Our Lady of the Sacred Heart’s dreams of capturing its first PIAA girls basketball championship ended Friday when the Chargers dropped a 43-29 decision to Shady Side Academy in the Class 3A semifinals at Fox Chapel High School.
OLSH, which won three straight PIAA Tournament games after finishing third in the WPIAL Tournament, got off to a good start but scored just 19 points in the final three quarters combined.
The loss left the Chargers with a record of 25-5 on the season while Shady Side Academy improved to 28-1 and will move on to its first appearance in a PIAA championship game.
OLSH has never advanced to a PIAA title game but has reached the state semifinals twice in the past three seasons under coach Don Eckerle.
Leah Parker, who played well throughout OLSH’s postseason run and finished with a team-high 12 points Friday night, scored eight points in the first quarter to help push the Chargers to a 10-5 lead.
But none of the Chargers’ shots were falling – including Parker’s – in the second quarter, and Shady Side Academy used a 12-0 run to take a 17-10 lead with less than a minute to play in the first half.
OLSH missed 14 straight shots at one point.
A pair of Parker free throws cut the margin to 17-12 at halftime and midway through the third quarter, the Chargers trailed by only three points at 19-16.
But Karis Thomas, Shady Side Academy’s standout junior guard, connected on a 3-pointer to extend the Bulldogs’ lead to 22-16.
The Chargers remained within striking distance the rest of the third quarter, and heading into the final quarter, Shady Side Academy owned a 28-23 lead.
The Bulldogs created some breathing room by going on a 7-0 run to start the fourth quarter and led 35-23 with just under six minutes remaining in the game. That proved to be the difference as Shady Side Academy outscored OLSH 15-6 in the fourth quarter.
Karis, held to two points in the first quarter, finished with 21 points to lead all scorers and Leah Buford added 10 for the winners.
Claudia Ierullo, OLSH’s top offensive threat all year, was limited to four points, with all of them coming in the third quarter. Lola Garner added six for the Chargers.
Eckerle said that second-quarter drought proved too much to overcome.
“After a good shooting start, we went cold,” he said. “We were able to keep it to within four for much of the third quarter, but they opened up the lead to 10 to start the fourth and we couldn’t make it up.
“That second quarter was the difference.”
Shady Side Academy, which has lost just once all season – to Greensburg Central Catholic in the WPIAL title game – will next take on Loyalsock Township for the PIAA championship Thursday, March 27, at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Loyalsock defeated Imhotep Charter, 65-46, in Friday night’s other semifinal.
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