Rivals Cardinal O’Hara and Archbishop Carroll to meet in Catholic League girls’ semifinals
In its first year in the league, Nazareth Academy will take on top-seeded Archbishop Wood in the second semifinal Tuesday night.
Four teams are left in the hunt for the Catholic League girls’ basketball championship, including one that is making an unexpected appearance.
Nazareth Academy’s stunning upset of Neumann Goretti in the quarterfinals on Thursday was easily the biggest win for the Pandas, who have found themselves in the PCL semifinals in their first year in the league. The four teams will play at Bobby Morgan Arena on the former University of Sciences campus on Tuesday.
No. 2 Cardinal O’Hara vs. No. 3 Archbishop Carroll, 6 p.m.
In the quarterfinals, Alexis Eberz, Brooke Wilson, and Abbie McFillin sparked Carroll to a 35-33 win over Lansdale Catholic on Thursday. O’Hara dispatched West Catholic, 58-23, to set up a rematch between two teams who were expected to be playing this deep into the season.
The Lions faced Carroll in last year’s state semifinals, which Carroll won, 31-30.
O’Hara is led by 5-foot-8 combo guard and sharpshooter Joanie Quinn, who’s committed to La Salle. Lions coach Chrissie Doogan’s other top performer is 5-11 junior wing Molly Rullo, a Drexel recruit. Both made first-team All-PCL this season.
Senior forward Carly Coleman (5-11) has also had a breakout season. She was named to the All-PCL second team after turning into a top-notch defender. Rullo’s younger sister, sophomore guard Megan (5-9), and senior guard Greta Miller (5-8) round out the starting lineup.
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Carroll has a similar guard-oriented group led by Wilson, who’s following her sister Taylor to West Point next year. The Catholic League MVP is a tough 5-9 combo guard. Eberz, a 5-9 sophomore guard, has become one of the top scoring threats in the Catholic League, most often from three-point range. The McFillin sisters — senior Felicity, junior Maddie and freshman Abigail — also have contributed.
There’s no shortage of familiarity between these two teams. There are plenty of AAU ties. Eberz and Megan Rullo are teammates on the Comets’ 16U team, while O’Hara’s Brigidanne Donohue and Abigail McFillin are teammates on the Comets’ 15U squad. Quinn and Wilson were also Comets teammates.
No. 1 Archbishop Wood vs. No. 5 Nazareth Academy, 7:45 p.m.
Wood provided Nazareth Academy a “welcome to the PCL” moment with a big win at the start of the season. It’s safe to say the Pandas are a much different team after downing defending champion Lansdale Catholic to end the regular season.
The Vikings are looking for a return trip to the Palestra and for the chance to play in their third PCL final in the last four years after rolling past Conwell Egan, 74-30, in the quarterfinals. First-team All-PCL selections Ava Renninger and Emily Knouse lead the way offensively. Renninger, a senior point guard who’s signed with Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Knouse, a junior wing who’s committed to St Joseph’s, can score at a high clip. Seniors Lauren Greer and Alexa Windish (Kutztown) are high-energy players, especially on the defensive end.
The Pandas have a junior-led group in first-team All-PCL selection Reese Power, a 5-foot-10 guard who slashes well to the rim. Nazareth coach Mary Kate Magagna’s team relies on solid defense and a patient offense. Junior Gracie Sullivan is a tenacious rebounder and provides great effort up front while Abby Rock has been a solid outside shooter. Rileigh Donohue and Natalie D’Alfonso have also been mainstays in the starting five.
Nazareth picked up impressive wins this season, including a victory against District 1 5A top seed Gwynedd Mercy Academy, and proved it could hang in the PCL. But Wood has all the motivation it needs after a 50-47 loss to Lansdale Catholic at the Palestra last year.
This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.