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Carroll girls fall short in final

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Jen Carney's shot in the final seconds was off the mark, and the Archbishop Carroll girls' basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 47-46 loss to Mount Lebanon in the PIAA Class AAAA championship game Friday night at the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State.

Archbishop Carroll girls react after losing by one point in the class AAAA state championship. (Steven M. Falk/Staff Photographer)
Archbishop Carroll girls react after losing by one point in the class AAAA state championship. (Steven M. Falk/Staff Photographer)Read more

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Jen Carney's shot in the final seconds was off the mark, and the Archbishop Carroll girls' basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 47-46 loss to Mount Lebanon in the PIAA Class AAAA championship game Friday night at the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State.

The Patriots set up a play with just 20 seconds left to try to pull out the win after trailing by as many as nine points in the third quarter.

"We got exactly what we wanted on the play we set up," Carroll coach Chuck Creighton said. "We wanted Jen on iso [isolation]. Unfortunately, the shot missed."

The Patriots (23-8), seeking their second PIAA championship in three seasons - they won in Class AAA in 2009 - had to make a 6-0 run at the beginning of the fourth quarter to even get in striking distance of the Devils (24-6) with 6 minutes, 19 seconds left.

Carney, who led Carroll with 17 points, hit four free throws and Kristie Constantino hit a field goal to pull Carroll to within 39-38. Carroll came within a point one more time before the game-winning try, but the Blue Devils had an answer the first time, a four-point counter run.

Mount Lebanon managed to get the rebound after Carney's missed shot with about five seconds left on the clock.

"I said we needed a stop when Carroll called time to set up their play," Mount Lebanon coach Dori Oldaker said. "When they missed the shot, I just wanted to make sure we got the rebound."

It was a record-breaking night for Oldaker and the Blue Devils. The victory gave them an unprecedented third straight Class AAAA championship.

"We weathered the storm," Oldaker added. "Carroll's a very, very good team. They are such a fundamentally sound team."

Carney, headed to Mount St. Mary's next season, said the ball didn't feel good when it left her hand.

"I was hoping to get a foul on it, but it didn't happen," she said. "I tried to make it look like I was fouled."

Both teams had a some trouble with fouls. Kelly Johnson, who led Mount Lebanon (25-5) with 13 points, had to sit out with three fouls from midway through the third quarter to the six-minute mark of the fourth. Carroll's Meghan Creighton fouled out with three minutes left.

The two teams ended the first quarter tied at 11. A three-point shot by Emily Fazzini put Carroll in front, 17-16. Mount Lebanon ran off five straight points and went on to end the first half with a 26-22 lead.

The Blue Devils, the second-place team from District 7, lost four of their first five games and six of their first eight, playing teams from California, Colorado, and Arizona. Then they strung together 17 straight wins before being upset by Shaler, 41-35, in the District 7 playoffs.

Mount Lebanon   11 15 13 8 – 47

Archbishop Carroll   11 11 10 14 – 46

ML: Kelly Johnson 13, Anna Kestler 7, Liz Tommasi 4, Madison Clark 9, Christine Ehland 4, Jordan Holmes 2, Emma Pellicano 8.

AC: Emily Fazzini 9, Sarah Curran 4, Meghan Creighton 5, Jen Carney 17, Nora McGeever 2, Rachel Pearson 5, Kristie Constantino 4.