Greensburg Central Catholic runs into Kennedy Catholic roadblock in PIAA semifinals again
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Monday, March 18, 2024 | 9:16 PM
Kennedy Catholic’s Layke Fields scores past Greensburg Central Catholic’s Erica Gribble during a PIAA Class 2A semifinal game Monday at North Allegheny High School.
Kennedy Catholic’s Layke Fields drives on Greensburg Central Catholic’s Jayla Peterson and Erica Gribble during a PIAA Class 2A semifinal game Monday at North Allegheny High School.
Kennedy Catholic’s Layke Fields scores over Greensburg Central Catholic’s Abigail Dlugos and Erica Grbble during a PIAA Class 2A semifinal game Monday at North Allegheny High School.
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Jayla Peterson scores past Kennedy Catholic’s Madison Pfleger during a PIAA Class 2A semifinal game Monday at North Allegheny High School.
Kennedy Catholic’s Monique Vincent fights for a loose ball with Greensburg Central Catholic’s Erica Gribble during a PIAA Class 2A semifinal game Monday at North Allegheny High School.
Kennedy Catholic’s Monique Vincent is fouled by Greensburg Central Catholic’s Avery Davis during a PIAA Class 2A semifinal game Monday at North Allegheny High School.
Kennedy Catholic’s Monique Vincent is fouled by Greensburg Central Catholic’s Avery Davis during a PIAA Class 2A semifinal game Monday at North Allegheny High School.
Kennedy Catholic’s Greensburg Central Catholic’s Kennedy Catholic’s Kennedy Catholic’s Layke Fields during a PIAA Class 2A semifinal game Monday at North Allegheny High School.
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Erica Gribble scores over Kennedy Catholic’s Madison Pfleger and Layke Fields during a PIAA Class 2A semifinal game Monday at North Allegheny High School.
Kennedy Catholic’s Layke Fields scores over Greensburg Central Catholic’s Erica Gribble, Abigail Dlugos and Cara Dupilka during a PIAA Class 2A semifinal game Monday at North Allegheny High School.
Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball players came up the stairs at North Allegheny to start the second half wearing their team backpacks.
The team was asked to leave their locker room early to free up space for a boys game to follow.
Kennedy Catholic also sent the Centurions packing in the state semifinals.
Junior Layke Fields scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while hot-shooting junior Monique Vincent made five 3-pointers as the defending PIAA Class 2A champions dumped GCC, 61-45, on Monday night in McCandless.
The Golden Eagles (24-4), who leaned on their defense to limit the Centurions, will make their third straight trip to Hershey to play for a state title.
They will take on Marion Center (24-6) at noon on Thursday at Hershey’s Giant Center.
GCC, the WPIAL champion, ends the season at 23-7. The Centurions haven’t been to the state finals since 1997.
“Kennedy is a great team with great players and a great coach,” GCC coach Chris Skatell said. “We made a nice run at the end but couldn’t get it under 13. I’m proud of our girls for getting this far.”
Kennedy Catholic pulled away after a close first quarter, with Fields taking control inside just like she did in last year’s 56-44 semifinal win over GCC — on the same floor.
GCC had no answer for the 6-foot forward.
“We got better as the game went on,” Kennedy Catholic coach Justin Magestro said. “We have played man-to-man in every game, and we try to get better at it every day. Each of our girls made an impact in some way.”
Vincent finished with 17 points.
Freshman Tori Harvey added 11 for the Golden Eagles, who led by 24 late in the third quarter and didn’t flinch when GCC made a 10-point run at them in the fourth.
“I thought it kind of got away from us in the third quarter,” Skatell said. “Layke is an outstanding player. She’s the biggest player on the floor. We would double her, but we weren’t rotating behind it. We didn’t defend well.”
Vincent made four 3s in the first half, the fourth to give the Golden Eagles a double-digit lead it never relinquished.
“She was making them from the volleyball line,” Skatell said.
Said Magestro: “Those are layups for her. She has been on fire the last five games. Our team defense was very good. We relied on help.”
Seniors Mya Morgan and Avery Davis hits 3s early for GCC, but Fields had eight points as the Golden Eagles took a 16-13 lead after the first quarter.
After Erica Gribble made a spin move to score and cut it to 20-15, Kennedy Catholic ended the half with a 16-6 run to take a 36-21 lead into halftime.
Harvey made back-to-back baskets to stretch it to 46-24, and her recovery of a loose ball made it 51-29 after three.
Gribble, Morgan and Davis scored midway through the fourth, with Davis connecting on a 3, and it was a 13-point game (58-45) with 2:50 remaining.
Morgan finished with 14 points, junior Jayla Peterson added 12, and Gribble had 11.
Peterson hit a pair of 3s.
Kennedy Catholic does not have a senior on its roster.
“Hats off to (GCC),” Magestro said. “They have a well-coached team. This was two good teams playing hard.”
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Greensburg C.C.
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