Jenkintown handles Northumberland Christian, punches ticket to PIAA-1A final
JENKINTOWN >> Jenkintown is back in the state championship game.
After reaching the semifinals in 2019 and having their season cancelled in the quarterfinals in 2020, the 2018 state champs are returning to Hershey after defeating Northumberland Christian, 49-26, in the PIAA-1A semifinals Tuesday night at Jenkintown High School.
“We’re so excited,” Jenkintown senior Carly Mulvaney, who won the state title as a freshman, said. “We’re so grateful to have the opportunity to go to the state championship. This is what we’ve been looking forward to all season. We’re just really grateful.”
The Drakes will face District 6 champion Bishop Guilfoyle in the state final noon Friday at the Giant Center.
Mulvaney and Jenkintown’s defense helped the District 1 champs establish an early advantage that would never be threatened.
Mulvaney scored 10 of her game-high 19 points in the first quarter. She scored the first basket of the game and had eight during the Drakes 11-0 run to end the first quarter with a 15-4 lead.
“Carly is our go-to girl,” Jenkintown coach Jim Romano said. “She is such a tremendous player. She plays all year-round – AAU – and she’s been a mainstay for us ever since she was on the state championship team as a freshman. She started as a sophomore all the way through. We really look for Carly to set the tone and she really works hard.”
While Mulvaney was scoring, the defense was forcing turnovers. The Drakes had nine takeaways during the opening eight minutes and held the visiting Warriors scoreless for more than half the quarter after the game was tied, 4-4.
“Keeping our defensive intensity really helps us on offense,” Mulvaney said. “We got a couple steals, got a couple fast breaks. That really helps with the momentum of the game.”
The defense continued playing at a high level the entire night. They forced 22 turnovers in the game while Katie McGrath, Lauren Brockwell and Mulvaney controlled the paint, grabbing 13, 11 and seven rebounds, respectively.
“We’ve been playing zone a lot this season just because of the numbers,” Romano said. “We go seven as a team – two deep. They love to play man-to-man and man-to-man we’ve played over the years. When I told them we’d go man-to-man tonight, they all clapped and were ready to go. They really love playing man-to-man.”
The Drakes added to their lead in the second quarter. McGrath and Brockwell each hit three-pointers in the frame and the hosts took a 29-14 advantage into the half.
It was more of the same after the break. Both teams struggled offensively early in the third quarter – the first points coming after more than two minutes – but McGrath scored five of her 14 points and the lead grew to 19, 39-20.
The result was never in doubt in the fourth quarter and both teams emptied their benches during the final minutes. Jenkintown went 7-for-10 from the free throw line and forced another eight turnovers in the fourth to walk away with the 22-point win, 48-26.
Northumberland Christian had to play most of the game without star guard Emily Garvin. The junior missed a lot of time in the first half after picking up her third foul with 1:22 remaining in the first quarter. In the third, she suffered what appeared to be an ankle injury and did not return. She finished with four points and two rebounds – all in the first quarter.
Jenkintown 48, Northumberland Christian 26
Northumberland Christian 4 10 6 6 – 26
Jenkintown 15 14 10 9 – 48
NC: Hayner 1 0-0 2, Em Treas 0 0-0 0, Krum 0 0-0 0, Ed Treas 0 0-0 0, Bookwalter 3 0-1 6, Miller 0 0-0 0, Wilhelm 0 0-0 0, Garvin 2 0-0 4, McCahan 0 0-0 0, A Ulmer 5 2-3 12, E Ulmer 1 0-0 2, Ressler 0 0-0 0. Total 12 2-4 26.
J: Westkaemper 2 0-0 5, Cummings 0 0-2 2, O’Brien 0 0-0 0, Morrin 0 0-0 0, Gabrielsen 0 0-0 0, McGrath 4 4-6 14, Brockwell 2 0-0 6, Walsh 1 0-0 2, Mulvaney 6 7-8 19. Total 15 13-16 48.
Three-point goals: NC: None. J: Westkaemper, McGrath 2, Brockwell 2.
