Crusaders end Char-Houston’s run
Chartiers-Houston basketball players, from left, Jala Youngblood, Megan Kraushaar and Alexa Williamson watch the final seconds tick away Friday night against Bishop Canevin in the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals.
Despite full-court pressure from Brionna Allen and Erin Joyce (No. 3), Chartiers-Houston’s Jalynn Myers finds an outlet for her pass during the Bucs’ loss to Bishop Canevin.
MOON – Bishop Canevin’s girls basketball team did not attempt anything new Friday night. The Crusaders’ pressure defense was everything Chartiers-Houston anticipated.
Bucs head coach Laura Montecalvo used six defenders against her starters in practice this week, including herself. Despite it being the third matchup of the season between the two teams and a heavy emphasis on handling the press in practice, three days to prepare proved insufficient.
Bishop Canevin frustrated Chartiers-Houston’s offense with pressure and handled the Bucs’ defense as the Crusaders walked out of the gymnasium at Moon Area High School with a 69-49 victory in a PIAA Class AA quarterfinal game.
The Crusaders (19-10) advanced to the semifinals for the second time in three years. They will face another Section 3-AA rival, Seton-La Salle, Tuesday at a site and time to be determined. Chartiers-Houston’s season ended with a 19-10 record.
Bishop Canevin mixed in full- and half-court presses to throw the Bucs’ guards out of rhythm, forcing 20 turnovers and dictating pace. It obstructed Montecalvo’s plan of creating time and space for her guards.
Instead of being lateral, senior Jalynn Myers and sophomore Jala Youngblood often formed a straight line, obstructing their view of the defense and forcing errant passes.
“Nothing exactly simulates what they are able to do, and I think that some fear of what happened in the past two games crept in tonight, even though we felt prepared,” Montecalvo said. “Psychologically, it was hard to overcome what we knew they did to us the first two times.”
That was Bishop Canevin head coach Tim Joyce’s plan. With a roster that includes just one player over 6-0, Joyce wanted to prevent the Bucs’ guards from getting the ball inside to freshman forward Alexa Williamson.
Williamson was held to 13 points and fouled out with 5:32 remaining in the fourth quarter.
“To be honest, we try to do that against a lot of teams,” Joyce said of the press. “They have a great inside player, and we have a bunch of short kids. We pressured the ball and tried to not let it get into her. That’s what we wanted to do.”
The strategy helped the Crusaders jump out to a 20-9 lead after forcing six first-quarter turnovers and capitalizing in transition. They continued to press in the second quarter and increased their lead to 18 points when Erin Joyce stole the ball at the top of the key and sprinted down court for a fast break layup.
Gina Vallecorsa led Bishop Canevin with 22 points and Sarah Green added 18.
Myers, who finished with 13 points and kept the Bucs alive in the first half with her effort on the defensive end, answered with a pull-up jumper, but Chartiers-Houston did not make a field goal in the final 2:46 of the first half and trailed 40-17 at the break.
The Bucs did not surrender 40 points in 16 minutes because of a lack of effort. Bishop Canevin sank five three-pointers in the first half over Chartiers-Houston’s 3-2 zone. When the Bucs attempted to press, the Crusaders broke it. BC shot 44 percent from the field and made eight three-pointers.
Chartiers-Houston made just 15 of 42 shots from the field.
“It was extremely frustrating. It seems like every time they play us they just hit everything,” Montecalvo said. “They came out tonight and they shot the lights out. I guess it’s just the way the cookie crumbles. They have a lot of very, very good players and experienced players. One day we’ll be there and it will be a different outcome.”
C-H sophomore Madison Simpson opened the third quarter with a jump shot, but the Bucs did not make a field goal for over eight minutes as Bishop Canevin increased its lead to 32 points. Chartiers-Houston outscored the Crusaders, 22-11, in the fourth quarter, but it was too late.
The program’s unforgettable season came to an abrupt end.
“I told the team that the things you’ve accomplished this year, no one can take those away from you,” Montecalvo said. “Although it hurts really bad right now, one day, you’ll be able to look back and cherish the memories and cherish what you accomplished when no one thought you could and everyone said you couldn’t.
There were 33 personal fouls called and two of C-H’s players fouled out in the fourth quarter – Williamson and Youngblood. … The Bucs were outrebounded in every quarter except the fourth when they outscored BC. … C-H was attempting to make its first PIAA semifinal appearance. … Freshman Jenna Vulcano chipped in 11 points for the Bucs. She also had a team-high six rebounds.