Alli Williams - By Paul Burdick
By Chris Rossetti
STATE COLLEGE – Bishop Guilfoyle rode a quick start to its second straight PIAA Class A girls’ basketball title and its third in four years with a 49-29 win over District 6 rival Northern Cambria Saturday afternoon at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center.
“It’s difficult (to defend the title), it really is,” Bishop Guilfoyle head coach Mark Moschella said. “No matter where we go, no matter who we play, every basketball team is ready for us.”
Northern Cambria, which lost to Bishop Guilfoyle (30-0) 42-37 in overtime in the D6 title game a couple of weeks ago, scored four of the first six points to take an early 4-2 lead. But the Lady Marauders ended the first quarter on a 14-3 run that quickly turned into a 20-3 run moments into the second quarter on their way to a 28-11 halftime lead.
“We scored a lot of points and never looked back,” BG star Alli Williams, who is headed to St. Francis (Pa.), said. “That was basically us saying this is our game and there is no way they are going to take it from us.”
Williams had her usually solid performance scoring 16 points to go with 14 rebounds, two assists and two steals while winning her third PIAA gold medal.
“It’s just as sweet,” Williams said. “But in a way it’s more exciting. I’d have to say this is my favorite because its my senior year. I just really love this team and am going to miss them.”
Bishop Guilfoyle’s defense was a key to the game, as the Lady Marauders held Northern Cambria to 23.3 percent shooting (10 of 43) from the field including 4 of 20 (20 percent) in the first half while scoring 18 points off 13 Colt turnovers. The 29 points were a season low for Northern Cambria.
“We really stopped them and held them to an amount of points they aren’t use to,” Williams said. “I couldn’t be prouder of us.”
Freshman Halee Adams added 11 points and eight boards for Bishop Guilfoyle with Kaleigh Floyd and Kelsey Livoti each chipping in eight points.
Ariel Rocco and Janae Dunchack each scored 12 to lead Northern Cambria. Dunchack added nine boards and Rocco six.
"This is the first basketball team in the rich history of this program that has ever gone undefeated," Moschella said.