STATE CLASSIC
Upper Dublin stuns Souderton on last-second free throw
HOLLAND » Upper Dublin’s Jess Polin hit 1-of-2 free throws with 2.6 seconds left and Upper Dublin stunned Souderton 26-25 Monday night.
Souderton’s Megan Connolly had tied the game at 25-25 in the waning seconds. UD set up a final play and Polin’s drive drew a foul with 2.6 left. After she missed the first, Souderton called time. Coolly, she hit the second and after Souderton’s heave fell short, the Cardinals celebrated their first trip to the state final.
Souderton scored the game’s first four points of the game, then took a 9-4 lead late in the first quarter when Kate Connolly connected on a corner 3-pointer. Upper Dublin on the other hand, was set on getting the ball into center Jackie Vargas.
The power it into the paint approach worked as Vargas was able to draw a couple fouls, including the second on Souderton senior Alana Cardona with 1:56 left in the opening frame. Cardona was forced to the bench for the rest of the half and Connolly joined her with 7:25 left in the second after Vargas drew another foul. With their starting frontcourt sidelined, the Indians fell out of sorts on both ends.
Upper Dublin had some foul trouble of its own with Maggie Weglos and Dayna Balasa both picking up two in the first half. Still, the Cardinals rallied back to tie then take a lead on two baskets by Kara Grebe for a 13-11 edge.
After Megan Walbrandt scored Souderton’s only points of the second to tie it 13-13, Jess Polin hit an open trey from the top of the arc to put UD back up 16-13. Vargas had seven first half points, plus five boards and a block before the break.
Megan Bealer came out quick in the third, tying the game on a three then putting Souderton up 17-16 with 5:59 left. That was the
last the Indians would score in the third.
UD closed the third on a 7-0 run and took a 23-17 lead to the final frame. Vargas put the Cardinals back up on a drive, then Dayna Balasa gave UD a 21-17 lead on a three after Weglos hustled down her own miss.
Boys Basketball
LOURDES REGIONAL 63, FAITH CHRISTIAN 38 » Faith Christian Academy’s season came to an end Monday night with a 63-38 loss to Our Lady of Lourdes Regional at Hamburg Area High School in the PIAA Class A state semifinals.
Lourdes took full control in the second quarter, outscoring the Lions, 16-4, to turn a five-point lead after the first quarter into a 17-point edge at halftime.
The Red Raiders started the second quarter the same way they started the first — with a 6-0 run. After a Lions basket, Lourdes rattled off five more to take a 23-9 lead.
Thomas Schultz played a big role in Lourdes building its lead. He scored 12 points in the first half to go along with four assists and two rebounds.
Faith couldn’t make up any ground in the third quarter, losing the frame 1312 and trailing by 18, 41-23.
The fourth was more of the same. Lourdes led by 20 or more points for the entire eight minutes.
Darius Forney led the Lions with 10 points. Owen Bradford added nine and Landon Coyle six.