HERSHEY – It took three quarters of basketball for WPIAL champion Bishop Canevin to get comfortable with the Giant Center experience. When that beast was tamed, the Crusaders didn't miss.
Fueled by Celina DiPietro and the relentless work of point guard Erin Waskowiak, Bishop Canevin stunned perennial-power York Catholic with a wild 13-0 fourth-quarter run that helped claim a 45-38 Class AA girls' championship victory in Hershey.
DiPietro's deep 3-pointer, her fourth long-range connection in the game, opened the Crusaders (27-4) sprint. And yet another inside bucket by Carly Forse, who evenly shared 36 points with DiPietro, ended it just before York Catholic got its first points – two Deanna Chesko free throws – with 1:10 left.
VIDEO: Bishop Canevin celebrates its Class AA title
CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME
The Fighting Irish (29-3), making their seventh trip to the finals in eight seasons, suffered its fourth loss in the last five. Morgan Klunk's 18 points paced led the way.
“I think it was a mental breakdown on our part, when they were making their run,” said Klunk, who also chipped in seven rebounds and three steals.
Klunk's solid stat line was also part of the problem as the no other Irish starter either reached double figures in points or rebounds.
“In the fourth quarter, we kind of let it get away from us,” Klunk said. “Honestly, I'm not that disappointed. I'm pretty happy with the way we played. That's a good team.”
Bishop Canevin's reputation was built on character and sound defense. Both showed up at Giant Center, despite a few nervous possessions.
“Probably nerves. I was nervous before the game,” said Waskowiak, Canevin's quick point guard and Duquesne recruit. “We usually do go fast but, in the beginning of the game, we weren't playing like we were capable of. When we came out in the fourth quarter, everything sort of came together. We knew we had to win this game.”
The Crusaders took care of that in the final stanza, outworking the Irish during a frantic six-minute stretch. While Canevin buzzed, York Catholic missed 10 of 11 shots in the frame.
“I think we tried to force things a little bit, but a good defense with do that to you,” York Catholic coach Kevin Banks said. “The game was a game of runs. We knew they were going to make a run, we just didn't know when. Unfortunately, when we did get an opportunity, shots didn't fall.”
Waskowiak netted just five points but added seven boards and six of Angevin’s 13 assists during the championship performance. Fosse banked in 10 of her 18 points in the opening half as the Crusaders pulled even with York Catholic, 21-all, at halftime.
“Mostly, we just kind of got back to what carried us here. We didn't play real well in the first three quarters,” Canevin skipper Tim Joyce said. “We got refocused on do or die.”
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