WPIAL Class 5A girls final preview: Section rival Oakland Catholic, Gateway set for rubber match

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, March 1, 2018 | 11:18 PM

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It may be a surprise to those on the outside to see a No. 7 and No. 8 seed meeting for the WPIAL Class 5A girls basketball championship, but Oakland Catholic coach Shannon Kearney and Gateway coach Curtis Williams aren't shocked their teams will be facing each other.

The Section 2 rivals know each other well and each one saw the other as capable of making a run.

“I actually picked (Oakland Catholic) to get there,” Williams said. “I know the talent they have. Shannon has done a tremendous job with that group. I think the problem was with the seeding and the rankings. That's where everyone should've been shocked. Not that a seven and eight seed made it, but how we were seeded.”

The No.7-seeded Gators and No. 8 Eagles face off for the third time this season, this time with a WPIAL title on the line at 3 p.m. Saturday at Petersen Events Center.

Gateway in the finals for the first time in 36 years and is seeking its first title. Oakland Catholic lost in the finals last year and has six titles, the last coming in 2006.

Each team's playoff run and overall body of work suggests that Saturday's game will feature defense. Oakland Catholic took the first matchup, 39-32, Jan. 11 and Gateway won 37-35 Feb. 1. Both teams held opponents to less than 50 points in all but three games all season.

“Gateway is a great team,” Kearney said. “They're very well coached, and they are very good at disrupting offenses with their great defense. Every time they won I wasn't surprised to see them advance.”

“It's going to be a defensive struggle and we're going to have our A-game to slow them down,” Williams said. “We've been successful, but they've been playing very well. We're going to really have to work to make it a competitive game, but we welcome that challenge.”

One of the interesting quirks of this years' title game is that Cierra Christian transferred from Gateway to Oakland Catholic before the season. Christian was Gateway's second-leading scorer a year ago and she had a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds in the Eagles' win over Mars in the semifinals.

“(Christian) is a tough player, and I expect her to rise to the occasion,” Kearney said.

Not only did Gateway lose Christian, but it also lost Loren Minor, a senior who was the Gators' starting point guard last year, but decided not to play this year.

Williams is happy with the resolve his team has shown this year. The Gators knocked off section rival Thomas Jefferson in the quarterfinals and defending champ Chartiers Valley in the semifinals

“I really admire our girls, because they've stayed together as a group,” Williams said. “We lost two starters, but we battled and stayed together. We didn't let what we no longer have affect us.”

Oakland Catholic returns three starters from a team that led Chartiers Valley by one-point through three quarters in last year's final before falling 52-36.

Through its run in the playoffs, Oakland Catholic defeated top-seeded Trinity in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Mars in the semifinals.

“We talked at the end of the season about how the playoffs are a clean slate and what happened before doesn't matter,” Kearney said. “We continued to improve and focus on ourselves. It doesn't matter who the opponent is you have to go out and take care of yourself.”

Lexi Jackson, a sophomore, and Jordan Edwards, a Niagara recruit, average 14 points for the Gators. Mary Kromka also averages in double figures. Jackson took center stage in the semifinal win over Chartiers Valley, scoring 11 second-half points to lead the Gators to a comeback win.

Gateway is riding a 14-game winning streak. Its last loss came against Oakland Catholic. Given the familiarity of the opponents both coaches are anxious to see how the third meeting plays out.

“There's a great deal of respect between both coaching staffs,” Williams said. “If you love the game of basketball it will be a fun one to watch. It will probably have its share of lead changes. I think it could be one of those championship games that people talk about for a while and not just because it's a seven and eight seed playing in it.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer.

Class 5A girls

Gateway vs. Oakland Catholic

3 p.m. Saturday, Petersen Events Center

On the air: Tribhssn.triblive.com

No. 7 Gateway (22-3)

Coach: Curtis Williams

No., Player, Pos., Ht., Yr.

11 Jordan Edwards, G, 5-8, Sr.

13 Jenna Guido, G, 5-7, Jr.

14 Lexi Jackson, C, 6-3, So.

34 Mary Kromka, G/F, 5-10, Jr.

35 Maya Pacquet, F, 5-9, Fr.

No. 8 Oakland Catholic (17-8)

Coach: Shannon Kearney

No., Player, Pos., Ht., Yr.

2 Jade Boyd, G, 5-10, Jr.

10 Alexis Sestric, G, 5-7, Jr.

11 Cierra Christian, G/F, 5-10, So.

23 Abbie Pechin, G, 5-7, Sr.

41 Sierra DeAngelo, G, 6-0, Jr.

Title-game history: Gateway lost in its only title game appearance, 37-33 to Baldwin in 1982. Oakland Catholic has six WPIAL titles: 1999-02, 2005-06.

Notable: The Section 2 rivals split in the regular season, each winning at home. … Gateway is in a WPIAL title game for the first time in 36 years after knocking off defending champion Chartiers Valley, 44-42, on Wednesday. … Gateway is on a 14-game winning streak dating back to Jan. 14. Its last loss came against Oakland Catholic. … The Gators have held opponents under 40 points in 19 of 25 games this year and under 50 in all but three games. … Edwards, a Niagara recruit, and Jackson lead the Gators in scoring at 14 points per game. … Oakland Catholic is back in the finals for the second consecutive year and for the 14th time in school history. … The Eagles topped Mars, 48-44, on Wednesday. … Cierra Christian, who transferred from Gateway after last season, had 15 points and 15 rebounds in the win over Mars. … The Eagles held opponents under 40 points in 13 games and under 50 in 22 of 25 games, including all three postseason games. … Oakland Catholic is 6-1 over its last seven games.

Predicted winner: Oakland Catholic

Tags: Gateway, Oakland Catholic