Lady Marauders’ opponent not used to Hershey
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Class 1A final
Who: Bishop Guilfoyle vs. Mountain View
When: Friday, noon
Where: Hershey's Giant Center
Radio: WRTA-FM 98.5
TV: PCN
By Michael Boytim
mboytim@altoonamirror.com
A trip to the PIAA championship game is nothing new to fans of the Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic girls basketball team, but for the Lady Marauders' opponent on Friday, it will be uncharted territory.
District 2 champion Mountain View is making its first appearance in a state title game after it fell by a single point to Lourdes Regional in last year's PIAA semifinals.
"That's been on our minds all offseason," Mountain View coach Bill Simons said. "It was definitely something that pushed the girls to work even harder to get back to where we were last year and actually get farther."
The Lady Eagles avenged that loss in the semifinals with a 46-23 win over Greenwood on Tuesday.
Mountain View is allowing only 27.5 points per game during the PIAA playoffs.
"Defense was our No. 1 priority coming into the season and our biggest focus," Simons said. "We have a very strong defensive team and throughout the season we have continued to improve on it. We're trying to find different ways to be aggressive, and it fuels our offense. We're not a high-powered offense, but our defense when we get some steals and can get out and run, it helps our game overall."
Last year was the first time Mountain View made it as far as the PIAA semifinals, and that run was fueled by then-freshman Addison Kilmer, who was named to the all-state team following the season. Kilmer has increased her versatility as a player this season and is averaging 17.2 points per game.
"She came in last year as a freshman with loads of talent," Simons said. "She had a lot of inside play last year, and this year she's developed an outside shot. She handles the ball really well for us. Her growth in her abilities has been tremendous for her and for the team."
Kilmer, who is 6 feet, 1 inch tall, also is a key cog in what Mountain View does defensively.
"They play a zone defense where they'll extend into the full court," Bishop Guilfoyle coach Kristi Kaack said. "They'll also bring it back into the halfcourt. They are extremely aggressive at the top of it. They try and trap and get steals away from the hoop, and they have a tall post player that is a shot blocker. She anchors the back of that zone defense. We're definitely going to have to be patient on the offensive end and make the right pass."
Mountain View's postseason run has caught the attention of its community, much like BG and Williamsburg did by packing the Altoona Area High School Fieldhouse with more than 2,400 people on Tuesday.
"The entire community is behind us," Simons said. "The support has been tremendous. We had a very big crowd (in the state semifinals) at Berwick. It's an hour and a half ride for everybody, but we still had a large crowd."
Simons knows his team will have a tough challenge on Friday when the Lady Eagles play the Lady Marauders for the PIAA Class 1A title at noon in Hershey's Giant Center.
"From what I have seen, they are a very strong team," Simons said. "They have good size and move the ball very well. They are disciplined offensively and defensively."
Kaack's team has shown the ability to shoot over a zone, but she's hoping Bishop Guilfoyle tries to get to the rim first on Friday.
"There are going to be games like Union where we did an incredible job and shot extremely well in the first quarter," Kaack said. "Against Williamsburg, some shots weren't falling early so we attacked more. On the floor down there, we want to attack first and settle for that outside shot second. That will be big, but they understand that. They will be aggressive getting to the rim."
Mountain View is 24-4 and has won 14 straight games, and Simons is hoping the Lady Eagles continue to stick with what has been working.
"We have to play our game," Simons said. "We can't get caught playing someone else's game. That's been our mantra since the postseason started. We don't want to let someone else dictate how we're going to play."