JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
THE GAME: District 3 sixth-place finisher McCaskey (17-10 overall) vs. District 6 champ State College (22-4 overall).
WHERE: Tyrone Area Middle School.
WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.
WINNER GETS: District 1 runner-up Methacton (28-1) or District 12 fourth-place finisher John Bartrum (12-8).
ABOUT McCASKEY: Did not make States a year ago. … 1982 Triple-A state champ. … Went into the District 3 playoffs as the No. 11 seed, and reached the quarterfinals, falling to section foe Cedar Crest (53-50). … Stayed alive with a win over Red Lion (45-42) before falling to another league foe, Hempfield, in the fifth-place game (41-28). … Coach is Brian McCloud (4th season). … Probable starters – G Teasia Myers (13.3, 3 3-pointers), G Danee Simms (11.1, 16 3-pointers), G Ciara Pagan (6.5, 8 3-pointers), F Janaya Brown (7.4), F Cherelle Simmons (6.9, 3 3-pointers). … Averaging 49.3 points and allowing 46.8 points, with 36 team 3-pointers. … Myers comes into to States with 1,189 points. She and Simmons, who has 753 career points, are four-year contributors. They have played all four seasons under McCloud, and that group has gone 86-30 over that span, including the 2006 District 3 Quad-A championship.
ABOUT STATE COLLEGE: Eighth-ranked Quad-A team in the state heading into PIAA playoffs. … The Lady Little Lions topped Altoona in the District 6 title game, snapping Altoona’s four-year run of District 6 titles. It was State College’s fourth district championship, and first since 2003. … Had to knock off District 10 runner-up Erie Strong Vincent in a play-in game just to reach States. … Last year, fell to Bethel Park (57-49) in the first round. … No state titles. … Coach is Bethany Irwin, a former Penn State player who is 303-149 in 18 seasons. … Led by senior trio of Emily Suhey (18.4), Chrissy Cooper (13.4) and Kelsey Guth (11.9). … Suhey had 16 points, 11 boards and seven blocks against Strong Vincent; it was her 17th double-double this season. Suhey, whose brother, Kevin, is a backup quarterback for Penn State, has 1,486 career points. … Guth scored 16 points and yanked 10 boards against Strong Vincent. … Tara Branigan, the point guard, had 15 points and drilled three 3-pointers against Strong Vincent. … Averages 61 points a game. … Lone losses are to Central Dauphin, Reading, Holy Cross (Md.) and Hollidaysburg.
