Lansdale Catholic takes on Villa Maria in PIAA-4A semifinals

Lansdale Catholic will face one of its toughest tests of the season in the PIAA-4A state semifinals Saturday afternoon. 

The Crusaders face District 10 champion Villa Maria Academy at 1 p.m. at Bald Eagle High School.

The Victors are 23-2 this year. They’ve won 19 straight games and haven’t lost since Dec. 21, 2021. The losses came against teams from California and Nevada by a combined eight points.

Villa Maria has been making quick work of opponents so far in states, winning in the first three rounds by an average of 32 points.

Lansdale Catholic comes in with plenty of experience against good teams. The Crusaders (18-7) played state qualifiers Souderton, Delone Catholic, Gwynedd Mercy Academy and Neshaminy during their non-league regular season schedule. In the Philadelphia Catholic League, they competed with Archbishop Carroll, Archbishop Wood, Cardinal O’Hara and Neumann-Goretti.

That big-game experience has paid off for (12-3) Lansdale Catholic so far in the state playoffs. The Crusaders beat Lancaster Catholic, 66-57, in the first round, Allentown Central Catholic, 49-41, in the second and won a rematch with Delone Catholic, 40-36, in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

“It’s not just about me it’s about the team making a statement, showing them that we can overcome adversity,” LC senior Lauren Edwards said after scoring 10 points against Delone Catholic. “And we’re able to kind of shock people a little bit with the tough schedule we had and making it here when a lot of people thought we wouldn’t. And just the group of girls was so amazing, I couldn’t ask for a better group.”

LC junior Gabby Casey is averaging 19 points in the state playoffs. She scored 20 in the opener and 25 in the second round matchup, when she hit the 1,000-point mark for her career.

Sophomore Olivia Boccella hit four three-pointers in a 23-point performance in the first round and canned four more from beyond the arc in a 14-point performance in the quarterfinals.

Saturday’s winner advances to the state championship game against the winner of Archbishop Wood and Jim Thorpe. The final will be Thursday at 5 p.m. at the GIANT Center in Hershey.

For live updates during Lansdale Catholic’s semifinal Saturday, follow @khunter10 on Twitter.