Cardinal O’Hara’s Sydni Scott, right, goes to the basket in a game against Springfield earlier in a PIAA Class 5A quarterfinal game on March 16 at Archbishop Carroll High School. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group)
By Matt Smith
A second consecutive PIAA championship is within reach, but Cardinal O’Hara’s opponent has revenge on its mind.
O’Hara will meet Chartiers Valley for the Class 5A title Friday at the Giant Center in Hershey. The action starts at 5 o’clock and can be watched live on PCN.
The game is a rematch of last year’s state final. O’Hara crushed the Chartiers Valley then, 51-27, to capture the school’s first PIAA championship.
Then-junior starters Maggie Doogan, Sydni Scott and Annie Welde combined for 35 points in the Lions’ trouncing of the Colts. O’Hara won 12 of its final 13 games in a pandemic-shortened season to become the first Delaware County girls basketball team since Archbishop Carroll in 2012 to win a PIAA title. The Lions made two prior appearances in PIAA finals (2009, 2016), losing both times.
O’Hara tallied the game’s first 10 points and enjoyed a 23-7 advantage at halftime. The Lions shot 7-for-16 from 3-point range. Scott netted four treys and produced a game-high 16 points. Doogan compiled 13 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and two steals.
After winning a Catholic League championship at the Palestra Feb. 28, the Lions are holding the opposition to 25.3 points per game in the state tourney. This team excels under the bright lights and knows what it takes to win in big arenas. Friday’s finale is no different.