Dreger’s dagger sends Archbishop Carroll into the state quarterfinals
SHILLINGTON >> The play was designed for Molly Masciantonio to dribble up court in less than five seconds and take the shot.
But once the Archbishop Carroll star saw her teammate, Alli Dreger, left standing all alone, plans changed in a blink of an eye. Masciantonio was double-teamed by Lower Dauphin defenders and had to react quickly, so she passed.
Alli Dreger wins it for @Carroll_GBball at the buzzer!
Final: 39-37
Carroll advances to the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinal round pic.twitter.com/lmfGAboA3p
— Matt Smith (@DTMattSmith) March 14, 2018
“It was instinct,” Masciantonio said. She had faith in her friend and teammate Dreger to make the basket and send the Patriots home happy in Wednesday’s PIAA Class 5A second-round game with Lower Dauphin.
“At that point I didn’t even know how much time was left,” Dreger said. There was about a second on the clock when she received the bounce pass from Masciantonio. Dreger squared her shoulders and let the ball go from about 10 feet out. The ball swished in and then the buzzer sounded and then a crazy celebration ensued.
Carroll was moving on in states and Dreger was the hero. She beat the buzzer to give the Patriots a thrilling 39-37 victory over Lower Dauphin. Carroll advances to the quarterfinal round of the PIAA Class 5A tournament Saturday to play District 7 seventh-place finisher Oakland Catholic.
“I was surprised that Molly threw it to me, kind of, and I just sort of caught it,” Dreger said. “I knew I had to get it off in time. Instantly, I didn’t think it was real. As soon as I saw my teammates freaking out, I couldn’t believe what had just happened.”
Known more for her defensive abilities, Dreger can still hit the outside shot from time to time. But she doesn’t score often on this Carroll team, so this was a special moment for a senior player who, along with Masciantonio, has been through the ups and downs at Carroll the last four seasons.
“It’s something that everyone dreams about, to make the winning shot, but you never expect it to happen to you,” said Dreger, who finished with five points and two steals. “It’s a good feeling.”
When Masciantonio inbounded the ball with 5.2 seconds on the clock, with the game tied at 37-all, her intention was to get a clean look at the basket. But when she saw multiple Lower Dauphin defenders collapsing on her as she approached the foul line, she had to make a quick decision.
“I saw two people come at me and then I saw her open, so I passed it,” said Masciantonio, the outstanding senior guard who once again led the Patriots on the
KIRK NEIDERMYER | FOR DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA
scoreboard. She poured in a game-high 20 points on 7 of 16 shooting. Her 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter erased the second of two three-point deficits the Patriots faced in the final minutes.
“I knew it was going in the moment it left (Dreger’s) hands,” Masciantonio said. “It was the arc of the ball. I saw it going in right away. Alli works hard all year, so I am happy to see that work pay off. It was big for her but we needed people to step up and she did.”
Masciantonio gave a shoutout to her twin sister, Kate, who normally would have been with the team as a reserve player but was not in attendance Wednesday. Kate was taking part in Kairos, a religious retreat all Carroll senior students must attend before they graduate.
So why wasn’t Molly there?
“Basketball,” she said with a smile.
The Patriots (18-7) weren’t smiling much in the first half when Lower Dauphin (25-4), a team with speedy guards and five starters who can spot up and shoot anywhere on the floor, jumped out to a 19-11 lead. Fortunately for the Patriots, they made a late run in the second quarter punctuated by sophomore Erin Sweeney’s half-court buzzer beater to trim their deficit to two points at intermission.
“I hadn’t made any shots yet, so making one like that gave me a little more confidence,” said Sweeney, who had a solid all-around night with five points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal.
Masciantonio had seven third-quarter points as Carroll used a 10-4 run to take a 30-25 advantage going into the final period.
“We had to stay focused … and our energy, we had to keep it up,” Masciantonio said. “Their guards were quick and very good, so we had to stay in front of them and stay focused.”
Pauliina Malinen (15 points) drilled a 3-pointer early in the fourth to tie the game at 30. Harlem Jennings answered with a bucket to put the Patriots back in front. Amber Schweiger converted a three-point play to give Lower Dauphin a one-point edge. Later, Malinen hit a layup to extend LD’s lead to three points, 37-34.
Masciantonio hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 37 with 20 seconds to play. Lower Dauphin eschewed a timeout and sprinted up court, but Schweiger was called for charging on the way to the hoop with 5.2 seconds on the clock.
The rest of the night belonged to Dreger and the Patriots.
“We had confidence that Alli could make that shot,” said the junior Jennings, who added six points and a game-high nine rebounds. “It was an amazing feeling to win the way we did.”
Top photo: Archbishop Carroll’s Alli Dreger, pictured here during the first half of a PIAA Class 5A second-round game, made the winning shot at the buzzer to give the Patriots a 39-37 victory over Lower Dauphin. KIRK NEIDERMYER | FOR DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA
