Weather permitting, Hempfield is set to clash with Cheltenham in a PIAA Quad-A quarterfinal Friday at Reading High’s Geigle Complex. Here’s a preview …
THE GAME: District 3 sixth-place finisher Hempfield (23-6) vs. District 1 fifth-place finisher Cheltenham (24-6), Friday at Reading High School’s Geigle Complex, 6 p.m.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Hempfield upset District 6 champ Altoona 51-41 and knocked off District 12 fourth-place finisher University City 47-40; Cheltenham crushed District 12 runner-up Simon Gratz 63-25 and topped District 3 champ
Harrisburg 55-43.
ABOUT HEMPFIELD: In the state quarterfinals for the first time in school history. Previous deepest trip was in 2005, when the Black Knights fell to Downingtown East in the second round. … Forced 25 turnovers in come-from-behind win over
University City. … Leading scorers are junior F Analicia Evans (11.6, 12 3-pointers) and junior G Ellie Steward (9.5, 27 3-pointers). Evans scored a team-high 10 points against University City and a team-high 14 points against
Altoona… Junior G Hannah Miller has 19 3-pointers in her last 13 games and has 21 of Hempfield’s 76 team 3-pointers. … Knights are averaging 45.6 points a game and allowing just 36.1. … Coach Lenny Groft is in his 13th season (255-97). … Losses are twice to McCaskey, Lancaster Catholic (in Hempfield’s Christmas Tournament), Wilson (in the District 3 quarterfinals) and twice to Cedar Crest, the latter in the District 3 fifth-place game.
ABOUT CHELTENHAM: The Panthers, who are coached by 26-year veteran Bob Schaefer, started the season 1-3 with losses to District 2 champ Nanticoke (which is 28-0 in Triple-A), Hazleton and a double-OT crusher to District 1 champ Upper Dublin (which is 31-1 in Quad-A). Other losses are to Notre Dame of Ohio in a Christmas Tournament, Germantown Academy and again to Upper Dublin in the District 1 quarterfinals. … Lost in the state final to Oakland Catholic in 2005. … Trailed Harrisburg by as many as 10 points in the first half before rallying to win by 12 in the second round. LaSalle University recruit Ashley Gale, a senior forward who averages 16 points a game, scored 12 points against Harrisburg. … Senior guard Nicole Pender scored 10 points against Harrisburg and a team-high 14 in first-round win over Simon Gratz, which turned the ball over 31 times. … Senior point guard Misha Horsey is a Stonybrook recruit.
WINNER GETS: District 7 fourth-place finisher Bethel Park (25-4) or District 7 third-place finisher
Upper St. Clair (24-5) in the Western Final (state semifinal) next Tuesday.
QUOTABLE: Hempfield coach Lenny Groft – “At this point, we’re defending well and we’re scoring a few more points, so anything is possible. But this is going to be extremely tough because Cheltenham is athletic and they have a lot of talent. The most important thing is that our kids go out and play as hard as they can and as smart as the can to leave everything out there. We have nothing to lose.”
JEFFREY REINHART
