The PIAA District 11 girls basketball playoffs give underdogs another shot at glory

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

Underdogs in the girls basketball league tournaments last week experienced rude treatment.

Top seeds Central Catholic and Southern Lehigh hoisted the hardware at the Lehigh Valley Conference and Colonial League tournaments, respectively.

Central, which won the LVC title for the fifth consecutive time on Friday night, picked up its 29th straight win over rival Bethlehem Catholic behind the play of seniors Kerry Kinek and Jenna Kocsis.

The Spartans completed their back-to-back dominance of the Colonial League by leaning on Army-bound Bridgette Dougherty, who scored her 1,000th career point as Southern Lehigh smothered Bangor.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Name: Shannon Croasdale

School: Delaware Valley Regional High School

Class: Junior

Position: Guard

Statistics: The 5-foot-6 Croasdale carried the Terriers' offense for most of the past week, averaging 18 points per game through three contests. The point guard was one of four Del Val players in double figures with 13 points in a win over Belvidere on Tuesday. She scored a season-high 22 in a loss to Mount St. Mary and led the team with 19 against High Point in the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex semifinals.

Honorable mention: Sr. G Jessica Pellechio, North Hunterdon; Sr. C Alissa Tarsi, North Hunterdon; Fr. F/G Kalista Walters, Bethlehem Catholic; Jr. G Jessie Sharr, Belvidere; Sr. F Christine Nechay, Belvidere; So. G Jamie Greene, North Warren; Sr. G Jessica Kiernan, Belvidere; Sr. G Kim Olah, North Warren, Sr. G Rachael Redles, Moravian Academy; So. F/G Rachel Edwards, Phillipsburg.

Shannon Croasdale headshotView full sizeExpress-Times File PhotoDelaware Valley Regional High School's Shannon Croasdale is The Express-Times Girls Basketball Player of the Week.
Similarly, North Hunterdon sent Phillipsburg packing from the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament and High Point defeated Delaware Valley to set up a final between the bracket's two No. 1 teams.

No, it didn't pay to be the low squad on the totem pole. However, hope is not lost for the Cinderellas out there as the District 11 and NJSIAA brackets provide a last chance at success.

A little size classifying and creative seeding might be what the doctor ordered for some teams. Here's a look at the PIAA tournaments with the New Jersey action still a week away.

Class AAAA

For Class AAAA teams like Emmaus, Liberty, Northampton, Whitehall and Parkland, the most refreshing aspect of the PIAA postseason must be the absence of Central and Becahi from their bracket.

Fifth-seeded Liberty (14-8) and fourth-seeded Emmaus (15-7), which play in the quarterfinals 7:30 p.m. Friday, have the favorable path of playing the Mountain Valley Conference's best to get to the final. Pleasant Valley, which is the top seed in AAAA, would be the most likely opponent for either the Hurricanes or Green Hornets.

It's not a bad draw considering Pleasant Valley lost to one Colonial and four LVC teams, including Liberty, in the regular season.

Things aren't as attractive for Northampton (19-4), the second seed, as the Konkrete Kids would likely need to go through Bangor and then Whitehall or Parkland before reaching the district final.

REGION TOP 10

1. Central Catholic 23-1

2. North Hunterdon 20-5

3. Bethlehem Catholic 21-3

4. Northampton 19-4

5. Emmaus 15-7

6. Southern Lehigh 21-3

7. Parkland 14-8

8. Whitehall 15-8

9. Bangor 18-6

10. Phillipsburg 18-4
Class AAA

Central Catholic (23-1) is once again looking down on AAA from the top of the bracket. The Vikings will get the winner of Palmerton-Tamaqua in the quarterfinals and, if all goes according to plan, either Jim Thorpe or Blue Mountain after that.

The bottom half of the tournament is where the intrigue lies as second-seeded Southern Lehigh will play either a banged-up Wilson team or Saucon Valley (11-11).

The Spartans (21-3) will obviously be favored in either case, but the Warriors (14-8) are used to battling through adversity and Karine Polgar is capable of scoring a heap of points for Saucon. Both teams are dangerous.

Becahi (21-3) sits at the No. 3 spot and if the Golden Hawks can play to their potential, Kalista Walters, Brianna Morales, Bridget Smith and Co. could earn another crack at Central.

Class AA

Notre Dame (14-9) is the second seed in AA and, while the Crusaders have stumbled a bit recently, they only need a win over Minersville or Shenandoah Valley Feb. 28 to wind up in the district final.

Pine Grove, the top seed, will play Salisbury (11-11) or Northern Lehigh (11-11) in the semifinals.

Northern Lehigh, led by Colonial League Most Valuable Player Aimee Oertner, will be without coach Dave Oertner for their quarterfinal against the Falcons. He is serving a suspension following his ejection in the Bulldogs' last contest.

Taking one for the team

The LVC and Colonial League unveiled their all-star teams this past week and, though it's always nice to see deserving players receive recognition, the composition of the groups is a bit odd.

The Colonial seems to have things figured out pretty well: a first and second team of seven and a larger honorable mention group. Sure it's illegal to actually put seven girls on the court at once, but that can slide.

On the other hand, the LVC system is just silly: a first team of 10 with three honorable mention selections. You know what makes more sense than a group of 10? Two groups of five -- you know, like a basketball lineup.

Granted, the process of choosing one talented athlete over another is tricky, especially when coaches are doing the voting. But it's the exclusivity that gives the award its weight.

If a collective decision can be made that Kinek and Oertner are the MVP's of their respective leagues, then it shouldn't be impossible to figure out how to trim these teams down to size or divide them properly.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/02/the_piaa_district_11_playoffs.html