Casey leads Lansdale Catholic to Jim Church Classic title over West Chester Rustin

FRANCONIA >> Gabby Casey was so ready for Saturday’s 3 p.m. tip-off, she was dressed in her Lansdale Catholic uniform by 11:30 in the morning. 

“I couldn’t wait to get back on the court with my teammates,” she said with a smile. 

Casey scored the first six points of the contest, had 11 in the first quarter, and her game-high 22 points would lead the way to a 62-51 victory over West Chester Rustin in the Jim Church Classic Final at Souderton Area High School. 

“It feels so good. I hope the team is as happy as I am right now,” said Casey, a junior guard/forward. “Just from not having an ideal season last year (due to the pandemic), the energy we have is so much different than last year.”

Casey earned Most Valuable Player honors and teammate Olivia Bociella (20 points) earned a spot on the all-tournament team, as LC got its season off to a 2-0 start. 

“It’s really gonna help us push through the season and give us a jump start,” Casey said of the tourney win. “Just having everybody’s attitudes up high and knowing we’re such a better fundamental team and even have good chemistry with the new girls. Everyone meshes together so well.”

Laine McGurk (16 points) and Lola Flynn (nine points) earned spots on the all-tournament team for the Golden Knights (1-1). LC led from start to finish, building a 14-point lead by halftime.

“That’s back-to-back games where I feel like we did that,” Crusaders coach Eric Gidney said of taking control early (LC topped Souderton on Friday). “I think we have a strong understanding of what we wanna accomplish. We stick to that game plan pretty well.”  

Casey immediately put the Crusaders in front.

She hit a three to open the scoring and then moments later drove to the hoop, scored and was fouled, completing the three-point play.

“She was a little fired up,” Gidney said. “(On Friday), she didn’t have as successful a first quarter – she finished stronger, and I think she really wanted to play a solid 32 minutes today. Unfortunately she fouled out (with 2:24 to play), but she’s one of the reasons we have that big trophy.”

A three by Nadia Yemola had LC out in front 9-0.

Rustin began to settle in, with Laine McGurk penetrating and also hitting from the outside, but behind Casey’s 11 points, the Crusaders led 16-7 at the end of the first quarter.

The Golden Knights made their move in the second, cutting into the LC lead, but Bociella got hot from the outside for the Crusaders.

Bociella’s trio of threes pushed the Crusaders to a 31-17 lead at the break. Casey had 13 points in the first half for the Crusaders and Laine McGurk led Rustin with nine.

Bociella would continue to bury threes in the third. She hit three more to finish with six, as LC led 50-34 after three.

“Every game I keep wondering, where does her range stop?” Gidney said. “What’s a rhythm shot for her and what’s not? Because she just buries them. She’s over 50 percent for the season.”

A drive by Casey started the fourth, spiking the Crusader lead to 52-35. Sanyiah Littlejohn added 10 points in the win for LC.