Championships, PIAA playoff berths on the line in girls basketball
· Yahoo Sports
The PIAA District One Girls Basketball Tournament continued over the weekend, with district titles and PIAA playoff berths on the line. Check out the scores, game recaps and top performances from Phillyburbs' teams going for gold, and matchups for the next round.
Villa Joseph Marie wins District One Class 4A Girls Basketball Championship
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A three-peat seemed unlikely. After all, Villa Joseph Marie started the season 1-7. The Jems not only had a very young team, they had a new head coach as well in Tim Butler. In addition, the team had graduated its top two scorers.
On Saturday, though, a potential rebuilding season had turned into a chance for the Jems to defend their district title. Facing No. 2 Springfield, VJM got off to a fast start, outscoring the Spartans 7-2 in the first quarter, but by the fourth quarter, the game was tied. Freshman Haley Costello hit a 3-pointer to open the fourth, and gave the Jems a lead they wouldn't relinquish, winning 38-29 to claim the District One Class 4A title for the third straight year.
Key plays:
- After being outscored by Springfield 20-15 in the second and third quarters, tying the game, Haley Costello hit a go-ahead 3-pointer on an assist from fellow freshman Emerson Akright, beginning a 16-7 Jems' run that secured the victory.
Top Performers:
- Haley Costello, Villa Joseph Marie: The talented freshman, who won a state championship with St. Andrew's Catholic Elementary School last year, scored the go-ahead basket in the fourth quarter, and contributed a steal, assist and block down the stretch.
- Avery Akright, Villa Joseph Marie: A first-team All-AACA selection, she led all scorers with 12 points and also led the defense with 7 rebounds and 3 blocks.
- Emerson Akright, Villa Joseph Marie: The freshman had 8 points and 11 rebounds.
- Lucy Jasionis, Villa Joseph Marie: The junior and second-team All-AACA selection posted 8 rebounds and 5 points.
What's Next:
- Villa Joseph Marie will advance to the PIAA state playoff tournament, facing the winner of the District 12 fourth-place game between Lansdale Catholic and West Philadelphia.
Faith Christian wins District One Class 2A Girls Basketball Championship
It was a daunting matchup, to be sure. Faith Christian had already lost twice this season to Renaissance Academy, and the Lions had been ousted from the playoffs by RA in last year's semifinal. But the young Lions were undaunted going into their matchup against the top-seeded Knights.
After falling behind 13-4 in the first quarter, it looked like the Knights were well on their way to a second straight district title. But the Lions clawed their way back to tie the game in the third, thanks to a huge performance from freshman star Jersey Verbit. In the fourth, the Lions outscored RA 12-5 to win the game 43-36 and claim the district title. The Lions last won the title in 2023.
Key Plays:
- With the Lions trailing in the third quarter, Jersey Verbit scored 14 points in the final minutes of the quarter, sinking three 3-pointers, three free throws and scoring on a fast-break after a steal.
Top Performances:
- Jersey Verbit, Faith Christian: The impressive freshman scored 25 points and had 7 steals in an unforgettable performance. Verbit scored the go-ahead free throws that put the Lions on top for good, going 14-for-18 from the line in the game.
- Peyton Voytko, Faith Christian: Down by four late in the game, the sophomore hit a clutch 3-pointer, finishing with 7 points.
- Dallas Stewart, Renaissance Academy: The senior led RA with 15 points.
What's Next:
- The Lions advanced to the PIAA Class 2A state playoffs. They will face the No. 4 team from District 12.
Class 5A, Semifinal round:
No. 2 Villa Maria Academy 38, No. 3 Gwynedd Mercy 26
Top Performances:
- Sophia Trey, Villa Maria: She had a game-high 12 points.
- Brooke Evans, Gwynedd Mercy: She had 8 points for the Monarchs.
- Chloe McCarthy, Gwynedd Mercy: The sophomore scored 8 points.
What's Next:
- Gwynedd Mercy previously clinched a PIAA Class 5A playoff spot with its quarterfinal win. The Monarchs will play No. 4 Marple Newtown in the third-place game of the playback tournament.
- Villa Maria will play eighth-seeded Radnor in the Class 5A championship game.
Class 6A: Quarterfinal round
No. 7 Pennsbury 44, No. 2 CB East 35
Pennsbury has been one of the top teams in the area this season, but they were still major underdogs going against high-scoring CB East. But the Falcons' heralded defense came to play, holding the Patriots to under 40 points for just the second time this season.
Top Performances:
- Alyssa Thomas, Pennsbury: The sophomore led the Falcons with 14 points.
- Sammie Haws, Pennsbury: She scored 8 points, including two 3-pointers in the first half.
- Shea Quenzer, Pennsbury: Quenzer scored 7 points off the bench and was a major contributor on defense.
- Payton Williams, CB East: The freshman led all scorers with 17 points.
Class 6A: Playback, first round
No. 16 Bensalem 55, No. 9 William Tennent 32
Top Performances:
- Sydney Daut, Bensalem: Daut paced the Owls with 14 points.
- Kamiya Alexander, Bensalem: The sophomore scored 12 points.
- Mischa Ellzy, Bensalem: The Owls' sophomore put up 11 points.
- Avery Kocur, William Tennent: She led the Panthers with 14 points.
No. 10 Neshaminy 41, No. 15 Plymouth Whitemarsh 30
Top Performances:
- Grace Weyler, Neshaminy: She led Neshaminy with 10 points.
- Ashlyn Duffy, Neshaminy: Duffy contributed 9 points and 3 assists
- Camryn Rodriguez, Neshaminy: The senior scored 9 points in the win.
- Nicole Trespalacios, Neshaminy: The standout freshman tallied 7 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
- MiaRaivitch, Neshaminy: Raivitch posted 6 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Other District One Class 6A Scores:
- No. 1 Upper Dublin 54, No. 8 Garnet Valley 22
- No. 5 Downingtown East 36, No. 4 Perkiomen Valley 28
- No. 3 Downingtown West 44, No. 6 Spring-Ford 41
What's Next:
- The four teams that won in the quarterfinal round, including Pennsbury, will advance to the district semifinals. Those teams previously secured a PIAA state playoff berth.
- The four teams that won in the playback round, including Bensalem and Neshaminy, will continue in the playback tournament for a chance to advance to the PIAA playoffs. The four teams will compete for three remaining spots in the state tournament.
- William Tennent's season came to an end. The Panthers had one of their most successful seasons in recent history, and had two players, Avery Kocur and Halie Staub, surpass 1,000 career points this season, the first players to do so in 34 years.
Matchups for the next round of the District One girls basketball playoffs:
Courier Times/The Intell teams in bold.
Class 5A: Championship game, Tuesday, Feb. 24
- No. 8 Radnor vs. No. 2 Villa Maria, 7 p.m. at WCU
Class 5A: Playbacks, Tuesday, Feb. 24
- 3rd Place: Gwynedd Mercy vs. Marple Newtown
- 5th Place: Mount St. Joseph vs. Bishop Shanahan
- 7th Place: WC East vs. Sun Valley
Class 6A: Semifinal round, Wednesday, Feb. 25
- No. 7 Pennsbury at No. 3 Downingtown West, 6 p.m.
- No. 5 Downingtown East at No. 1 Upper Dublin, 6 p.m.
Class 6A: Playback first round, Wednesday, Feb. 25
- No. 8 Garnet Valley at No. 4 Perkiomen Valley, 6 p.m.
- No. 6 Spring-Ford at No.2 CB East, 6 p.m.
- No. 11 Conestoga at No. 10 Neshaminy, 6 p.m.
- No. 16 Bensalem at No. 13 Methacton, 6 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PIAA District One Girls Basketball quarterfinals