1945 -- West Catholic
1946 -- West Catholic
1947 -- Hallahan
1948 -- Hallahan and West Catholic, co-champs
1949 -- Hallahan and West Catholic, co-champs
1950 -- Little Flower
1951 -- Notre Dame
1952 -- Little Flower
1953 -- Litlle Flower
1954 -- Hallahan (won playoff with West Catholic to break tie for first)
1955 -- Notre Dame
1956 -- Hallahan
1957 -- Hallahan
1958 -- Little Flower
1959 -- Notre Dame
1960 -- Notre Dame
1961 -- Prendergast
1962 -- Little Flower
1963 -- Prendergast
1964 -- Notre Dame
1965 -- St. Hubert (regular season ened in three-way tie; St. Hubert won
playoff over Notre Dame after ND beat Little Flower)
1966 -- Little Flower
1967
At. St. Joseph’s College
O’Hara 49, St. Hubert 37: The Lionettes, in just their
second season of varsity competition, captured the
title under coach Edith McGarry as Kathy Baraldi (15) and Chris Fricko
(12) led the way. Fricko raised her season point
total to 204. Peggy Blohm was next with 189 and Maura Camino contributed
164. O'Hara and Notre Dame tied for first in the South at 9-1, then the
Lionettes, at Ridley High, won the showdown, 52-40, for the right to
meet SH.
1968
At the Palestra
O’Hara 32, St. Hubert 23: The Lionettes repeated as the champ,
under first-year coach Mary Ann Nespoli, despite having lost five of the
team’s six starters to graduation (and all players but one, overall). Terry Shank,
in her first game back from a broken
collarbone suffered in January, paced this win with 14 points. This was
the first time a school won the boys and girls championship in the same
season. Joanne
Boris and Sue McMonigal evenly divided 16 points. Carol Larkin was a
crafty ballhandler.
1969
At the Palestra
O’Hara 50, Ryan 48 (OT): Terry Shank accounted for 16 points
and her field goal, followed by Diane Mackey’s free throw, made the
difference as O'Hara again claimed the trophy. Jo Ann Borio (14) and Carol Larkin (12) also reached double
digits, as did Ryan’s Pat Smith (19) and Mary Jean MacCauley (17). Mary
Ann Nespoli (nee Lombardo) was again the coach.
1970
At the Palestra
West Catholic 31, St. Hubert 22: In a game dominated by
defense, West recorded six blocks. Its points were scored primarily by
Jackie Johnson (11), Robin Borlandoe (10) and Lucille Lyons (eight).
Police temporarily closed down Chestnut Street so the players, from the
team bus, could interact with fans who were walking to the Palestra.
*It appears
this was the last season when teams had six players on the court at the
same time -- two guards, two forwards and two rovers. West's starters:
Forwards Jackie Johnson and Robin Borlandoe, guards Connie Law and
Joanne Poles, rovers Lucille Lyons and Dolores Martino. The latter still
has the Palestra net.*
1971
At the Palestra
Prendergast 45, St. Hubert 37: Marianne Crawford scored 19
points for Prendie, which waved bye-bye to a 21-17 halftime deficit.
Crawford earned first team All-Catholic honors for coach Barbara Mooney,
as did Marsha Gehring and Regina Goldschmidt.
1972
At the Palestra
Prendergast 44, Ryan 33:
Marianne Crawford powered Barbara Mooney's Pandas to their second
consecutive championship by pouring in 20 points. She also hustled for
six rebounds and four assists. Help came from Marsha Gehring, who scored
six more points than the number of stitches in her hand (five). Foul
trouble hampered Prendie in the second quarter and the Ragdolls edged
within 20-19 at halftime. Strong defense by Crawford and Gehring enabled
the lead to grow to 40-29 after three.
1973
At the Palestra
Ryan 49, Carroll 35: Debbie Bodnar racked up 15 points and
Joann Prendergast claimed 14 rebounds as the Ragdolls won their first
championship after dropping finals in 1971 and '72. Prendergast and
Denise Kenney halved 22 rebounds. Sue Ann Garrity scored 11 points for
Carroll, which missed 16 consecutive shots from the floor in the second
quarter.
1974
At the Palestra
Carroll 58, Ryan 48: Though they trailed early by 11 points,
the winners roared to victory with a 37-20 second half. The leaders were
Barbara O'Rourke (19 points, 21 rebounds) and Mary Sue Garrity (also 19
points). Chris McGoldrick claimed 11 rebounds. Carroll coach Sue O'Grady
was a member of Immaculata's first national championship team in '72. Michelle Lonergan (16)
and Denise Kenney (15) topped the Ragdolls.
1975
At the Palestra
Ryan 40, Prendergast 36: Before the start, Ryan coach Angie
Scarengelli predicted her team would fare well if Denise Kenney "gives
us her usual 22-point game." Kenney managed "only" 20, but hit two late
free throws and grabbed 17 rebounds to capture the crown. Tony Wynn's
jumper put the Ragdolls ahead for the first time at 31-29. Debbie
Descano (16) and Cathy Corrigan (10) led Prendie.
1976
At St. Joseph's College
Goretti 42, Ryan 41: Correctly guessing that soph star June
Olkowski (18 points) would be swarmed, coach Judy Galligan called upon
Bess McGinn to take the shot when the Marianettes faced a late one-point
deficit. Bingo. McGinn took a inbound pass near midcourt, dribbled to
the key and nailed a jumper. It was her first shot of the second half.
Ryan (Jane Beisel 14) could not get off a last shot and experienced
mighty, game-long struggles (7-for-29) at the foul line.
1977
At St. Joseph's College
West Catholic 61, Ryan 46: Twins Mary and Patty Coyle combined
to shoot 12-for-19 from the floor in the first half as the Burrmaids
powered their way to a 32-16 lead. Mary finished with 26 points. Patty
had 21. West's starting lineup also included Kathy, the twins' older
sister. Jane Beisel (16) and Trish Carey (14) led Ryan.
1978
At St. Joseph's College
Goretti 58, St. Hubert 36: All-American June Olkowski
turned in a monster performance, garnering 19 points, 20 rebounds and
five assists. Helen Dean shot 9-for-15 from the floor while adding 25
points. The Marianettes won the second half, 32-13. Afterward, Olkowski
cut down the net and gave it to good Bambie friend Kathie Beisel with the
hope she'd give it to sister Jean, a co-captain. Kathie and Terry Mackin
halved 22 points.
1979
At St. Joseph's University
Carroll 68, St. Hubert 58: Ann Troyan sniped 8-for-14 and
11-for 14 for 27 points while also dishing seven assists as Carroll
lifted its record to 22-0. Sandy Ranieri added 15 points and sub Mary
Beth Rogers, sister of former Carroll star Joe, contributed 13 points and six rebounds. Kathie Beisel (17)
and Gina Tobin (13) led SH in points. Kathy Razler (11) and Maryanne Bense (10) were tops in rebounds.
1980
At St. Joseph's University
McDevitt 46, Carroll 38: Despite being stalked by a
box-and-one defense, senior Nancy Bernhardt, a transfer from Wood,
managed to offer 14 points, 10 rebounds and three assists to give coach
Steve Porth, a former McDevitt player ('76) and Hawk Hill senior, the
victory. The title was the Lancers' first in sports aside from boys
cross country and track and was preceded by a four-overtime win over St.
Hubert in the semis. Porth was hired as coach in the midst of the '79
season, after the previous coach was dismissed. Bernadette Dolan (17)
shot 7-for-10 from the floor and Trish Brown snagged 10 boards. Jesse
Dunne (15), Sarah Sullivan (11, nine rebounds) and Mary Beth Rogers (six
assists) paced Carroll.
1981
At St. Joseph's University
St. Hubert 66, Carroll 40: Three Carroll starters incurred
three personal fouls in the first quarter and the romp was pretty much
assured. Kathy Razler shot 6-for-8 and 15-for-19 for 27 points and
fetched 12 rebounds. Ronnie Smyth added 12 apiece of points/boards. No
one reached double figures for Carroll, which shot 15-for-63 from the
floor. The Bambies were 30-for-45 at the line. As Connie Barr,
coach Connie Fennell was a key member of St. Hubert's 1965 CL champs.
1982
At St. Joseph’s University
Wood 42, Goretti 36: Six-seven Linda French, whose 7-foot dad,
Bill, played for Roman, totaled 12 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.
She posted two rejections down the stretch and Debbie Black (12) went
5-for-6 at the line. Goretti received 12 points from Lorraine McGirt.
1983
At. St. Joseph’s University
Prendergast 43, Dougherty 37: After the win, coach Bucky Gill
followed through on his preseason we-win-it’s-gone promise by shaving
his beard. Liz Connahan collected 12 points and the last of her 13
rebounds was followed by a clinching three-point play. Sue Kilroy had 12
points, nine boards. Colleen O’Neill (12) and Joan Koebert (10) led
Dougherty. Prendie and its next-door brother school, Bonner, captured
matching championships.
1984
At St. Joseph’s University
O’Hara 52, Wood 49: In the second year of her third stint as a
Catholic League coach, Mary Ann Nespoli (nee Lombardo) captured another championship. Barbarann Keffer totaled 14 points
and five assists while Marie McLaughlin scored 12 points and hit a
clinching free throw at 0:11. Karen Keane saved 11 points and five
rebounds for the second half. Wood’s Debbie Black hustled and bustled
for 11 points, seven rebounds, nine assists.
1985
At. St. Joseph’s University
Prendergast 51, Wood 38: Helen Koskinen (14 points)
sniped 10-for-10 at the line in a 21-14 fourth quarter and, on several
occasions, was a whirlwind dribbler while keeping the ball away from the
Vikings. Kelly Eckardt made nice contributions (eight points, five
boards) in 20 minutes off the bench. Wood’s leaders were the Greenberg
gals, sisters of former La Salle star Chip. Kathy had 16 points. Kelly
logged three apiece of assists/steals.
1986
At St. Joseph’s University
McDevitt 45, Prendergast 32: Second-year coach Tom Lonergan
received multi-pronged help from Ro Magarity (14 points, 10 rebounds,
four blocks) and the Lancers bid adieu to a 36-36 tie by starting the
fourth quarter with an 11-2 spurt. Jenny McGowan finished with 10
points, 11 rebounds. Prendie franchise Helen Koskinen managed 14 points,
but was only 5-for-23 from the floor.
1987
At St. Joseph’s University
McDevitt 56, Carroll 38: Cindy Anderson bagged 17
points, seven assists and a second consecutive championship and, this
time, one of her former teammates was a sister-in-law, Kate Logan (’86). In
December of this season, Cindy’s brother, Mike, married Kate’s sister,
Jackie. The Lancers (24-1) seized command with a 10-0 run, fueled
largely by Ro Magarity (15 points), Anderson and Jenny McGowan, to start
the third quarter. Lynn Dougherty (25) paced Carroll.
1988
At St. Joseph’s University
McDevitt 63, Prendergast 34: The Lancers stormed to
their third consecutive championship after losing the first quarter, 11-10.
Jenny McGowan scored 14 points while Joyce Dimond and Stephanie Mason
added 12 apiece. McGowan, Dimond and fellow senior Ro Magarity, all
three-year starters, finished 46-1 in Catholic League competition for
coach Tom Lonergan. Melissa Pantalone (11) topped the Pandas.
1989
At St. Joseph’s University
Dougherty 66, O’Hara 62: The Cardinals captured the crown by
tallying the final seven points over the last 1:23 and Maureen Dolphin
(27 points, five assists) converted a clinching one-and-one at 0:04.
Audrey Codner had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Patti Lynn grabbed the same
number of boards. O’Hara was led by Stacie Keffer (15), daughter of
coach Jack Keffer.
1990
At the Palestra
Dougherty 59, Prendergast 51: Audrey Codner had quite
the weekend. On Saturday, she traveled to Lehigh University and took first place
(37-2) in the shot put in the CL’s girls track championships. In
this one, played on Sunday, she swept 24 rebounds (18 past halftime, all but two of her
team’s 20) as the Cardinals won their second straight title. She also
had 11 of her 16 points after Prendie built a a 25-19 halftime lead.
Kristen Sullivan (20) and Pat Andris (12) aided the Cards’ cause.
Prendie’s Michele Thornton hit two treys en route to 26 points.
1991
At the Palestra
O’Hara 72, McDevitt 54: Stacie Keffer hustled for 15 points,
four assists and six steals to give her dad, Jack, the title. Chrissie
Donahue helped O’Hara, which trailed by one point at halftime, with 15
points, 10 rebounds. Katie Wolfe (17) and Amy Gottschalk (12) paced the
Lancers.
1992
At the Palestra
O’Hara 84, St. Hubert 48: The Lions frolicked as Chrissie
Donahue bagged 25 points and nine rebounds and received scoring help
from Stacie Keffer (20, 4-for-5 on treys) and Marnie McBreen (16).
Stacie was playing her last game for her dad, Jack. Jen Beisel tallied 22
points by Jen Beisel and Susan Glenning’s 12-point outing lifted her
career total to exactly 1,000.
1993
At the Palestra
O’Hara 68, McDevitt 54: The Lions finished a 28-0 season by
capturing their third consecutive championship and established command
by rolling to a 23-7 start. Chrissie Donahue shot 5-for-7 and 10-for-10
for 20 points. Ann Gallagher (14) also nailed all 10 of her free throws.
McDevitt was led by Shannon McGowan (21 points, 19 rebounds) and Katie
Wolfe (20, three assists) and used a 10-2 run to start the fourth
quarter and create partial drama.
1994
At the Palestra
McDevitt 45, O’Hara 40: Frosh Jen Zenszer collected 17
points (12-for-16 at line), eight rebounds and helped to limit frosh
sensation Kristen “Ace” Clement, plagued by foul trouble, to two points.
Katie Wolfe, the North MVP for the second consecutive season, added 11
points, five assists and four steals. She also drained four consecutive
free throws in the final minute. The first half was quite the mess – 20
turnovers, 9-for-62 (14.5 percent) from floor. O’Hara’s Jodi Jancosko
scored 16 points.
1995
At the Palestra
O'Hara 51, Carroll 38: Expecting not to play due to the
flu, Brandi Batch agreed to give it a whirl three minutes into the game
and finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Kristen
"Ace" Clement notched seven of her 19 points near the end of the third
quarter after Carroll, previously coached by first-year O'Hara boss
Linus McGinty, moved within one point. Carroll, which received 11 points
from Mimi Riley and 12 rebounds from Mary Anne Kirsch, daughter of coach
Barry, did not notch a field
goal in the fourth stanza until 0:32 remained.
1996
At the Palestra
O'Hara 76, Carroll 58: Slowed by an early ankle injury,
junior Kristen "Ace" Clement still finished with 27 points (highlight:
13 straight free throws) and raised her career total to a school-record
1,474. Brandi Batch hit for 15 points while the Halpin twins, Tricia and
Kelly, combined for 25 points and 17 rebounds. Carroll’s Karen
Culbertson contributed 20 points.
1997
At the Palestra
O'Hara 68, McDevitt 35: Kristen "Ace" Clement collected 27
points, six rebounds, two apiece of assists/steals . . . and snipped the
final six loops of the net. She made her final three shots, a two and
two threes, while finalizing her career point total at 2,256. The Lions
went 54-2 in her last two seasons and 95-17 in all four. Brandi Batch
(12 rebounds) saved all 10 of her points for the second half. Trish
Juhline (nine points) and Kate Cullen (eight) halved 14 boards. McDevitt
received 16 points from Jen Zenszer and 10 from Megan Hagerty.
1998
At the Palestra
West Catholic 60, O’Hara 37: The Burrmaids led throughout
while becoming just the fourth CL champ from inside the city limits over
20 seasons. Rashana Barnes exploded for 20 points, 15 rebounds and eight
blocks. Marisa Satchell (17 points, 19 boards) was in the same
neighborhood. O’Hara scored no field goals over the final 6:25. Trish
Juhline had 13 points.
1999
At Temple University
O'Hara 71, Carroll 62: Karyn Connors performed a miracle
before the game -- amazed the crowd by playing the Star-Spangled Banner
on her saxophone -- and then shot 5-for-8 from the floor and line while
scoring 15 points. Trish Juhline added 21 points and eight rebounds
while Amy Dessart Mager managed 15-seven in those same categories.
Despite missing nine minutes due to foul trouble, Carroll’s Cherrise
Graham poured in 33 points and packed 19 into the fourth quarter while
rallying her team within six points.
2000
At Temple University
Carroll 52, O’Hara 42: Cherrise Graham was again a beast, and
this time the reward was a title. She scored 22 points and jammed 11 into
the last quarter after incurring her fourth personal foul. Mary Beth Culbert posted 14 of her 16 points into the first half and Maura McBryan
saved all eight of hers for the second half. Jen Kozlowski (14) led
O’Hara.
2001
At Temple University
Prendergast 44, O’Hara 42: The Pandas sniped 19-for-20 overall
at the line and hit 10 in a row down the stretch to win their first
championship since 1986. Erin Healy scored a career-high 17 points and
saved 13 for a 29-22 second half. Michelle Halligan and Heather Jones
halved 20 points. O’Hara’s Kate Dessart Mager racked up 17 points.
Maggie Griesser was fouled at 0:00.6 while attempting a trey. She missed
the first free throw and the celebration was on.
2002
At St. Joseph's University
O'Hara 39, Prendergast 20: The Lions rolled to a 9-1
advantage in the first quarter and coasted from there. Kate Dessart Mager
snatched 13 rebounds and shot 8-for-13 en route to 16 points while sub
Lisa Claxton (her brother, Speedy, played that season for the 76ers) had
11 points and four assists/steals. Point guard Christine Burbidge also
dished four dimes . . . and attempted no shots. This game featured
clashing Scanlon twins: Catherine for O'Hara, Christen for Prendie. They
scored two points apiece. For Prendie, only Carlene Hightower (11)
tallied more than four points.
2003
At Saint Joseph’s University
Carroll 36, O’Hara 35: After Andrea Peterson canned a free
throw with 5.3 seconds remaining, then missed the second, O’Hara’s
Heather Scanlon grabbed her 13th rebound and passed ahead for a 23-foot,
buzzer-beater that did not connect. Sheila Gallagher had 11 points for
Carroll, which finished the season with no one averaging double digits.
O’Hara’s Kristina Gienitis also scored 11 points.
2004
At La Salle University
Carroll 56, O’Hara 33: This rout was quite the surprise
as the teams split their regular season meetings and Carroll won the
points battle by only 90-87. Andrea Peterson had 10 points, six assists,
three steals and many dives to the floor in pursuit of loose balls.
Brooke Cornish added 15 points and five blocks while Enonge Stovall,
sister of future NFL player Maurice Stovall, had 10 points and eight
boards. Dominique Kidd (10) reached double figures for O’Hara.
2005
At Saint Joseph's University
O'Hara 47, Carroll 39: The Lions stormed back from a 29-16
halftime deficit to rock the team that had bested it twice during the
regular season . . . and in the last two finals. Heather Scanlon
contributed 14 points and seven rebounds while Lisa Claxton's 11-point
outing featured 9-for-10 marksmanship at the line. No one scored in
double digits for Carroll.
2006
At Saint Joseph's University
O'Hara 45, Neumann-Goretti 41 (OT): Meghan Gardler was a
whirlwind with nine points, eight rebounds, seven blocks and three
apiece of assists/steals. The Lions won the second quarter, 15-2, and
regulation ended at 40-40. Heather Scanlon also made significant
contributions (15 points, eight boards). N-G’s Gloria Brown hustled for
13 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks.
2007
At the Palestra
Carroll 48, Wood 35: Megan Pearson (12 points) provided major
momentum shortly into the fourth quarter by burying a three-pointer.
Wood, which received 16 points from Taylor Peltzer, had moved within
32-26. Carroll went 13-for-16 at the line to Wood’s 5-for-11 struggles.
2008
At the Palestra
O'Hara 48, Carroll 45: The win was preserved when Natasha
Cloud blocked a desperation trey near midcourt. Carroll had bounced back
after recording no field goals in the first nine minutes. Steph Holzer
stood tall with 14 points and 17 rebounds while Alysha Womack had 13
points. Megan Pearson (14) and Kerri Shields (nine) topped Carroll.
2009
At the Palestra
Carroll 35, Wood 22: Kerri Shields managed to contribute eight
points, six rebounds and two assists in this low-scoring affair and
created a six-point lead by hitting three free throws and a shot from
behind the arc. Sister Erin Shields (mom Renie was assisting coach
Chuck Creighton) had four points and three steals. Ashley Robinson
notched 14 of Wood’s 22 points while claiming 18 rebounds.
2010
At the Palestra
Carroll 51, Wood 37: Erin Shields opened the scoring by hitting
three consecutive treys and finished with 20 points (lifting her career
total above 1,000) as Carroll triumphed again. Jen Carney provided major
help with 16 points, five rebounds and six assists. The Patriots
attempted no field goals in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 points at the
line. Wood’s Samantha Greenfield had 10 points.
2011
At the Palestra
Wood 33, Carroll 31: Taylor Kaminski, 0-for-5 on the night,
took a pass from Tori Arnao, drove the baseline past two defenders and
deposited a perfect layup with three seconds remaining. Carroll then
missed a halfcourt shot. Wood returned 14 of its 15 players from the
2010 squad. Arnao had seven points, six boards. Meghan Creighton (11)
and Sarah Curran (10, six rebounds) paced Carroll.
2012
At the Palestra
Carroll 40, Wood 38 (OT): The teams’ fourth consecutive
championship-game battle was won thanks largely to Meghan Creighton, daughter of
coach Chuck Creighton. She had 16 points and held her breath until a
last-second shot by Jackie Pierson thumped off the front of the rim.
Sarah Curran was again a factor with eight points and seven rebounds.
Wood’s Taylor Kaminski outscored sister Jess, 8-7.
2013
At the Palestra
O'Hara 31, Wood 25: The Lions scored the first seven points
and never trailed. Rachel Guy went 8-for-10 at the line and hit two
clinchers with 5.6 seconds remaining. The win was dedicated to the
memory of George Rule. He passed away nine days earlier and his
daughter, Mackenzie, was the point guard. "No one fights alone" was
printed on purple T-shirts. Madison Tamburini managed eight points for
Wood.
2014
At the Palestra
Neumann-Goretti 55, Wood 46: Ciani Cryor, who in 2013 won a
Public League championship at Prep Charter, offered 12 points, seven
assists and five steals, and hit two free throws to make it a
three-possession game with 44.2 seconds remaining. The crown was the
first for N-G (nee St. Maria Goretti) since 1978. Sub Alicia Kebbe
scored 17 points by shooting 7-for-9 and 3-for-5 on three-pointers.
Wood’s Bailey Greenberg, daughter of former La Salle star Chip, matched that
shooting/points performance.
2015
At the Palestra
Neumann-Goretti 50, Wood 45: The Saints won their second
consecutive title and Ciani Cryor (13 points, six apiece of
assists/steals) was again the leader. Sianni Martin chipped in with 11
points and drilled a three-pointer to create a late, five-point lead.
Bailey Greenberg (24) again led Wood.
2016
At the Palestra
Wood 40, Neumann-Goretti 36: N-G was forced to wave bye-bye to a
53-game winning streak as Bailey Greenberg (16) and Cassie Sebold (10)
led the way. Though Wood led throughout, the Saints thrice advanced
within one point over the final 4:30. A 4-for-6 performance at the line
over the last 38.6 seconds sealed the deal. Alisha Kebbe (13) topped the losers.
2017
At the Palestra
O'Hara 35, Wood 30: Sub Lauren Leicht hit a field goal with
2:50 left to put the Lions ahead for good at 29-27. Hannah Nihill
finished with 13 points. The crown was O'Hara's 10th in 20 seasons. Wood was able to regroup after Kenzie Gardler
drilled a trey off a feed from Mary Sheehan to make it 18-11. Cassie
Sebold (eight) topped Wood.
2018
At the Palestra
O'Hara 54, Neumann-Goretti 39: The Lions were losing,
30-21, with three-plus minutes left in the third quarter. No sweat. They
stormed to 33 of the final 42 points thanks in large part to Maura
Hendrixson, who scored 17 of her 26 points in the second half. Kenzie
Gardler offered 17 points and eight rebounds while Molly Paolino hustled
for four steals. For N-G, Dajiah Parmley mixed 10 points with eight
boards.
2019
At the Palestra
Carroll 48, Wood 42 (OT): Erin Sweeney won it by scoring seven
of her 18 points in the extra session, which started with a triple by
Wood’s Lindsay Tretter. Harlem Jennings (15) and Grace O’Neill (13) also
reached double figures. Wood’s Kaitlyn Orihel forced OT with a layup and
finished with 15 points. 2020
At the Palestra
West Catholic 65, Wood 60 (OT); After creating a 56-56 tie by
sinking two free throws with 8.2 seconds remaining in regulation, Destiney McPhaul opened the extra
session with a top-of-the-key trey and the Lady Burrs soon were ending a
22-year title drought (after 21 between '77 and '98). They also made
Beulah Osueke the first African-American to win a CL hoops crown, female
or male. McPhaul shot 10-for-22
(three treys) and 7-for-8 for 30 points while Ciani Montgomery (16) and
Tamiah Robinson (14) offered much help. Montgomery also had seven
rebounds, three assists and four steals. McPhaul's 30 points were the
most in a CL girls final since Cherrise Graham scored 33 for Carroll in
a losing effort in 1999. Kaitlyn Orihel (23) and Izzy Larsen (20, 14 rebounds)
were stellar for Wood, which was making its 11th final appearance in 12
years. 2021
At Carroll
Wood 56, O'Hara 48: Ryanne Allen finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds
and four assists and her step-back trey to end the third quarter created
quite the stir while providing a six-point cushion. Kaitlyn Orihel saved
all 12 of her points for the second half and Bri Bowen finished with 15.
Maggie Doogan topped O'Hara with 15 points. Carroll was chosen as the
site because the CL, greatly hampered by the coronavirus pandemic,
decided not to hold the usual girls/boys doubleheader at the Palestra.
2022
At the Palestra
O'Hara 55, Carroll 30: The Lions avenged -- and then some -- a
10-point loss to Carroll in the regular season by winning a CL crown by
the largest margin since O'Hara smoked McDevitt, 68-35, in the 1997
final. Maggie Doogan, daughter of coach Chrissie Doogan, hustled for 18
points, seven rebounds and three assists and briefly owned more points
than Carroll, at 17-16. Frosh Molly Rullo totaled 11 points and eight
rebounds while Annie Welde added nine points. Rullo's late grandfather,
Jerry, played for the Philadelphia Warriors team that won the first BAA
(early version of NBA) championship in 1947. Her dad, Jim, is the coach
at Neumann University. As Chrissie Donohue, Maggie's mom powered O'Hara
to three CL titles (1991-93), scoring 60 total points in the
championship games. Her outstanding La Salle career earned her a berth
in that school's Hall of Fame. Welde's dad, Jim "Goose" Welde, coached
his alma mater, Bonner, for nine seasons through 2005 and started for CL
champs in '83 and '84. Grace O’Neill
scored nine points for Carroll, which shot 10-for-32 from the floor. |