Feb 28, 2015 By Eleanor Bailey 7 min read

For Seton-La Salle, winning girls’ basketball championships goes through Bishop Canevin High School. This year proves no different.

After beating them twice to win a section banner, the Rebels defeated the Crusaders, 51-35, on Feb. 27 to capture their fourth WPIAL title in five years. On March 6, the Rebels begin their quest to claim their third PIAA champion in four seasons. In both instances, Canevin interrupted the Rebels’ run, winning both the district and state crowns in 2013.

On the Canevin-Seton rivalry, one that has the Rebels owning a 15-2 record in 17 previous meetings, Rebels’ head coach Spencer Stefko said that it is ‘unique’ because there is a lot of respect between the two teams and yet there is no hatred and bad blood.

“We like them off the floor. The coaches. The players. The Parents. They’re all good people and good players. There is something about them though that brings out the best in us. And there is something about us, that brings the best out in them.”

Crusaders’ head coach Tim Joyce concurred. “We enjoy playing them. Being in their section,” he said. “We’ve been good. They’ve been better. That just shows you how good they’ve been. In the last five years, we have been the best two teams (in Class AA). They’ve made us better and I hope we’ve challenged them some.”

The Crusaders certainly laid down the gauntlets when they pushed the Rebels to the brink before losing at the buzzer, 49-47, in the Section 3 final. That triumph motivated the Rebels in the rematch at the WPIAL championships held at the Petersen Events Center.

“They took us out behind the tool shed last game and gave us a whoopin and that game played into this one, too,” said Stefko after the district final. “I didn’t have to preach to this team. I didn’t have to have that ‘we beat them twice, this team can beat you’ talk with them.

“When they had found out that Canevin had beaten Burrell, they knew right away. You could see it in their eyes. They knew that Canevin was better than us the last time we played. They frankly outplayed us. Beat us to every loose ball. Every rebound. And, we were fortunate to change a little bit of that (in the WPIAL final).”

SLS indeed outplayed the Crusaders and beat them at every turn. The Rebels jumped ahead, 15-8, after one frame and streaked to a halftime advantage of 38-10 thanks to a suffocating defense. In the second stanza, they limited Canevin to two free throws.

“They really hurt us more with their defense than against our offense,” Joyce said. “They really took us out of what we were trying to do.”

Stefko said, “I don’t know if the X’s were where they were supposed to be or the O’s were spaced out properly but there was a wave of emotion that was all defensive in the second quarter,” said Stefko.

“I felt like we were swarming. You could see it, almost feel it. The ball pressure. The intensity. The emotion,” he continued. “That’s just kids and intensity. There are a whole lot of coaches that preach defense but not a whole lot of teams that heed that preaching.”

Likewise, not a lot of players buy into the team concept. In that regard Stefko says that he is blessed.

Offensively, Nicolete Newman sparked the Rebels, scoring all 16 of her team-high points in the first half. In the second half, Cassidy Walsh, who will play at Pitt next season, picked up the scoring mantle as she scored all nine of her points when SLS stretched its advantage to 38-22 by the end of three quarters. Walsh and Morgan Henderson each grabbed nine rebounds. Henderson finished in double digits, firing in 11 points for the Lady Rebels, who improved to 19-7 overall.

“Nicolete made me look smart the first half,” said Stefko. “There wasn’t a play called for her. I am certain of that. It was her teammates finding her and creating for her. Man is that nice when it works like that,” he added.

Stefko acknowledged it’s nice when players work together. He said that he doesn’t experience some of the problems that other coaches encounter.

“We have five kids committed to finding the open shots. You know there is a whole lot of selfishness in society today and in sports today. It starts with adults filtering on down. I feel somehow I have been blessed with this group. They seem immune to that. I’ve been around long enough to know that’s a blessing and you don’t get that that often.

“All it takes one negative element to take a symphony and make it ugly. I’m just really blessed to have positive elements right now.”

Those positive elements certainly made it difficult for the Crusaders, who were led by Sarah Green’s 17 points and eight caroms. Brianna Allen followed with 11 markers and Gina Vallecorsa pulled down nine rebounds.

“(Offensively) they are tough to guard. They have four really good guards,” said Joyce. And, of the disastrous second quarter, Joyce paid tribute to SLS’s defense. “They took us out of what we were trying to do offensively. We cracked a little bit there.”

Now, however, the Crusaders get an opportunity to regroup. On Friday, they and the Rebels embark on their crusade for a PIAA title.

For teams coming off a WPIAL championship said Stefko that is a challenge. He noted sometimes that it is easier to come out of the district as a No. 2 or No. 3 seed because those teams feel like they’ve gotten a second life. Those teams don’t feel like they have accomplished anything.

“We are sitting here having a press conference for a district championship game,” Stefko said in awe in the Pitt basketball media room. “Not a lot of the districts play in a college arena and play with such fanfare. After such a big deal it can feel like the culmination of a season.

“It certainly is an accomplishment to win a district title but it bears repeating that there are 12 AA teams that have this high right now. To run out onto the floor and jump up and down and celebrate,” he continued. “That’s nice but we have to make sure that we are ready for that (next game). We have to convince these kids that this was nice but I sure hope it wasn’t our best game of the year.”

Meanwhile, Joyce knows the best maybe yet to come because his Crusaders boast no seniors on their roster. However, he would love to make a run in the state tournament with his team.

“We are not done yet,” he said. “I told the kids I’d like to play five more games. That’s what we are here for. That’s what we’re going to try to do. I tell the kids every year this is our goal. This is our expectation. This is what we expect.”

If all goes according to plans, Canevin and Seton-La Salle expect to meet again, hopefully in the state semifinals. The winner would advance to the PIAA finals set for March 20 at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Of another possible showdown with Canevin Stefko said, “Round one is nice. Round two is more important. Round three is a little more important but it doesn’t mean a darn thing compared to round four. If we aren’t better the next time we play them, which could possibly be in a couple of weeks, then they will beat us. It’s nice to have somebody like that to keep you honest. The effort we gave (in the WPIAL final) was a very good effort but it won’t be good enough in round four. Honestly, round four is the only one that is going to matter.”