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POTTSVILLE — Lourdes had their season come to an end when Linville-Hill shot their way past the Red Raiders 60-45 in the PIAA 1A state playoff semifinals Saturday at Martz Hall.
Linville-Hill (27-2) combined to hit 13 three-pointers as a team and were led by the play of Desiree Smucker on both ends of the floor for the double-digit state playoff win.
Lourdes (22-7) loses only one senior to graduation, Anna Keer, and will return a state playoff-experienced bunch next season.
“They kept their focus and it’s just part of the maturity,” said Lourdes head coach Mike Klembara. “I asked them how many teams after losing four seniors do they think could be in the Eastern Conference Finals?”
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Our Lady of Lourdes Regional’s Luci Shingara (33) gets around Linville Hill’s Payton Smucker (5) during the game against Linville Hill Saturday March 22, 2025 at Martz Hall in Pottsville. Johnathan B. Paroby / contributing photographer
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Our Lady of Lourdes Regional during a timeout in the first period of the game against Linville Hill Saturday March 22, 2025 at Martz Hall in Pottsville. Johnathan B. Paroby / contributing photographer
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Our Lady of Lourdes Regional’s Kylla Sandri (00) during the game against Linville Hill Saturday March 22, 2025 at Martz Hall in Pottsville. Johnathan B. Paroby / contributing photographer
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Our Lady of Lourdes Regional’s Vivian Reiprish (33) tries to get around Linville Hill’s Payton Smucker (5) during a game Saturday March 22, 2025 at Martz Hall in Pottsville. Johnathan B. Paroby / contributing photographer
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Linville Hill’s Leah Kurtz (3) celebrates back-to-back 3-pointers during the game against Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Saturday March 22, 2025 at Martz Hall in Pottsville. Johnathan B. Paroby / contributing photographer
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Our Lady of Lourdes Regional’s Luci Shingara (33) gets around Linville Hill’s Payton Smucker (5) during the game against Linville Hill Saturday March 22, 2025 at Martz Hall in Pottsville. Johnathan B. Paroby / contributing photographer
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The Warriors advance to face off against Bishop Guilfoyle in the PIAA 1A state playoff championship next Friday at 12 p.m. from Hershey’s Giant Center.
Lourdes brought their deficit to seven points, their closest margin, in the second quarter after Vivian Reiprish hit a pair of three’s for the 29-22 difference. Later in the fourth quarter, Onaleigh Barnes knocked down another three to bring the Red Raiders within a 52-45 deficit.
“We were losing eight or nine to nothing before we even got on the board and missed shots inside,” said Klembara. “It was all about focus.”
The game started with the Warriors going on an 11-2 run through the opening four minutes of the game.
Abrielle Fisher hit a trio of three’s and Leah Kurtz, Courtney Good and D. Smucker each buried triples in the first quarter for Linville-Hill.
Kylla Sandri hit a couple of three’s for Lourdes to bring the deficit to nine points at the end of the first quarter, 23-14.
“The experience is really going to help us because we had more freshmen and sophomores playing this year than ever before,” said Klembara.
The Warriors continued their hot shooting in the second quarter when Payton Smucker and D. Smucker each buried three’s.
Reiprish buried a pair of three’s to bring the Red Raiders within a 29-22 deficit with three minutes left in the first half.
Lourdes trailed Linville-Hill 33-23 at halftime.
D. Smucker came out after halftime and hit another pair of three’s for the 39-23 advantage.
Those baskets were met by Sandri and Barnes each hitting three’s for the 41-31 deficit midway through the third quarter.
One of Lourdes biggest obstacles was D. Smucker who collected three steals and finished with 20 points offensively, including five three-pointers.
“We knew about her, they just continued to hit three after three,” said Klembara. “When you think 13 three’s, 39 points that’s over half of their points.”
Lourdes brought the deficit to seven points one last time in the fourth quarter when Barnes hit a three for the 52-45 deficit two minutes into the fourth.
Sophia Karlovich added six of her 14 points in the fourth for Lourdes but it wasn’t enough as the Red Raiders dropped a 60-45 loss to Linville-Hill.
Karlovich led the Red Raiders offense with 14 points while Sandri added 10 points and Hannah Lokitis added seven points.
D. Smucker led Linville-Hill’s offense with 20 points while Fisher had 14 points and Ellie Rishel totaled 11 points.
Lourdes 45 — Sandri 3 1-2 10, Marcheski 0 0-0 0, Gonzalez 0 0-0 0, Barnes 2 0-0 6, Schu 0 0-0 0, Lokitis 3 1-1 7, Keer 1 0-0 2, Karlovich 7 0-0 14 Macaluso 0 0-0 0, Shingara 0 0-0 0, Reiprish 2 0-0 6, Fariello 0 0-0 0. 18 2-3 45.
Linville-Hill 60 — Bragg 0 0-0 0, Kurtz 1 0-0 3, E. Beiler 0 0-0 0, P. Smucker 1 0-2 3, H. Beiler 0 0-0 0, Martin 0 0-0 0, Petersheim 0 0-0 0, Good 3 1-2 9, C. Smucker 0 0-0 0, Rishel 3 4-4 11, D. Smucker 7 1-2 20, Smoker 0 0-0 0, Ab. Fisher 5 1-4 14, Ad. Fisher 0 0-0 0, Stoltzfus 0 0-0 0, Wiedman 0 0-0 0. 20 7-14 60.
LOU (22-7);14;9;13;9;—45
LH (27-2);23;10;16;11;—60
3-PT — Sandri 3, Barnes 2, Reiprish 2, Kurtz, P. Smucker, Good, Alshel, D. Smucker 5, Ab. Fisher 3
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Linville-Hill (27-2) combined to hit 13 three-pointers as a team and were led by the play of Desiree Smucker on both ends of the floor for the double-digit state playoff win.
Lourdes (22-7) loses only one senior to graduation, Anna Keer, and will return a state playoff-experienced bunch next season.
“They kept their focus and it’s just part of the maturity,” said Lourdes head coach Mike Klembara. “I asked them how many teams after losing four seniors do they think could be in the Eastern Conference Finals?”
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Our Lady of Lourdes Regional’s Luci Shingara (33) gets around Linville Hill’s Payton Smucker (5) during the game against Linville Hill Saturday March 22, 2025 at Martz Hall in Pottsville. Johnathan B. Paroby / contributing photographer
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Our Lady of Lourdes Regional during a timeout in the first period of the game against Linville Hill Saturday March 22, 2025 at Martz Hall in Pottsville. Johnathan B. Paroby / contributing photographer
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Our Lady of Lourdes Regional’s Kylla Sandri (00) during the game against Linville Hill Saturday March 22, 2025 at Martz Hall in Pottsville. Johnathan B. Paroby / contributing photographer
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Our Lady of Lourdes Regional’s Vivian Reiprish (33) tries to get around Linville Hill’s Payton Smucker (5) during a game Saturday March 22, 2025 at Martz Hall in Pottsville. Johnathan B. Paroby / contributing photographer
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Linville Hill’s Leah Kurtz (3) celebrates back-to-back 3-pointers during the game against Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Saturday March 22, 2025 at Martz Hall in Pottsville. Johnathan B. Paroby / contributing photographer
Show Caption
1 of 5
Our Lady of Lourdes Regional’s Luci Shingara (33) gets around Linville Hill’s Payton Smucker (5) during the game against Linville Hill Saturday March 22, 2025 at Martz Hall in Pottsville. Johnathan B. Paroby / contributing photographer
Expand
The Warriors advance to face off against Bishop Guilfoyle in the PIAA 1A state playoff championship next Friday at 12 p.m. from Hershey’s Giant Center.
Lourdes brought their deficit to seven points, their closest margin, in the second quarter after Vivian Reiprish hit a pair of three’s for the 29-22 difference. Later in the fourth quarter, Onaleigh Barnes knocked down another three to bring the Red Raiders within a 52-45 deficit.
“We were losing eight or nine to nothing before we even got on the board and missed shots inside,” said Klembara. “It was all about focus.”
The game started with the Warriors going on an 11-2 run through the opening four minutes of the game.
Abrielle Fisher hit a trio of three’s and Leah Kurtz, Courtney Good and D. Smucker each buried triples in the first quarter for Linville-Hill.
Kylla Sandri hit a couple of three’s for Lourdes to bring the deficit to nine points at the end of the first quarter, 23-14.
“The experience is really going to help us because we had more freshmen and sophomores playing this year than ever before,” said Klembara.
The Warriors continued their hot shooting in the second quarter when Payton Smucker and D. Smucker each buried three’s.
Reiprish buried a pair of three’s to bring the Red Raiders within a 29-22 deficit with three minutes left in the first half.
Lourdes trailed Linville-Hill 33-23 at halftime.
D. Smucker came out after halftime and hit another pair of three’s for the 39-23 advantage.
Those baskets were met by Sandri and Barnes each hitting three’s for the 41-31 deficit midway through the third quarter.
One of Lourdes biggest obstacles was D. Smucker who collected three steals and finished with 20 points offensively, including five three-pointers.
“We knew about her, they just continued to hit three after three,” said Klembara. “When you think 13 three’s, 39 points that’s over half of their points.”
Lourdes brought the deficit to seven points one last time in the fourth quarter when Barnes hit a three for the 52-45 deficit two minutes into the fourth.
Sophia Karlovich added six of her 14 points in the fourth for Lourdes but it wasn’t enough as the Red Raiders dropped a 60-45 loss to Linville-Hill.
Karlovich led the Red Raiders offense with 14 points while Sandri added 10 points and Hannah Lokitis added seven points.
D. Smucker led Linville-Hill’s offense with 20 points while Fisher had 14 points and Ellie Rishel totaled 11 points.
Lourdes 45 — Sandri 3 1-2 10, Marcheski 0 0-0 0, Gonzalez 0 0-0 0, Barnes 2 0-0 6, Schu 0 0-0 0, Lokitis 3 1-1 7, Keer 1 0-0 2, Karlovich 7 0-0 14 Macaluso 0 0-0 0, Shingara 0 0-0 0, Reiprish 2 0-0 6, Fariello 0 0-0 0. 18 2-3 45.
Linville-Hill 60 — Bragg 0 0-0 0, Kurtz 1 0-0 3, E. Beiler 0 0-0 0, P. Smucker 1 0-2 3, H. Beiler 0 0-0 0, Martin 0 0-0 0, Petersheim 0 0-0 0, Good 3 1-2 9, C. Smucker 0 0-0 0, Rishel 3 4-4 11, D. Smucker 7 1-2 20, Smoker 0 0-0 0, Ab. Fisher 5 1-4 14, Ad. Fisher 0 0-0 0, Stoltzfus 0 0-0 0, Wiedman 0 0-0 0. 20 7-14 60.
LOU (22-7);14;9;13;9;—45
LH (27-2);23;10;16;11;—60
3-PT — Sandri 3, Barnes 2, Reiprish 2, Kurtz, P. Smucker, Good, Alshel, D. Smucker 5, Ab. Fisher 3
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