Cardinal O’Hara’s Leah Hudak, left in this shot from a game against Archbishop Carroll and Alexis Eberz, led the way with 13 points in win over C.B. East in the state tourney opener Friday. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group)
By Matt Smith
Leah Hudak and Cardinal O’Hara knew they couldn’t afford to keep playing at the breakneck pace set in the opening quarter.
In their PIAA Class 6A tournament opener against Central Bucks East, the defending state champions found themselves in a fast-paced shootout early. The teams combined for 11 field goals – six from beyond the arc – and 30 points in the first eight minutes. Hudak’s late drive trimmed C.B. East’s lead to two, but the Lions knew they had to make some changes on the defensive end.
O’Hara wasn’t going to let the Patriots keep getting clean looks. C.B. East had four legitimate shooters, led by Natalie Berndt, who knocked down two triples in the first, alongside Jess Lockwood and Haley Moran, the team’s top all-around playmaker. Out of the first-quarter huddle, O’Hara locked in defensively, turning up the pressure with tight face-guarding, making it nearly impossible for the Patriots to get into their sets.
“We talked about it as a team. They were making a lot of shots,” said Hudak, a sophomore. “We couldn’t let them get as many shots off. We had to play better defense, because defense wins games.”
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