Penns Valley girls’ basketball cruises past district quarterfinal, punches ticket to states
The Penns Valley girls’ basketball team was able to cross off another goal on its list Friday night — by clinching a spot in the state tournament.
The top-seeded Lady Rams cruised past No. 8-seed Central 45-27 in the District 6 Class 3A quarterfinals and will next play No. 4-seed Central Cambria in the semifinals Tuesday. Because four teams from the district advance to the state tournament, Penns Valley already earned its spot there with the victory Friday night.
“This win guarantees us three more games,” Lady Rams coach Karen McCaffrey said, referring to the district semifinal game, district consolation/title contest and state tournament. “Tonight was, if we lost we were done. So just knowing that we have at least three more games in front of us, that takes a little bit of pressure off us.
“And anytime you head into the locker room knowing you have practice the next day, that’s a great feeling.”
McCaffrey’s squad felt great from the start. Relatively speaking. Although starters Hannah Montminy and Emma Butler both came down with illness and nausea, they hung tough and helped their team sprint out to a quick 16-5 first-quarter lead at home.
Montminy finished with 12 points, while Butler played solid defense all night long. Isabella Culver had the big night with 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Jordan Andrus added nine points — all of which came in the first half.
Culver’s double-double night led to several highlights, but there was an especially memorable one that McCaffrey had to thank the student section for.
With time ticking down in the first half, Penns Valley’s student section prematurely started a 3-2-1 countdown to cause Central Cambria to force an early field-goal attempt. It worked — and Culver came down with the ball with little time left.
She dribbled twice and then let a three-quarter court shot go — which hit off the backboard and sailed in for the buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Penns Valley led at the half 26-11.
“Our student section definitely helped us going in the locker room,” McCaffrey added.
Penns Valley played a slower-pace Friday night and relied on solid defense to protect its lead. McCaffrey praised her four senior starters of Andrus, Butler, Culver and Paige Kubalak — along with senior spark plug Olia Corman — and said they’ve been imperative to the program’s success.
“They’re going to leave a hole in all of Penns Valley athletics when they leave,” McCaffrey said. “Not just basketball.”