On fire early, PJP downs Great Valley
EAST WHITELAND >> Basketball coaches often say games can’t be won in the first quarter. But Pope John Paul II bucked conventional wisdom on Tuesday in round one of the District 1 Class 5A girls playoffs at Great Valley.
The Panthers (15-10 overall) got off to a terrific start, scoring 15 of the game’s first 16 points, and rode it all the way to a 45-28 victory over the sixthseeded Patriots. The 11th seed, PJP advances to the district quarterfinals on Friday to face the No. 3 West Chester Henderson.
“We had a great start in our first (league) playoff
game a couple weeks ago against Owen J. Roberts, and that really built the momentum for us,” PJP coach coach T.J. Lonergan explained. “We needed to replicate that because there are a lot of similarities between (OJR) and Great Valley.
“We were able to dictate our tempo, where now (Great Valley) had to come from behind and they were rushing their shots. That was key, especially against an opponent that has the ability to drive the ball right down the lane.”
Playing for the first time in 10 days, Great Valley looked rusty, and its season ends with a 16-7 mark.
“Between not playing and having two days off from practice last week due to the weather, it really showed,” said Patriots’ head coach Alex Vanarchik. “There is being in shape and there is game shape. Having that layoff, we just loss our legs.”
It was the first game for the Panthers after their top eight players, and Lonergan, served a one-game suspension after a video was posted to social media showing players singing a song with offensive lyrics. The incident took place on February 7th, and the suspensions were served during what was a non-competitive 50-point loss in Pioneer Athletic Conference semifinal two days later.
“The girls came out strong,” said Lonergan, who declined to allow his players to be interviewed. “They were focused on Great Valley. We had some real good practices leading up to it, even with the snow days.
“(Monday), we ran a free youth clinic, so our players worked that, then we had practice. It was an eighthour day, so they were exhausted. So for them to come out with that start, I was ecstatic.”
By the time the Patriots hit a shot from the floor in the final 30 seconds of the opening quarter, PJP had already knocked down four 3-pointers. Against the Panthers’ man-toman defense, Great Valley opened the game with seven missed shots and four turnovers.
“That’s how we play defensively,” Lonergan said. “Our goal is to hold teams under 30 every game, so we were not surprised.
“And to knock down those early threes didn’t allow (Great Valley) to sit in their zone.”
The Patriots began the second quarter with an 11-4 run, but PJP’s Amelia Kennedy nailed a 3-pointer to make it 24-14 at the break.
Great Valley trailed by seven midway through the third, but the Panthers closed it out with nine straight points to take a commanding 3519 advantage early in the fourth. PJP closed it out with eight free throws in a row, including six from senior point guard Elise Sylvester.
“The girls don’t know Dean Smith, but I always tell them that if you were playing a Dean Smith team, and you’re down three or four with a couple minutes to go, the game is over,” Lonergan said. “That’s the way we have to be able to close out a game. We have enough ball-handlers, and as long as we are composed and make free throws, we can do it. And that’s what we did.”
Sylvester led all scorers with 13 points, while teammates Kallan Bustynowicz and Lauren Ciuba added 10 and nine, respectively, for the Panthers.
Junior forward Tessa Liberatoscioli topped the Patriots with nine points. Great Valley was outscored 17-3 at the free throw line.
“(PJP) was ready to play and it just kind of avalanched on us,” Venarchik said. “We had trouble shooting the ball, so we couldn’t get any momentum.
“We expended a lot of energy trying to get back and (PJP) didn’t make anything easy for us. We like to play up and down the court, but they kept us in a half-court game.”