By Ryan Briggs
Herald correspondent
ALTOONA — The Kennedy Catholic girls basketball squad gave defending state champion Bishop Guilfoyle all it could handle Saturday night but the undefeated Marauders (26-0) eventually pulled away to a 64-44 victory over Kennedy in the opening round of the PIAA Class A Championship Tournament at the Altoona Field House.
Bishop Guilfoyle held Kennedy (20-6) scoreless through the first five minutes of the second quarter and took a 28-15 lead. However, Kennedy charged back with a 6-0 run on baskets from Alex Ricketts and Marina Wareham and a pair of Ricketts free throws.
Guilfoyle led 30-21 at halftime and extended the lead early in the second half as Kaleigh Floyd hit a pair of three-pointers against the Golden Eagles’ 1-3-1 zone. The lead swelled to 40-26 in the quarter but Kennedy again rallied to cut the lead back to 43-33 as Brie Dickson scored twice and Kelsey George added a three-point play.
“I was impressed with how our kids hung with (Guilfoyle) mentally,” Kennedy Catholic head coach Tom Burns said. “We were able to stay within 10 or so for most of the game.”
Kennedy freshman Rachel Burns drained a three early in the fourth quarter to bring the Golden Eagles to within 10, 46-36. Burns scored six of her team-high 12 points in the fourth quarter.
However, the Marauders outscored Kennedy 18-8 down the stretch. Kelsey Livoti scored eight of her 10 points in the fourth quarter to help break the game open.
“We had to go to man-to-man defense and they’re just that good athletically,” Burns said. “We just couldn’t hang with them the way we would have liked. But we played better against them than a lot of teams have.”
Marina Wareham fired in seven of her 12 points in the first quarter for Kennedy, helping the Golden Eagles take their lone lead of the night, 15-14, late in the first quarter.
Bishop Guilfoyle’s Alli Williams poured in seven of her game-high 23 points in the second quarter to help the Marauders take the lead for good, however. The 5-foot-11 senior entered the game averaging 16 points per game.
“Williams was just too tough for us to defend,” Burns said. “She was a real matchup problem for us. I was impressed with how we defended the rest of their players.”
Although Kennedy has no juniors or seniors on its roster, the squad still reached the state tournament for the second consecutive season and also reached the 20-win mark.
“I’m very happy with our season,” Tom Burns said. “With our youth, we have a lot to look forward to. We’ll start working on next year next week.”
Notes: Dickson finished with eight points for KC ... Halee Adams scored 14 points for Guilfoyle, including 12 in the first half ... Floyd scored 10 ... Adams and Elyssa Ehredt are both freshman starters for the Marauders ... Bishop Guilfoyle will now play Rochester, which nipped Elk County Catholic 34-32 in the opening round Saturday at Clarion University.
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PIAA CLASS A PLAYOFFS
KENNEDY 15 6 12 11 44
B. GUILFOYLE 17 13 16 18 64
KENNEDY CATHOLIC — Dickson 4-0-0-8, Burns 3-4-8-12, Wareham 5-0-0-12, Ricketts 2-2-3-6, Harrison 1-0-0-2, George 1-2-5-4. 3-pt. goals: Burns 2, Wareham 2. Totals: 16-8-16-44.
BISHOP GUILFOYLE — Williams 8-6-8-23, Stessney 1-0-0-2, Bates 0-0-2-0, Ehredt 1-3-3-5, Floyd 3-1-2-10, Livoti 5-0-0-10, Adams 7-0-0-14. 3-pt. goals: Floyd 3, Williams 1. Totals: 25-10-15-64.
