Methacton secures District 1’s final state berth with win over Pennsbury

FAIRVIEW VILLAGE >> Craig Kaminski’s team had its back against the wall two previous times this season.

Methacton defeated Unionville in the opening round of the District 1-6A tournament in a game where the loser went home, and took care of Central Bucks East in a district playback game that had win-or-go home implications.

After losing to Plymouth-Whitemarsh earlier this week in a game that could have sealed up a spot in states for the Warriors, Methacton had its third elimination game of the season on Saturday against Pennsbury. The winner would earn District 1’s No. 11 seed in the PIAA tournament, while the loser’s season would end.

Senior point guard Abby Penjuke led the Warriors with 11 points, while freshmen Nicole Timko and Tori Bockrath combined for 12 points in Methacton’s 26-17 win over Pennsbury, clinching a spot in the state tournament for the fourth time in school history and first time since 2014. The Warrriors will play District 11 champion Northhampton in the opening round next Friday, March 8.

“Forever,” Penjuke said of her wait to get into states. “Fourth team in school history to make states, it’s unbelievable. We had two other chances, and we didn’t pull it out. This time we all understood it was win or go home, and we did not want to go home.”

Penjuke got the Warriors out to an early lead on Saturday, scoring nine points in the first half as Methacton went up 12-7 at halftime. Falcons’ head coach Frank Sciolla said the school had its junior prom on Friday night, which kept them from having a full practice. He was a bit worried about how his team would come out to start Saturday’s game, hoping they could make some shots early on. They did not, shooting 7-for-44 from the floor and 2-for-25 from the 3-point line.

Despite the shooting struggles, Pennsbury cut Methacton’s lead down to three, 13-10, in the third quarter. Freshman guard Ava Sciolla scored seven points, and junior captain Cami Wiegand added six to lead the Falcons in a game where points were hard to come by.

“The fact that we were still in it is amazing,” Sciolla said.

“I took the job a couple years ago, and we had four wins and eight girls on the team,” he added. “For us, this is big time. This is one of our best seasons in school history. This was certainly a chance for us to get there. Hopefully for the girls who are coming back, this is an experience for them that they get better from.”

Methacton was playing its second game without junior Sydney Hargrove, who injured her neck against Central Bucks East. Right after getting comfortable as the Warriors’ first reserve, Bockrath was thrust into the starting lineup in Methacton’s loss to Plymouth-Whitemarsh on Wednesday. The freshman was back in the starting five on Saturday and made play after play for the Warriors’ in the last nine minutes.

In the closing moments of the third quarter, Penjuke found Bockrath for a tough finish underneath. The basket extended Methacton’s lead, 15-10, entering the fourth quarter. She knocked down a midrange jumper to put Methacton up seven early in the fourth quarter, then came up with a block on the other end.

Bockrath forced a handful of tie ups in the final quarter, riling up the Warriors’ cheerleaders and crowd, who Sciolla and Kaminski noted gave Methacton a home court advantage. With two minutes, 22 seconds remaining in the game, Bockrath found Caroline Pellicano on the fastbreak to put Methacton up 23-14, an advantage too large to come back from given the way Pennsbury was shooting.

“This girl is a beast,” Penjuke said of Bockrath after the game. “She hypes it up. Syd Hargrove, she was out, so (Bockrath) really pulled it up. She got a bunch of rebounds, a lot of loose balls. She finished that one down low with her left hand, everything. She did great.”

Methacton had two other chances to get into states. The Warriors fell to Downingtown East in the second round of districts and lost to Plymouth-Whitemarsh in the district playback bracket.

Penjuke said the Warriors are a “last chance” team. Knowing their season was on the line, they came out with energy from the opening tip on Saturday.

“The last couple chances really hurt that we didn’t accomplish it against Downingtown East and then the other night against Plymouth-Whitemarsh,” Kaminski said. “They knew their backs were against the wall and this was do-or-die for sure, and they responded. I think what you saw was a very, ugly, defensive, 30th game of the season, where it was a dog fight until the end. Who really wanted it.”

Saturday’s win was especially special for Penjuke. Formerly a forward, Penjuke took over as the team’s point guard this season. She had the necessary handle, crafting her moves on the half court in her backyard, but she had never played the position in her life. Throughout the season, Penjuke has had to balance learning a new position with being the only senior in Warriors’ starting lineup.

Kaminski described Penjuke as the Warriors’ emotional leader and the glue that keeps the team together. At the end of Saturday’s game, Penjuke was mobbed by her teammates, showing their gratitude for what their senior leader has done for them this season.

“She’s been our hype man our whole season, and I knew winning this game meant everything for,” Bockrath said.