HERSHEY — Familiarity did not correlate to success for Berks Catholic on Saturday in the District 3 Class 4A girls basketball final.
The third-seeded Saints met top-seeded Delone Catholic for the third time this season and were unable to avenge their two previous losses, as the Squirettes relied on their speed to earn a 33-27 win at Giant Center.
“The areas I thought we needed to play well in to beat them, we did,” Berks Catholic coach Bob Birmingham said. “It’s the best (Class) 4A program in District 3.”
The Saints are 0-5 against Delone Catholic over the last three seasons, including a trio of losses this season. Saturday’s district championship game featured the smallest margin of victory for the Squirettes in the five meetings.
“We’re playing with them every single time,” Birmingham said. “That’s a credit to our kids and to how hard they work and how much they want it.”
Delone Catholic (26-1) got off to a fast start, scoring the game’s first six points. The Squirettes immediately put pressure on Berks Catholic and relied on quick passing to create open scoring opportunities.
“I think that we were nervous just because it’s such a big game, but we knew what to expect from them,” senior Caroline Reedy said. “We just had to adjust in the first quarter.”
Delone Catholic played stifling defense, preventing the Saints from settling into an offensive rhythm. The Squirettes led 14-3 after one quarter.
“The shots just didn’t fall at that point,” Birmingham said. “That first quarter is what really hurt us.”
Berks Catholic (21-6) adjusted to the pace of the game in the second quarter and began to string together several productive offensive possessions. The Saints began the second quarter on a 7-1 run, cutting the Squirettes’ lead to five points.
Delone Catholic senior Giana Hoddinott made a field goal late in the second quarter to extend the Squirettes’ lead to 17-10 at the half. Hoddinott led all scorers with 16 points.
Berks Catholic cut Delone Catholic’s lead to three midway through the third quarter, but was unable to draw closer. The Squirettes defended the paint effectively, forcing the Saints to shoot from outside.
“We couldn’t really drive (to the basket) as much, because whenever we drove, they pinched in,” senior Aayilah Dabney said. “Not having that (ability to) drive and just playing (on) the perimeter definitely slowed us down.”
Delone Catholic forced several turnovers late in the third quarter, which turned into points on the offensive end. The Squirettes finished the third with a 7-2 run to take a 26-18 lead after 24 minutes.
“When we would try to drive, they’d just stay in front of us,” Reedy said. “Once we got into the paint, it was like we were surrounded.”
Reedy, the Saints’ top scorer at 13.9 points per game entering Saturday, finished with six points. Junior Sydney Brown led Berks Catholic with eight points.
The Saints chipped away in the fourth quarter, cutting Delone’s lead to five points with 55 seconds remaining on a 3-pointer from senior Mackenzie Gordos. However, Berks Catholic never got any closer.
The Squirettes held the Saints scoreless for the rest of the game. On offense, Delone Catholic moved the ball effectively to consume the remaining clock.
The loss drops Berks Catholic to 0-3 all-time in district title games. Saturday marked the Saints’ first appearance in a district final since 2018, when they fell to Lancaster Catholic.
“They played hard the entire time,” Birmingham said about his team. “That’s all we can ask of them.”
Berks Catholic will continue its season in the first round of the PIAA Tournament on Wednesday against Lake-Lehman, the third-place finisher in District 2. The Saints will be making their first appearance in the state playoffs since 2020.
“We’re not going to dwell on this loss because that’s not going to help anybody,” Reedy said. “We’re just going to look ahead and go as far as we can in the state (playoffs).”
Source: Berkshire mont