Bishop Canevin wins WPIAL title; prepares for PIAA
Gina Vallecorsa hoist the WPIAL championship trophy while Bishop Canevin players celebrate their victory, 53-33, against Greensburg Central Catholic.
Bishop Canevin players react after their victory against Greensburg Central Catholic, 53-33.
Bishop Canevin captains accept the WPIAL championship tropy.
Brionna Allen drives to the basket during the WPIAL Class AA girls’ championship game. Her 16 points coupled with 10 rebounds enabled Bishop Canevin to defeat Greensburg Central Catholic, 53-33.
Brittany Stawovy has given Greensburg Central Catholic opponents fits throughout the WPIAL playoffs, averaging 25.5 points per game. That fact, however, did not worry Bishop Canevin. The Lady Crusaders knew they had a solution in Brionna Allen.
“She’s our stopper,” said head coach Tim Joyce.
Because Allen stopped Stawovy, holding her to 12 points, the Crusaders coasted to victory against the Centurions, 53-33, at the Petersen Center. Canevin used an 11-0 start to breeze to the win, its second in championship games in four years. The Crusaders led 35-11 at halftime and Stawovy had Greensburg’s only points in the second stanza, in which Canevin held a 17-2 advantage.
”Our number one goal was to stop (Stawovy) and not let her beat us,” Joyce said. “Bri did a great job on her. She always takes the team’s leading scorer.”
Allen relishes the role, even when it means a championship is on the line in a major Division I venue where the Pitt Panthers play.
“I was a little nervous at first,” she admitted, “but when I got out there, it was nice and easy and chill. I got used to it. I started playing and had fun and played good defense.”
Allen played good offense, too. She was one of three players in double digits. In addition to her 16 markers, she also pulled down 10 rebounds.
Gina Vallecorsa tossed in a game-high 17 markers. Shamyjha Price fired in 10 tallies. Kasey Kaczorowski had the hot hand from the outside, burying a pair of critical 3-point field goals.
To prepare for the Centurions, the Crusaders did nothing special. They just played their patented man-to-man defense.
“We look at the task at hand,” said Joyce’s daughter, Erin, a starting guard on the squad. “We don’t take any opponent for granted.”
“We wanted to get them back on their heels,” explained Joyce. “We tried to emphasize getting a good start and we tried to win each possession.”
The Crusaders used that same MO to dispatch Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 38-31, in a semifinal game at Ambridge. Canevin limited the Chargers to 10 second-half points, three in the third quarter and seven in the fourth frame. Gina Vallecorsa fired in 19 points to pace the Crusaders.
With the WPIAL championship in hand, Canevin begins its quest for a PIAA title. The last time the Crusaders won the district title, they went on to capture a state championship. Canevin begins the journey March 4. The Crusaders will face Central Cambria at 7:30 p.m. at Ambridge.
The Joyces and Vallecorsa remind their teammates that the PIAA title is the pinnacle in high school basketball, not the district championship.
“Kids get so hyped up about winning the WPIAL because there is so much emphasis on it,” Coach Joyce said. “Once you’ve been to Hershey and win the states, that’s the ultimate though, and that’s what we are looking to get back to.”
Vallecorsa, who started on the 2013 state championship squad, agreed. She then added the finality of the entire tournament run. “There are no second chances after that if we lose.”