Berks Catholic has its sights set on a trip to Hershey and a berth in the District 3 Class 4A girls basketball championship game.
In order to get there, the third-seeded Saints will first need to earn a win over seventh-seeded Bermudian Springs in the semifinals on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Wolf Gymnasium.
“I think that we’re really excited to play,” senior Caroline Reedy said. “We really want to get to Hershey.”
With a win, Berks Catholic would advance to its first district final since 2018, when it fell to Lancaster Catholic in the Class 4A title game. The Saints also lost to the Crusaders in the 2016 Class 3A championship game.
“I think it’d just be crazy to play on the (Giant Center) court and just experience it,” senior Aayilah Dabney said. “Absorb it all in.”
Berks Catholic finds itself in the semifinals thanks in large part to Dabney and Reedy, who combined to score 30 points in the Saints’ 48-30 win over sixth-seeded Big Spring in the quarterfinals. Dabney led all scorers with a career-high 19 points.
“Our seniors have been here before,” Berks Catholic coach Bob Birmingham said. “They know that it takes a different level of play this time of year, and so far they’ve been up to that challenge.”
Several of the Saints’ veterans boast a wealth of playoff experience, as Berks Catholic has played in the county and district playoffs each of the last four seasons. It also made an appearance in the PIAA Tournament in 2020.
“It makes me more prepared with each game, knowing that I’ve been here before,” Dabney said. “You just got to take it one game at a time.”
The Saints are focused on Bermudian Springs, who enter the semifinals having won seven consecutive games. The Eagles defeated 10th-seeded Wyomissing 77-48 in the first round before upsetting second-seeded Eastern York 50-42 in the quarterfinals.
“I think we just need to play the game the way we’re capable of playing on both ends of the floor,” Birmingham said. “They shoot the ball really, really well.”
Bermudian Springs (23-4) averages 64.5 points per game and has scored 48 or more points in every game this season. The Eagles won the York-Adams league championship for the first time in program history on Feb. 17 with a win over Delone Catholic, a fellow District 3 Class 4A semifinalist.
“We got to get a hand on people and we got to limit their second-chance opportunities,” Birmingham said. “We got to get a piece of somebody and then go get the ball once they miss a shot.”
Berks Catholic (20-5) has allowed 35 points per game this season, which ranks tied for fourth among Berks Girls Basketball League teams. The Saints average 50.3 points on offense.
“We have to just play every game like it’s our last because you never know when it’s going to end,” Dabney said. “I think having that mindset really helps us and pushes us harder to fight for the win.”
Other District 3 girls basketball playoff games involving Berks teams Tuesday at 7 p.m. are No. 8 seed Twin Valley (15-9) at No. 5 West York (15-8) in a Class 5A consolation semifinal; No. 9 Bishop McDevitt (17-7) at No. 4 Schuylkill Valley (20-3) in a Class 4A consolation semifinal and PIAA Tournament qualifier; and No. 3 Pequea Valley (13-12) at No. 1 Brandywine Heights (17-7) in the Class 3A third-place game.
Source: Berkshire mont
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