LC whips Conwell-bgan, earns PCL playoff berth

After five years of trying, the Lansdale Catholic boys basketball team finally earned its place in the Philadelphia Catholic League postseason.

Andrew Riviello scored 10 of his game-high 18 points in the first half and the Crusaders used a fast start to claim a 50-3w5 victory over Conwell-bgan in a play-in game for the PCL’s 10th seed Monday night at La Salle College High School.

“It feels great,” Riviello said. “It’s an honor to be on our team. All of us are a team, we share the ball and its an honor to play on that type of team.”

Brian Rafferty added 17 points, while Corey Kirk had 10 points for LC (12-11), which is at No. 7 Archbishop Wood in the league first round Wednesday.

Lansdale Catholic scored the game’s first 10 points — Riviello contributing eight, including knocking down a contested three for a 10-0 advantage.

A Ryan Pepito three put Conwell-bgan on the board, but a Kirk basket and a Jim Rock trey made it 15-3 after a quarter.

LC then collected the first seven points of the second to go ahead 22-3 on a Riviello bucket. An 8-1 bagles run cut the margin to 12 before the Crusaders went into the half leading 28-14.

Conwell-bgan

opened the third with five straight points, a Sean Kelly putback making it 28-18. But LC responded with an 13-1 run that put it up 41-20 in the fourth after a Riviello jumper. The bagles could only get within 14 the rest of the quarter.

Steve Jordan paced Conwell-bgan with nine points.

Lansdale Catholic forced the one-game playoff for the 10th seed by defeating the bagles 50-47 Sunday. Both teams finish 3-10 PCL play.

LC had not been able to make the PCL playoffs since joining the league in 2008.