Jenkintown’s bid for PIAA-1A repeat ended by Lourdes Regional in semifinals

READING >> The Jenkintown girls basketball team could not find its offense after halftime and lost out on its bid to repeat as PIAA Class A champions.

The Drakes went cold against Lourdes Regional’s 2-3 zone, scoring just nine points over the final 16 minutes – six after taking a 19-10 lead in the third quarter – as Sierra Coleman led the Red Raiders’ surge in the fourth to knock off Jenkintown 32-25 Tuesday night at Reading High’s Geigle Complex.

“We just needed to get a shot, to make a shot, to calm ourselves down type of thing and regain our confidence,” Drakes coach Jim Romano said. “But that shot never made it into the basket.”

Playing Lourdes for the fourth straight postseason, Jenkintown clamped down on the Raiders in the first half in building a 16-7 halftime advantage.

In the third, Natalie Kolb answered Coleman’s 3-pointer with a triple of her own to put the Drakes back up nine but from there Lourdes outscored the District 1 champs 22-6, Coleman collecting seven points during a decisive 10-0 fourth-quarter run that gave the Red Raiders the lead for good.

“We were focusing a lot on defense cause we knew we could shut them down in that way and we did in the first half,” Kolb said. “And our shots just weren’t going in.”

Coleman finished with a game-high 12 points as District 4 champ Lourdes Regional advances to Friday’s PIAA final for the first time since 2016 to face District 5 champ Berlin, which defeated District 5 runner-up Shanksville 55-37 in the other semifinal at Pitt-Johnstown.

Kolb and Carly Mulvaney both scored eight points to pace Jenkintown, which was held below 40 points for just the second time this season. Lourdes’ 2-3 zone was big reason for that, with 6-foot-1 Frances Czeponis in the middle and the Red Raiders cutting down the Drakes’ shooting space on the perimeter.

“I wanted to be patient but be aggressive on offense,” Romano said. “And I think we’re a little hesitant on offense for whatever reason, 2-3 zone, we practice shooting every day. It’s just one of those things. You have three sophomores out there not that that should be an excuse.

“These kids had a tremendous season. I don’t think that played a major part in it but their three seniors did what they had to do to shut down my two seniors.”

Jenkintown, which defeated Lourdes in the state quarterfinals the last two years, ends its season two wins short of back-to-back PIAA crowns and a 29-2 record.

“We’re so proud of all the younger girls on our team and looking forward to what they do next year and all the hard work they put in,” said Kolb, who with twin sister Mia are the Drakes’ two seniors. “Really thankful for everything.”

Two Mulvaney free throws gave Jenkintown a 22-18 lead at 6:48 in the fourth before Coleman reeled off seven straight points. Emma Shimko found Coleman inside to tie the game a 22 with Coleman knocking down a three from the wing off another Shimko assist to put the Red Raiders up 25-22.

Lilly Bickel converted both ends of a 1-and-1 at 1:48 had Lourdes up five with Czeponis hitting the front end of her 1-and-1 at 1:34 to make it 28-22.

Molly Walsh ended the 10-0 run with a 3-pointer and after the Red Raider missed a 1-and-1 with 48.6 seconds left, the Drakes had a chance to tie. Lauren Brockwell got a good look at a three from the top of the arc, but the shot hit the front rim, backboard then fell to Czeponis.

“Their first half baskets came on missed shots, offensive rebounds,” said Romano of Lourdes. “Then 21 (Coleman) got hot, she hit a three, and then the sister (Meryl Czeponis) hit a three, big three (in the third). There were two big threes at big times.

“We had our chances, we’re down by three with Lauren how likes to shoot from that top of that key. So she was there, so just missed.”

Frances Czeponis went 4-for-4 from the line in the final 30 seconds to seal the Red Raiders’ first win over Jenkintown since the 2016 state second round.

Bickel’s putback had Lourdes up 4-3 before Kolb scored the first quarter’s final five points – a last-second three giving the Drakes an 8-4 advantage.

A Coleman putback had the Red Raiders with two in the second quarter but Mulvaney proceeded to score six straight – two free throws a 7:20 followed by a 3-poiner and a foul shot at 4:16 to push the Jenkintown lead to 14-6.

Walsh’s baseline jumper had the Drakes up 10 before a Frances Czeponis free throw had Lourdes within 16-7 at the break.

After Coleman and Natalie Kolb traded threes, the Red Raiders ran off six straight points to pull within 19-16 on France Czeponis’ free throw at 1:50. Mia Kolb’s foul shot 24 seconds later had Jenkintown up four before Shimko hit a jumper to make it a two-point contest entering the fourth.