PIAA Girls’ Basketball Playoffs
Preview Capsules
Class AA First Round
Minersville (25-2) vs. Montoursville (22-3)
Today, 7 p.m., Martz Hall
About the Battlin’ Miners
Head coach: Jared Homa
How got here: Beat Marian 55-37, Palisades 58-43 and North Schuylkill 39-38 to win second straight District 11 Class AA championship
Last PIAA appearance: 2014, lost to Neumann-Goretti in Class AA second round
Team statistics: Offense (58.8 ppg), defense (42.0 ppg), free-throw percentage (.624)
Probable starting lineup: G Abby Schoffstall (soph., 5-7, 18.0 ppg), G Sarah Nawrocki (soph., 5-10, 4.3), G-F Adrienne Kroznuskie (soph., 5-8, 11.3), F Maggie Wigoda (fr., 5-10, 5.3), F Emily Mealey (soph., 6-0, 12.6)
Key reserves: G Maura Bentz (soph., 5-5, 4.2), G Emily Kriston (fr., 5-3, 1.7), F Alli Polinsky (soph., 5-9, 1.2)
About the Warriors
Head coach: Travis Heap
How got here: Defeated Bloomsburg 65-35 and Mount Carmel 55-50 before losing to Central Columbia 42-25 in District 4 Class AA championship
Last PIAA appearance: 2000, lost to Blackhawk in Class AAA championship
Team statistics: Offense (47.4 ppg), defense (30.1 ppg), free-throw percentage (.640)
Probable starting lineup: G Kirsten O’Malley (sr., 5-9, 17.4 ppg), G Lexi Marchioni (soph., 5-6), C Kelsey Stine (sr., 6-0, 6.0), G Marissa Hall (sr., 5.3), C Marissa Folk (sr., 6-1, 5.3)
Key reserves: Marlene Bassett (soph., 6-2, 6.4), Lauren O’Malley (fr., 3.1)
Game notes
Minersville, made up entirely of sophomores and freshmen, averaged 60 points at the end of the regular season, first in the Schuylkill League. … Battlin’ Miners enter the PIAA playoffs ranked No. 5 in the state. … Battlin’ Miners have won 18 of last 19 games. Only loss during that stretch was to Class AA No. 7 North Schuylkill in Schuylkill League championship. Minersville beat North Schuylkill two weeks later in the District 11 championship in overtime. … Schoffstall is Schuylkill League’s second-leading scorer, putting in 18 points a game. … Montoursville is in its first 20-win season since 2000, when it reached the second of two straight state finals. Between 2003-11, the program had no winning seasons. … Warriors finished second to Mount Carmel in Heartland II before beating Red Tornadoes in district semifinals. … Kirsten O’Malley, a four-year starter, recorded her 1,000th point midway through the season.
Up next: Winner plays winner of Neumann-Goretti (12-1) and Trinity (3-3) in Tuesday’s second round.
North Schuylkill (24-3) vs. Imhotep Charter (21-5)
Today, 6 p.m., Archbishop Carroll H.S., Radnor
About the Spartans
Head coach: John Rizzo
How got here: Beat Pine Grove 52-33 and Salisbury 54-42 before losing to Minersville 39-38 in District 11 Class AA championship game
Last PIAA appearance: 2007, lost to Trinity in Class AA quarterfinals
Team statistics: Offense (53.6 ppg), defense (34.1 ppg), free-throw percentage (.615)
Probable starting lineup: G Tiff Lapotsky (jr., 5-6, 15.9 ppg), G Averi Jordan (fr., 5-8, 5.8), G Waverly Snyder (jr., 5-6, 5.6), F Nina Marone (sr., 5-9, 5.3), F Carly Gregas (sr. 6-0, 10.3)
Key reserves: F Chase Stokes (sr., 5-8, 3.3), F Samantha Shinkus (fr., 5-7, 3.2), F Rachel Bell (jr., 5-8, 2.1)
About the Panthers
Head coach: Sabrina Allen
How got here: Lost to Neumann-Goretti in District 12 championship
Last PIAA appearance: 2014, lost to Salisbury in Class AA first round
Probable starting lineup: G Deja Reynold (sr.), G Lorna Caesar (sr.), G Maya Kitchen (sr.), G Taylor Scruggs (sr.), F Bionca Dunham (jr.)
Key reserves: Deja Perry, Etreece Adams, Brittany Hinton
Game notes
North Schuylkill championed the Schuylkill League this season, beating Minersville 49-41 in final. … North Schuylkill finished the Schuylkill League regular season with the second-best offense in the league, scoring 54 points a game. … The Spartans enter the PIAA playoffs ranked No. 7 in the state Class AA rankings. … North Schuylkill beat Imhotep in the teams’ last meeting in the PIAA playoffs. The Spartans won 68-35 in the first round of the 2007 Class AA tournament at Martz Hall. … Spartans went on an 18-game win streak during the season. Only losses are to Class AA No. 5 Minersville, previous Class AAAA honorable mention State College and Class AAA No. 10 Allentown Central Catholic. … 6-foot-2 Dunham, along with Reynold, controls Imhotep’s offense. Reynold is headed for Temple, while Dunham has multiple Division I offers. … Panthers won Philadelphia Public League title before losing to Neumann-Goretti in District 12 championship.
Directions to Archbishop Carroll H.S.: Take Route 61 South to Interstate 78 East and exit onto PA Turnpike/Interstate 476 South (toll). Use Exit 16 off 476 toward Valley Forge and keep right to take the ramp toward PA-23/Conshohocken. Turn left onto Matsonford Road. Archbishop Carroll High School will be on the left.
Up next: Winner plays winner of Central Columbia (4-1) and Holy Redeemer (2-2) in Tuesday’s second round.
— Compiled by Mike Wilson