Vincentian turnaround ends with 42-36 loss
After a 3-8 start, it bows out in state quarterfinals
Midway through the regular season Vincentian was five games under .500 and it appeared that it would miss the WPIAL Class 1A playoffs.
Though it made it further than anticipated, that didn’t take away from the pain of having its season end in the postseason.
Vincentian (14-13) got 10 points each from Hannah Katz and Saige Smith, but it wasn’t enough as District 5 runner-up Shanksville-Stonycreek (24-4) used a 6-0 run to close out the third quarter and pull out a 42-36 victory and move into the PIAA Class 1A semifinals for the first time in school history.
“From starting off 3-8 to make it to the elite eight, it’s a pretty good accomplishment for the girls and I’m proud of them for not giving in,” Vincentian coach Ron Moncrief said. “They could have easily quit on themselves, quit on the team, quit on their coaches, but they fought, overcame a lot of adversity and I’m proud of the girls for doing that.”
Shanksville overcame some travails of its own. Starting point guard Sidney Stutzman left the game with 48.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter after she suffered a dislocated right (shooting) shoulder, but she had the joint popped back into place and came back into the game with 4:36 left in regulation.
“She toughed it out and I can’t say enough about her and the way she battled through,” Shanksville coach Cory Crognale said. “We’re a tough group. We graduate 30 kids and they just come out and they play.”
Stutzman finished with 10 points — she took only one shot and badly missed a free throw after her return — and Riley Snyder led the team with 13 and Josie Snyder scored 12. Riley Snyder scored five of the six points during the late third-quarter run that turned the tide in favor of the Vikings.
Prior to that, the two teams battled throughout the period. In the third quarter, there were seven lead changes and five ties until Stutzman made 1 of 2 from the line to put the team ahead for good with 1:40 left in the quarter.
“I thought after that 6-0 run, we kind of went down a little bit,” Moncrief said. “We had plenty of time to come back in the game, but a couple possessions here and there didn’t fall our way and they made more plays than what we did.”
More Class 1A
Berlin Brothersvalley 61, Sewickley Academy 23: The Mountaineers will get a District 5 championship game rematch in the state semifinals as Kiera Booth scored 20 to lead three Berlin players in double figures in a runningclock victory against the Panthers. Mia DelVecchio led Sewickley Academy (14-9) with nine points.
Class 4A
North Catholic 61, Villa Maria Academy 41: The Trojanettes (25-3) jumped all over the District 10 champions as Tess Myers scored 12 of her 25 points in the first half, and Cassie Foster chipped in 10 to help North Catholic build a 32-15 lead at the intermission.
Class 5A
Thomas Jefferson 48, Palmyra 39: The Jaguars (22-7) are the furthest into the state playoffs that they have ever been and get a fourth shot at Chartiers Valley as a reward after Alyssa DeAngelo scored 14 points and Jenna Clark 13 in the Thomas Jefferson victory.