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PCL Championship: Olivia Boccella gives Lansdale Catholic win over Wood in a thrilling game

melissa hanejko, bucks county courier times
·6 min read

The best and brightest in the Philadelphia Catholic League took the court of the hallowed Palestra on Monday night to play for the coveted PCL Basketball Championship. The girls' game featured a classic battle between Lansdale Catholic and Archbishop Wood.

Judging by the first quarter, the game looked like it might be a blowout. Of course, this is the Catholic League, and no one is going down without a fight. As it turned out, the Catholic League girls basketball championship game would go down to the wire, with Olivia Boccella scoring the game-winner on a clutch 3-pointer with 19 seconds to go.

That gave Lansdale Catholic the 50-47 edge, and after a last-second attempt by Archbishop Wood didn’t fall, the first PCL title in school history. Not only was it the school’s first PCL  basketball championship — for both boys and girls — but it was the Crusaders’ first time playing in the title game.

Lansdale Catholic students turn on their flash ligths to distract an Archbishop Wood free throw during the PCL girls basketball final game at the Palestra in Philadelphia on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.
Lansdale Catholic students turn on their flash ligths to distract an Archbishop Wood free throw during the PCL girls basketball final game at the Palestra in Philadelphia on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.

Of course, it wasn’t easy, even when it looked like it might be. The Crusaders took a 16-5 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Vikings regrouped and slowly cut the deficit over the next two quarters. Ava Renninger drained a three to give Wood its first lead of the game at 30-27 in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter, which began with the Vikings up 40-35, was a back-and-forth battle. Jaida Helm and Gabby Casey both scored big baskets in the fourth, but so did Ava Renninger and Deja Evans for the Vikings. After the Vikings outscored LC 21-8 in the third quarter, LC went on a 12-7 run in the fourth, leaving the game tied. That’s when Boccella, who had four 3-pointers in the Crusaders’ semifinal win, came through with the go-ahead basket.

Final:

Lansdale Catholic wins the Philadelphia Catholic League championship, 50-47, over Archbishop Wood. Olivia Boccella scored the game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds of the game. Wood's Kara Meredith led all scorers with 19 points, while the Crusaders' Boccella had 17 and Gabby Casey added 15 points. Ava Renninger had 11 points for the Vikings, while Deja Evans had 10 points and 8 rebounds.

Fourth Quarter

After a timeout, Renninger hit a free throw, putting Wood up 47-45. But then Jaida Helm scored to tie the game with 1:04 to go, and Boccella drained an incredibly clutch 3-pointer to give the Crusaders the lead back. They lead 50-47 with 12 seconds to go, and Wood calls a timeout. That score stood, as the Crusaders completed a monumental comeback, winning their first PCL Championship, 50-47.

Timeout, 1:45 remaining, Wood leads 46-45

Jaida Helm opened the quarter with a bucket for the Crusaders, but Ava Renninger followed with a basket to put the Vikings up 44-37.

Gabby Casey came through with a big 3-pointer for LC; she has 15 points so far. Then it was Helm again from beyond the arc to put LC within one (44-43). A Delaney Finnegan score gives Wood a 46-43 lead, but Olivia Boccella free throws put LC back within one (46-45).

Third Quarter: Wood leads 40-35

The Vikings continued their hot shooting of the second quarter, and opened the third with an 11-0 run. Kara Meredith got the Vikings started with a basket, then Deja Evans, who has two blocks in the game, scored on a layup. Then it was Meredith again, making it a one-possession game, when Ava Renninger drained a 3 to give the Vikings their first lead of the game at 30-27. Renninger has four steals, four assists and 8 points so far.

Olivia Boccella ended the Vikings’ run with a three-pointer, and the Crusaders then took the lead back (32-30) but the Vikings struck right back. Renninger hit another 3-pointer and sophomore Emily Knouse sank a 3 to beat the buzzer, giving Wood a 40-35 lead.

Archbishop Wood senior Deja Evans fights for the ball during the PCL girls basketball final game at the Palestra in Philadelphia on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.
Archbishop Wood senior Deja Evans fights for the ball during the PCL girls basketball final game at the Palestra in Philadelphia on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.

Halftime: Lansdale Catholic leads 27-19

Scoring leaders: Gabby Casey (LC) 10 points, Kara Meredith (AW) 12 points, Olivia Boccella (LC) 6 points

Second Quarter:

After shooting just 2-for-15 in the first quarter, the Vikings made up some ground in the second, primarily thanks to Kara Meredith.

Jaida Helm continued the Crusaders’ hot 3-point shooting, and gave LC a 20-5 lead to start the quarter. Deja Evans cuts Wood’s deficit by driving to the basket, scoring, and completing the three-point play after being fouled.

Meredith came through big time to keep the Vikings in the game, draining her fourth 3-pointer of the game which cut Wood's deficit to just five points (24-19). Olivia Boccella ended the Vikings’ run with a 3-pointer, and the Crusaders are up 27-19 at halftime.

Archbishop Wood students cheer in support of their basketball team during the PCL girls basketball final game at the Palestra in Philadelphia on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.
Archbishop Wood students cheer in support of their basketball team during the PCL girls basketball final game at the Palestra in Philadelphia on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.

First Quarter: Lansdale Catholic leads 16-5

It's been raining 3s at the Palestra. Nadia Yemola opened the game with two straight from beyond the arc to give the Crusaders a 6-0 lead.

Kara Meredith put Wood on board with a 3–pointer of her own, making it 6-3. But it was mostly all LC from that point, with Olivia Boccella adding to the 3-point party.

By the close of the first quarter, all five Crusaders had scored. The Vikings called a timeout with 45 seconds to go, trailing 16-5, and that score would hold until the end of the quarter.

Starting Lineups

Archbishop Wood: No. 11 Deja Evans (f), No. 20 Delaney Finnegan (g), No. 30 Emily Knouse (g), No. 24 Kara Meredith (f), No. 4 Ava Renninger (g)

Lansdale Catholic: No. 15 Gabby Casey (g), No. 2 Jaida Helm (f), No. 11 Olivia Boccella (g), No. 3 Saniyah Littlejohn (g), No. 10 Nadia Yemola (g)

Archbishop Wood junior Ava Reninger attempts to steal the ball from Lansdale Catholic sophomore Saniyah Littlejohn at Archbishop Wood High School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. The Crusaders defeated the Vikings 49-31.
Archbishop Wood junior Ava Reninger attempts to steal the ball from Lansdale Catholic sophomore Saniyah Littlejohn at Archbishop Wood High School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. The Crusaders defeated the Vikings 49-31.

How they got here:

Lansdale Catholic, playing in the title game for the first time in school history, came into Wednesday 22-2 overall and 9-1 in Philadelphia Catholic League play.

The Archbishop Wood Vikings are playing in their third PCL championship game in four years — they won it in 2021, and lost in the final the year before. They are 19-4 overall and 9-1 in the PCL, with their lone loss coming against Lansdale Catholic (49-31 on Feb. 7).

PCL Championship: See how Wood-Lansdale Catholic match up

The road to the Palestra: Kara Meredith enjoying the journey with her Archbishop Wood teammates

More:Lansdale Catholic's Alana Ciccocelli savoring every moment leading up to PCL Championship game

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Archbishop Wood, Lansdale Catholic play for Catholic League title