Despite a strong fourth quarter push from Brandywine Heights, York Catholic defeated the Bullets 52-44 in a District 3 Class 3A girls basketball semifinal Friday at Mertztown.
Fourth-seeded York Catholic (12-12) took an early lead and held it for most of the game. The top-seeded Bullets (17-8) held a brief, 6-5 lead in the first quarter, but York Catholic, led by forward Amanda Reed, took a 14-7 lead into the second quarter.
Reed led all scorers with 22 points, many of which came from second-chance opportunities. Reed was a focal point on offense throughout.
“Throughout the week we’ve been practicing passing through us (in the paint),” Reed said. “Our passing was much better this game. We knew that they were going to crash the boards, so we tried to make sure we got stops, we got second chances, and that they didn’t get second chances.”
York Catholic led 40-30 going in to the fourth quarter, and held a 45-35 lead with 5:30 left. But the Bullets, led by freshman Addison Benner, brought the game within one possession late, but the comeback fell just short.
York Catholic coach Kevin Bankos said he wasn’t surprised that Brandywine Heights made the game so close.
“I told my team half time that they (Brandywine Heights) weren’t going to quit,” he said. “They’re one of the toughest teams. Our foul shooting wasn’t very good, but I was proud of the way we responded to their response.”
Bankos said that his team’s second-chance points, forced turnovers and passing were the keys to the game. York Catholic held on to its lead, despite missed foul shots, thanks to rebounding by Reed and Meredith Smith late in the game.
Benner finished with a team-high 14 points. Brandywine’s comeback also was led by Olivia Moyer, who pushed the Bullets on fastbreaks, drawing fouls, and creating turnovers.
Brandywine coach Don Vinciguerra said his team must get back to the basics as it prepares for the state tournament.
“It’s the fundamentals,” he said. “Sometimes, we get away with being more athletic or talented, but now that we’re in the playoffs, we have to go back to that and clean that up.”
The Bullets will host the district third-place game Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Source: Berkshire mont