02/23/26 Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Bishop Guilfoyle's Grant Okonak wins a rebound from River Valley's Jeremy Reed.

The Bishop Guilfoyle Academy Marauders possess a splendid combination of excellent team speed, a formidable transition game, outstanding ball movement that involves all five players on the floor and a lock-down brand of defense.

That skill set will make the Marauders a very tough out in the upcoming PIAA Class 3A boys state basketball tournament.

Count River Valley coach Rick Spallone as the latest believer in the Marauders, who broke open a close District 6 semifinal matchup between the two teams by carrying the second half en route to a 60-43 victory at a packed and raucous Pleasant Valley gymnasium Tuesday night.

The win earned the top-seeded Marauders (22-4) a trip to Friday’s 7:30 p.m. District 6 Class 3A championship game at Mount Aloysius College with second-seeded Forest Hills serving as their opponent for the second straight year. Forest Hills punched its ticket to the title game with a 44-41 semifinal victory over visiting third seed Westmont Hilltop Tuesday night.

Fourth-seeded River Valley (18-7) battled BG gamely throughout most of the first half, opening a 20-16 second-quarter lead before Guilfoyle went on a 12-2 run to close the half with a 28-22 lead. It was all Bishop Guilfoyle in the second half, as the Marauders built a 45-35 lead after three quarters and carried the fourth quarter, 15-8.

02/23/26 Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Bishop Guilfoyle's Taurean Consiglio and River Valley's Jacob Pynos dive for a loose ball.

The Marauders’ superior team speed made all the difference, according to Spallone. It’s the type of speed that an opposing team can’t replicate in its practice preparations.

“We knew that they are very quick, but you really can’t see the actual speed that they have until the game is played,” Spallone said. “Their team speed was the biggest factor tonight. They’re a very good, well-coached team that does a lot of things well.

“We were in the ballgame until midway through the third quarter, but we just ran out of juice,” added Spallone, whose team will visit Westmont Hilltop Friday in a consolation matchup for state tournament seeding, as both teams have secured spots in state competition. “BG is a very good team that is going to be tough to beat (this postseason).”

Senior guard Jake Pynos scored 13 of his team-high 16 points in the first half, including a baseline jumper that gave River Valley the 20-16 lead midway through the second quarter.

BG responded efficiently, however, as sophomore Alex Krimmel drained a 3-point shot from the right corner and senior Tyson Lestochi scored a layup off the drive to put the Marauders up, 21-20.

After senior guard Nick Mortimer’s putback gave River Valley its last lead of the game at 22-21, BG reeled off the final three buckets of the first half.

Senior Taurean Consiglio, who scored a game-high 21 points for the Marauders, came up with a steal and drove half the court for a layup, Lestochi canned a 3-pointer from the top of the circle, and junior guard Troy

“We started off a little slow tonight, a little out of rhythm, and (River Valley) hit a lot of tough shots to start the game,” BG coach Ryan Lestochi said. “But we figured it out after that, and once we got the game sped up to our pace, we were OK.”

After a Pynos 3-pointer pulled River Valley to within 32-27 early in the third quarter, Consiglio scored a fast-break layup, was fouled, and completed the 3-point play to make it a 35-27 game.

Ruggery’s jumper from the top of the key, Tyson Lestochi’s driving layup, and three consecutive quick-strike field goals by Ruggery helped BG open a 12-point, 45-33 lead late in the third quarter.

“They were hitting some shots in the first quarter, and we needed to take it up a notch and go full speed,” Consiglio said. “We came out of the locker room after halftime with a chip on our shoulders, kind of trying to show who we are.”

BG held a 28-21 edge on the boards, led by six rebounds apiece from senior Jake Kissell and junior Grant Okonak that tied River Valley’s Bryson McDowell for the game-high total in that category. The Marauders converted 26 of 54 floor shots for a 48.1 percent clip, while River Valley — which never came closer than nine points in the fourth quarter — made 18 of 40 for 45 percent.

BG will now face a Forest Hills team in Friday’s District 6 Class 3A championship game that defeated the Marauders in last year’s district title game, and also beat BG, 62-46 in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference championship game 11 days ago.

There’s certainly plenty of motivation for payback for the Marauders.

“I hope so,” Coach Lestochi said when he was asked about his team’s incentive and opportunity to even the score against a 23-3 Forest Hills team that is led by outstanding junior forward Dylan Stohon, who is averaging over 18 points a game this year. “(Stohon) is as good at it gets, but they have other kids who can shoot the ball, too.

“When we lost to them in the Laurel Highlands championship game, we were involved in a stretch of playing five games in seven days,” Coach Lestochi added. “I think we’ll be a lot more refreshed on Friday night.”

RIVER VALLEY (43): N. Mortimer 2 0-0 4, Pynos 7 0-0 16, Reed 3 0-0 7, Persichetti 2 0-0 5, McDowell 2 1-2 5, Torres 2 2-4 6, Dinger 0 0-0 0, Twinchek 0 0-0 0, T. Mortimer 0 0-0 0, Brezenski 0 0-0 0. Totals – 18 3-6 43.

BISHOP GUILFOYLE (60): Consiglio 9 1-1 21, Ruggery 8 0-0 16, Krimmel 5 0-0 12, Kissell 0 2-2 2, G. Okonak 0 0-0 0, Lestochi 4 0-0 9, C. Okonak 0 0-0 0, Shellenberger 0 0-0 0, Baker 0 0-0 0, Misiura 0 0-0 0. Totals -26 3-3 60.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

River Valley 11 11 13 8–43

Bishop Guilfoyle 11 17 17 15–60

3-point goals: River Valley 4 (Pynos 2, Reed, Persichetti); Bishop Guilfoyle 5 (Consiglio 2, Krimmel 2, Lestochi).

Records: River Valley (18-7); Bishop Guilfoyle (22-4).

Officials: Keith Redfoot, Doug McNulty, Donnie Bochato.