Bishop Canevin girls and boys reach PIAA Final Four
Brandon Walters splits two defenders and soars to the basket during PIAA boys’ basketball playoff action. He exploded for 24 points as Bishop Canevin defeated Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 66-60.
Brionna Allen keeps the ball away from a Carlynton defender during PIAA girls’ basketball playoff action. Allen led Bishop Canevin to victory, 55-29, by scoring a game-high 16 points.
Shamyjha Price skies to the basket as a Carlynton player crashes to the ground during PIAA playoff action. Price tossed in 14 points during Bishop Canevin’s 55-29 win against the Cougars.
Mitchell King attempts a shot during PIAA quarterfinal boys’ basketball action. King scored 14 points in Bishop Canevin’s 66-60 win against Our Lady of Sacred Heart.
Bishop Canevin found itself one step away from a trip to Hershey and the state championships when both the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams advanced to the Final Four in the PIAA tournament.
While the Lady Crusaders (22-5) defeated Carlynton, 55-29, the boys downed Our Lady of Sacred Heart, 66-60, to advance to the semifinals.
The girls were scheduled to played West Shamokin (27-2) and the boys were set to face Sewickley Academy (23-4) March 21 at North Allegheny for the right to advance to the state finals. (The game results were too late to publish for this week’s Almanac.)
For the Lady Crusaders, it was the fourth time they beat the Cougars this season. The two were Section 3 rivals and opponents in the WPIAL semifinals. Canevin, which is the District 7 champion, used defense once again to pick up the victory.
The Crusaders, who allow 31.6 points per game, jumped off to an 11-0 lead, which they stretched to 17-3 less than 30 seconds into the second stanza. Leading 23-11 at the half and 37-23 after three quarters, they held the Cougars to six points in the final eight minutes.
Each time, Carlynton (19-8) made a run, pulling as close at eight points, the Crusaders responded with poise and points. For example, they used a nine-point run to widen the gap at the start of the final frame.
“That’s how it’s been going, especially when we have gotten the lead, our defense, particularly our half-court pressure, has been the key,” Canevin coach Tim Joyce said.
“Plus, we are experienced,” he said, noting that players, particularly juniors Lauren Gamble and Brionna Allen have played in the state finals as freshman and in WPIAL and Western Regional finals in the past. “We have several leaders and as we have grown they have demonstrated their leadership abilities to weather tough situations.”
Allen led the Crusaders with 16 tallies. Sophomore Shamyjha Price and senior Sarah Green followed with 14 points apiece. Gamble added 10 markers, six off a pair of 3-point field goals in the first quarter.
While happy with the victory, Joyce empathized with the Cougars. He remembers battles with Seton-La Salle, when the Rebels had won four out of the past seven WPIAL titles and advanced to two state finals.
“It’s tough,” he said. “In the past, we’ve usually been on the other end so it is easy to understand being in that situation. It’s even tougher since Tim (Bonner) and I are friends and have been coaching against each other for so long.”
Joyce noted, however, how welcoming playing West Shamokin was but not because the Wolves knocked off WPIAL runner-up, Neshannock, 38-35, in its quarterfinal contest.
“We’ve never played them before but it’s nice to be able to get out of the WPIAL,” said Joyce, whose team knocked off East Allegheny (24-2), 51-25, in the second round of the PIAA tournament.
Meanwhile, the Canevin boys also played a well-known opponent in its PIAA quarterfinal contest, March 18, at Ambridge. The Crusaders (22-5) dispatched the Chargers for the second time in three meetings this season. The teams split league games as Canevin won the Section 2A title in Class 3-A.
Walter Bonds led the attack. He exploded for 24 points. He buried three consecutive 3-pointers to break open the contest in the second stanza as Canevin vaulted to a 37-25 halftime advantage. Bonds scored 12 points in the frame in which the Crusaders held a 22-14 edge.
“Walter is our catalyst. A senior leader. Our point guard,” explained Canevin coach Kevin Trost. “We go as he goes. He played great. He really put us on his back.”
Mitchell King followed Bonds with 14 points. Kellan Gustine scored all 12 of his points on four, 3-point field goals, three coming in the first frame. Julian Bonds also finished with 12 tallies.
Trost also agreed with Joyce about playing a familiar foe.
“It’s really hard to play them again especially because they are well-coached and the familiarity is there. For the kids, it’s nice but for me, it’s hard because we have to make adjustments.”
Even though the Crusaders played Sewickley Academy for the fourth time this season in the PIAA semifinal game, losing the last encounter in the WPIAL semifinal contest, it did not sway them from pursuing their objective.
“We had a goal at the beginning of the season and that was a state championship. I love our kids and I am especially happy for the seniors but we have a couple to go. Sewickley is probably the best team but I would like to have a chance to get to .500 against them.”