The Nos. 4-5 matchup between the Geibel Catholic and St. Joseph girls basketball teams had everything a thrilling playoff game should have.
Their were impressive runs by each team, a few mistakes under pressure and a big-time hero at the end.
In this game, the late heroics belonged to Geibel’s Mallory Clemmer. She scored the winning bucket with 5.5 seconds left, then made a last-second steal to secure the victory as the fourth-seeded Gators edged the fifth-seeded Spartans, 55-53, in a WPIAL Class A quarterfinal Thursday night at Geibel.
“That’s playoff basketball right there,” said Geibel coach Sara Larkin, who noted the winning basket didn’t exactly happen according to plan. “We were looking to get the ball back to Emma (Larkin) and let her drive, but I’m glad Mallory put that in.”
The Gators’ desire to have Emma Larkin take the winning shot seemed logical, considering she led all scorers with 34 points and added six steals.
“She was a beast,” Sara Larkin said in regards to her daughter, who is Fayette County’s all-time leading scorer and is winding down a fabulous high school career. “She realizes this is it and she was attacking and getting good looks.”
For the Spartans, the game easily could have gone in their favor had the ball bounced their way one or two more times.
“Sometimes close games come down to one or two plays,” St. Joseph coach Geoff Dutelle said, crediting Emma Larkin and Clemmer for making so many of those plays throughout the game for Geibel.
Despite his team coming up short, Dutelle was pleased with the way his group battled throughout.
“That’s as proud of them as I’ve been,” Dutelle said. “They did everything we asked them to do, and they represented their school so well.”
The game was tight throughout, with neither team gaining much of an advantage.
Early in the game, Clemmer made a steal and then scored on a layup to tie the score at 7-7, and Emma Larkin hit a hoop and accompanying free throw for a 14-10 Geibel advantage. Jocelyn Spinelli then hit a jumper at the buzzer to pull the Spartans (13-10) to within 14-13.
In the second quarter, Janiah Darnell, who had 10 rebounds, came up with a steal and then dished it to Clemmer for an easy hoop, giving the Gators (22-1) a 20-18 edge. Clemmer finished with 17 points go with 13 rebounds and five blocks.
The Gators threatened to pull away with a 12-0 run to take a 26-18 lead, but St. Joseph responded by closing the half with an 11-2 spurt. Spinelli’s late layup gave the Spartans a 29-28 lead at the half.
Bella Bartolovic had a big first half for St. Joseph, scoring 13 of her team-high 24 points. Spinelli finished with 17 points.
The game went back and forth in the third quarter as Emma Larkin stole the ball, then scored and was fouled. She hit the follow-up free throw for a 35-29 Geibel lead. A rebound and basket by Darnell lifted Geibel to a 41-35 advantage.
But St. Joseph stayed close, and Kasey Cienik made a 3-pointer at the buzzer, pulling the Spartans to within 43-41 heading into the final eight minutes. Cienik finished with 10 points for the Spartans.
In the closing quarter, Emma Larkin and Spinelli traded 3s as the Gators maintained a 49-46 lead. But with less than 30 seconds remaining, Bartolovic drilled a 3-pointer to tie it at 53-53.
That set the stage for Clemmer.
In the game’s closing seconds, Clemmer grabbed an inbounds pass from under the basket. She battled through some tough defense in the paint and managed to connect on the winning bucket. She then got her hands on a St. Joseph pass attempt in the final seconds to clinch Geibel’s spot in the semifinals.
The Gators will face top-seeded Aquinas Academy on Monday at a site and time to be announced.
St. Joseph awaits its PIAA matchup.