Lansdale Catholic brings focus back, powers past Bishop McDevitt in PIAA-4A first round
PHILADELPHIA >> At this time of year, there’s so much external focus that self-reflection can get lost in the shuffle.
Between scouting reports, preparations, film breakdown, practice and expectations, Lansdale Catholic came out for its PIAA 4A tournament first round game a little too focused on opponent Bishop McDevitt. Once LC remembered what makes it LC and got back to doing that, the Crusaders took over what had been a close game at the start.
Once LC turned its focus back on itself, the PCL champions used two strong middle quarters to roll past the District 3 Crusaders 61-45 on Saturday at Archbishop Ryan.
“This game taught us we have to stay focused,” LC sniper Olivia Boccella said. “I don’t think we came in with a lot of energy, I don’t think we were expecting them to make shots like that in the first half. We’re not looking past games, we need to play one at a time and it starts with staying focused.”
McDevitt, the No. 6 seed out of District 3, came out with the requisite level of scrappy expected of an underdog team, even if that did hurt them with several early fouls. With Bishop McDevitt in a zone, LC got off to a slower start on offense having not gone up against that style of defense in a few games and the District 12 champions trailed 10-7 midway through the first quarter on a banked-in three by Sophia Formica.
Even in the final seconds of the opening frame, it was a 14-14 game until Boccella buried a three from the top of the key with 2.1 on the clock to give Lansdale Catholic a 17-14 edge.
Formica, who led all scorers with 26 points, was not afraid to put shots up and she tied the game 17-17 early in the second quarter. At that point, LC started to settle down and its two sharpshooters in Boccella and Nadia Yemola started tearing the zone apart.
“Playing against a zone, the outside is pretty open and me and Liv, we know how to move against a zone,” Yemola said. “We know our rotations and we like to find each other. Sometimes, I’ll drive baseline and kick it out to her and she’s always ready to make the extra pass to me.”
Yemola, a sophomore, sank back-to-back threes then hit Boccella for a three in a 93-second span in the second quarter that put LC ahead 26-17 and firmly in control. When McDevitt strangely started to hold the ball down nine, it only gave LC more opportunity to keep going, with Boccella splitting a pair at the line and Jaida Helm getting a putback to extend the run to 12-0.
Boccella buried another three, assisted by Helm, and Yemola connected on a baseline take in the final minute for a 34-22 lead at the half. Despite a slow start, Lansdale Catholic was right where it had wanted to be and was done worrying about what the other Crusaders were up to.
“I think we spent a little too much time in the first half trying to get familiar with who they were and lost sight of who we are,” LC coach Eric Gidney said. “In the third quarter, we started to make some adjustments and got back to running with the ball and distributing the ball. It’s been a minute since we’ve seen a zone, so we had to make some adjustments toward that and once we did, I think we were fine.”
The first half had belonged to the shooters, Boccella hitting 4-of-8 from deep for 12 points and Yemola 3-of-3 from deep and 4-of-5 overall for 11 in the opening 16 minutes. The second half belonged to the forwards, with Helm and Gabby Casey hammering the ball inside against the McDevitt zone, which had a guard filling the middle spot on the back line of its 2-3 setup.
Helm in particular gave McDevitt fits in the third quarter, the senior forward scoring 10 of her 16 points and snaring six of her 10 rebounds in the period. Boccella gave props to Helm, Casey and Sanyiah Littlejohn for looking to find her and Yemola in the first half, but LC wanted to get back to its strengths.
“We weren’t really sure what to do at first,” Boccella said. “Once we changed what we were doing on offense in second half, it really helped getting them points too. The first half, luckily our jumpers went in.”
Casey, who also registered a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, had nine second half points, powered her way through a few McDevitt defenders and helped turn up the pace of the game. Between the 5-foot-10 Casey and 5-foot-11 Helm trading turns ducking in and getting looks out of a high-low setup, LC started the third on a 10-3 run and ended it leading 48-39.
The fourth started with Casey stealing the ball and finding Helm for a layup, then the two seniors switching roles with Helm taking the ball away and finding Casey for the and-one in transition. By that point, the Crusaders didn’t even have to think about what Bishop McDevitt was up to.
“That adjustment led to us taking what we’re good at and imposing it on them,” Gidney said.
Littlejohn was the only starter without a point but the sophomore was crucial on defense and in handling and distributing the ball. Boccella finished with 15 points and two assists, Casey added four assists and Helm had two helpers, a steal and took a charge.
Lansdale Catholic moves on to face District 4 runner-up Jersey Shore, a 52-39 winner over Wyoming Area, in Wednesday’s second round.
“We played decently, there are definitely things I think we need to work on going into the later rounds,” Yemola said. “It might have cut it here but maybe aren’t going to cut it in the next round. I definitely think we’ll get those picked up.”
Lansdale Catholic 61, Bishop McDevitt 45
Lansdale Catholic 17 17 14 13 — 61
Bishop McDevitt 14 8 7 16 — 45
Lansdale Catholic: Jaida Helm 7 2-3 16, Nadia Yemola 4 0-0 11, Olivia Boccella 5 1-2 15, Gabby Casey 6 3-3 15, Aubrey Mobley 1 0-0 2, Janelle Carr 0 2-2 2. Totals: 25 8-10 61.
Bishop McDevitt: Osevala 3 0-0 9, Grella 2 2-2 6, Formica 9 3-4 26, Dickerson 1 2-4 4. Totals: 15 7-10 45.
3-pointers: LC – Boccella 4, Yemola 3; BM – Formica 5, Osevala 3.
