Feb 26, 2025
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski BG’s Chase Kissell is sandwiched between Penn Cambria defenders Brady Jones (left) and Gavin Harrold.
The Bishop Guilfoyle Academy boys basketball team is making a bad habit of digging itself into a hole so far in the District 6 Class 3A playoffs.
The second-seeded Marauders trailed by as many as 10 points against Central Cambria in the quarterfinals last Friday night, and the deficit was even bigger on Tuesday evening against No. 6 Penn Cambria.
BG trailed by 16 points in the first half against the Panthers, but got it back to three by halftime. With all the momentum on their side, the Marauders completed another double-digit comeback in the second half and held off the Panthers, 76-68, at the Pleasant Valley Gymnasium.
“Fortunately we talked about it in the practices leading up to this that we can’t get in that situation. Eventually it will cost you,” BG coach Ryan Lestochi said. “Tonight it got even worse. I’m not really happy with the start. Credit to our kids. They just stayed calm and just kept playing.
“We have a very close-knit team. They trust in each other. They believe in each other. They’re just not going to roll over. It’s a real credit to them.”
Penn Cambria, which wound up in the semifinals after knocking off No. 3 Tyrone in the quarterfinals, drilled 12 3-pointers in the game and was a big factor in growing the lead to as many as 16 points in the first half.
“We just know how dynamic they are offensively,” Penn Cambria coach Jim Ronan said. “When they get hot, they go on big spurts, and you can’t use up all your timeouts in a two or three-minute stretch. You just have to find a way on the floor to calm the storm, and at the time we still had a lead.
“They’re undefeated around this area for a reason. We knew it was going to be a really tough test. We gave everything we had.”
The Panthers took a 13-12 lead on a Caden Gibbons 3 with two minutes to play in the first quarter. It grew on a trey from Brandon Rabish and a pair of free throws from Landon Semelsberger as Penn Cambria took an 18-15 lead after the first quarter.
The Penn Cambria lead stayed at three through the first two minutes of the second quarter before the Panthers went on a 13-1 run over the next three minutes to go up 35-20.
Another Rabish three gave the Panthers a 38-22 lead, but Bishop Guilfoyle finished the first half on a 15-2 run with Penn Cambria leading 40-37 at the break.
BG took the lead back in the first minute of the second half on a Nick Foor 3-pointer.
Foor led the Marauders with 20 points for the night. Tyson Lestochi and Hamilton Gates each had 15 points.
“This feels great,” Gates said, who came off the bench to score the 15 points. “Last year we lost in this game. It’s just great to get to play in the D-6 championship.”
Penn Cambria managed to get just nine points in the third quarter on treys from Semelsberger, Brady Jones, and Gavin Harrold as BG led 57-49 with eight minutes to play.
The Panthers had the game down to three in the final minute, but an intentional foul with 30 seconds to play put a lot of hopes in doubt with Tyson Lestochi and Foor both hitting a pair of free throws to put the lead up to seven.
BG will now face top-seeded Forest Hills on Friday evening in the district championship at Mount Aloysius.
“Forest Hills is a great team,” Lestochi said. “They have some really good players. They can shoot the ball. They’re a handful to deal with. We had a great game with them in the Laurel Highlands semis (a 78-69 BG victory). Hopefully we come ready to play and start the game better.”
Penn Cambria will play at No. 4 Westmont Hilltop in the consolation game on Friday.
“We just have to take tomorrow and Thursday and just lay low and rest up,” Ronan said. “We just have to get mentally prepared for Westmont.”
PENN CAMBRIA (68): Harrold 2 0-0 5, Gibbons 6 1-3 15, Rabish 8 3-3 23, Lilly 2 0-0 4, Semelsberger 4 2-4 13, Jones 1 0-0 3, Farabaugh 1 2-2 5, Strittmatter 0 0-0 0. Totals — 24 8-12 68.
BISHOP GUILFOYLE (76): Lestochi 3 8-12 15, Consiglio 5 3-4 14, Ruggery 3 3-6 9, Foor 5 7-8 20, J. Kissell 1 0-0 3, C. Kissell 0 0-4 0, Gates 7 1-1 15, Okonak 0 0-0 0. Totals — 24 22-35 76.
Score by Quarters
Penn Cambria 18 22 9 19 — 68
Bishop Guilfoyle 15 22 20 19 — 76
3-point goals: Penn Cambria 12 (Harrold, Gibbons 2, Rabish 4, Semelsberger 3, Jones, Farabaugh); Bishop Guilfoyle 6 (Lestochi, Consiglio, Food 3, J. Kissell).
Records: Penn Cambria (14-9); Bishop Guilfoyle (22-3).
Officials: Jim Rocchini, John Nepsha, Douglas Steve.
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