much spark.
Williamsburg tried to apply a knockout blow and briefly took a 10-point lead after a Levada Gorsuch layup, but BG ended the third quarter on a 12-2 run to tie the game at 30.
Morgan Ruggery, who finished with a game-high 20 points, had a layup to get the Lady Marauders within three, and Maurie Querry tied the game on a 3-pointer when two Williamsburg defenders ran into each other.
"We knew they were going to come out and try and shut us out and that we had to strike first," Ruggery said. "We were able to do that and get ahead."
BG extended the run into the fourth quarter and scored the first three points to take its first lead, but Williamsburg fought back with a Regan Prough layup and another from LeeAnna Royer after a steal to put the Lady Blue Pirates ahead, 34-33, with 6:40 remaining.
Bishop Guilfoyle responded by holding Williamsburg scoreless for the next 3:10 and took the lead back on a shot by Anderlyn Petrecca, who normally starts but came off the bench on Wednesday.
"When I told her, she said it was fine," Bishop Guilfoyle coach Kristi Kaack said. "She just wants to win it for the team. But as a freshman, she isn't afraid to take that big shot, and that's really encouraging."
Querry and Delaney Lechner followed with back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 41-34 with 4:45 left.
Lechner scored all five of her points in the second half and also took a key charge to wipe out a Gorsuch layup just before the end of the third quarter.
"(Lechner's) not afraid to step up and take the big shot," Kaack said. "That's what we said about this team all year. We feel like on any given night, somebody different could step up and have a big game on both ends of the floor."
During the BG run, sophomore Alana Lightner, who played in last year's District 6 title game loss to Williamsburg, extended a few Lady Marauders possessions and kept the Lady Blue Pirates to one shot. She finished with just four points but had a team-high 10 rebounds.
"She's a brute down low. She's so physical," Kaack said. "I thought she did a good job of matching their physicality, because they are a tough team. We told her if we couldn't get her the ball to try and get an offensive rebound and get us another opportunity, and she did that multiple times tonight."
Williamsburg got the game back to within one possession when Ayla Hileman made her only 3-pointer of the game with 45.9 seconds left. BG went 1-of-4 from the foul line over the next 20 seconds, and Gorsuch made a pair of free throws to make it 44-42, but Ruggery, a freshman, sealed the game with two free throws with 14.6 seconds left.
"I was a little bit nervous, but I shoot a lot better with noise, so it was good the crowd got going," Ruggery said. "I knew I had to hit them to close out the game."
Royer led Williamsburg with 13 points, and Gorsuch had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
"I knew it was going to be a tough game," Williamsburg coach Amy Hileman said. "BG comes with really good defense. They make you work to get open. We didn't execute well in the second half. Credit to their defense. They really stepped it up."
The Lady Blue Pirates led by nine at halftime in part because of the offensive contributions from Regan and Laney Prough, who are sisters that start for the Lady Blue Pirates but don't draw as much defensive attention as their other three starters. Regan had a 3-pointer, and Laney made three wide open layups.
"We have teams that will focus on Ayla, LeeAnna and Levada," Hileman said. "With that collapse onto them, Laney and Regan are really showing a lot of confidence. Laney especially tonight. I was proud of her effort."
Ayla Hileman, who did not play in the teams' regular season game won by BG, 41-37, finished with just seven points and was the focal point of the Lady Marauder defense.
"Morgan Ruggery, in the first half especially, was phenomenal in limiting her touches and easy looks at the rim," Kaack said. "Delaney Lechner came in the second half and didn't let up at all. Between those two kids, I thought they did a great job fighting through every screen and making her earn every opportunity."
Hileman's team has been eliminated by the eventual PIAA champion in three straight seasons, Bishop Guilfoyle in 2021, Northumberland Christian in 2022 and Union last year. Williamsburg is hoping for another chance against the Lady Marauders.
"There are tough teams in (our part of the bracket), and it's going to be a tough road to get there," Hileman said. "I told them a little story about when I played against BG my senior year. We beat them in the District 6 game. In the (PIAA) final four game, we lost. BG went on to win the state championship. It might stink tonight that they didn't get the medal, but by no means does that mean we are done. It's a tough road, but we'll get back in the gym and work hard and try to battle back."
Though BG played just one junior, four sophomores and three freshmen on Wednesday, Kaack also has big goals for her team in the PIAA playoffs, which begin on Saturday, March 9.
"You go every year hoping to win a state championship," Kaack said. "I think this group understands the work that it takes, and that didn't come early. We had to learn that throughout the season. We feel really good about the basketball we're playing."
WILLIAMSBURG (42): Hileman 2 2-2 7, R. Prough 2 0-0 5, Royer 4 5-6 13, Gorsuch 4 3-5 11, L. Prough 3 0-0 6, Ranalli 0 0-0 0. Totals--15 10-13 42.
BISHOP GUILFOYLE (46): Adams 0 0-2 0, Querry 5 1-2 14, Ruggery 5 10-12 20, Yeskey 0 0-0 0, Lightner 2 0-0 4, Petrecca 1 1-2 3, Gofus 0 0-0 0, Lechner 2 0-0 5. Totals--15 12-18 46.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Williamsburg 15 10 5 12 — 42
Bishop Guilfoyle 7 9 14 16 — 46
3-point goals: Williamsburg 2 (R. Prough, Hileman); Bishop Guilfoyle 4 (Querry 3, Lechner)
Records: Williamsburg (24-3); Bishop Guilfoyle (24-3)
Officials: Justin Frear, Tyler Fink, Justin Fraker