PIAA Class 5A girls basketball championship preview: Mars vs. Archbishop Wood
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Tuesday, March 27, 2018 | 5:54 PM
Class 5A girls
Mars (23-6) vs. Archbishop Wood (22-7)
6 p.m. Wednesday, Giant Center, Hershey
On the air: PCN-TV
Coaches: Dana Petruska, Mars; Mike McDonald, Archbishop Wood
Starting lineups
Mars
No., name, position, height, class
3, Alek Johnson, PG, 5-7, Fr.
4, Lauren Wasylson, SG, 5-11, Sr.
15, Nichole Sommers, G, 5-6, Sr.
23, Tai Johnson, PG, 5-8, Jr.
33. Bella Pelaia, F, 5-11, So.
Archbishop Wood
No., name, position, height, class
4, Kaitlyn Orihel, G, 5-9, Fr.
5, Bridget Arcidiacono, G/F, 5-11, Sr.
15, Annie Whalen, G, 5-7, Jr.
22, Erin Morgan, F, 5-8, Sr.
24, Katie May, G/F, 5-10, Sr.
Title-game history: Archbishop Wood defeated Trinity last season in the PIAA Class 5A title game to claim its fifth championship. It has won two straight titles and also won three straight from 2010-12. Mars lost its only state title game appearance, 62-42, to Carbondale in 1977.
Notable: Mars qualified for the PIAA tournament as the WPIAL's fourth-place finisher after falling to district runner-up Oakland Catholic in the semifinals. The Fightin' Planets then knocked off City League champ Obama Academy, Thomas Jefferson and Gateway in the PIAA tournament, before topping District 12's Archbishop Carroll, 52-39, in Saturday's semifinals. Johnson had 20 points and Wasylson added 13 in the semifinals. Johnson is a Bucknell recruit, and Wasylson is headed Xavier. … After capturing the District 12 championship, Philadelphia's Archbishop Wood earned victories over Springfield Delco, Twin Valley, WC Henderson and Southern Lehigh. The Vikings are playing in the state title game for the eighth time in nine years. They were ranked as high as 15th in the nation this season by USA Today. Orihel, a freshman, averages nearly 11 ppg to lead the team in scoring. Arcidiacono scored 16 points, May had 15, and Orihel 10 in the semifinal victory.
Predicted winner: Archbishop Wood
Bill Hartlep is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bhartlep@tribweb.com.
Tags: Mars
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