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Lady Saints Look Sharp, Roll Through Prelim Game (3/4/10) OMPH came into the preliminary round with nothing to lose, and that can make for a dangerous opponent. But St. Theresa came into this game on a mission, with game faces firmly in place. The Lady Saints raced out to a 16 - 2 lead and never looked back in a 45 - 8 victory. Ten different players figured in the scoring for St. Theresa, led by Bri Betz-White and Cassie Zangari's 8 points a piece.
Now, the Saints await news about the Diocesan decision to re-seed the final eight teams so we see where we line-up. Tournament info will be posted here as soon as it becomes available.
Rising Stars Candidates Work Hard; Team Selection Finalized: Based on what the five coaches saw today out of the nineteen girls who tried out for Rising Stars, the prospects are bright for the future of St. Theresa Lady Saints basketball. As a group, the girls hustled, worked hard, and took instruction well. With only ten spots available, competition was keen and the decision making process took some time. Final selections were based solely on what we saw today at this tryout.
We want to emphasize that selection for Rising Stars has nothing to do with next season's Varsity roster or our activities over the summer. We made it clear to the girls at the conclusion of today's session that what happens next season will in large part be determined by how hard they work this summer and not how well they did in a one day tryout.
We're happy to announce that the 2010 Rising Stars squad members are: Jacque Barbush, Hannah Deppen, Rileigh Devine, Olivia Gilbertson, Ann Margaret Kennedy, Alex Lund, Jenna Mueller, Miranda Nixon, Becca Reilly, and Bella Ricci. Congratulations!
Rising Stars players should begin attending Varsity practices this week. Scheduling information can be found below. They will participate in drills and spend time watching and learning Varsity plays and defenses. They should also plan on attending Varsity games through the end of the Diocesan Tournament. Players will assist the coaches with equipment, sit behind our bench, and see upfront and personal what is expected of them at the next level. If your child has been named to the Rising Stars squad and you have any questions, please contact Coach Cicak directly, either via e-mail or cell (817-1146).
As soon as the Rising Stars tournament bracket is announced, a copy will be posted on our Tournaments webpage and the schedule below will be updated.
Slow Start Sinks Saints (02/21/10) In a league championship game, a slow start can be a killer. And so it was tonight as the Lady Saints spotted St. Catherine too big a 1st quarter lead before digging in and playing even the rest of the game. Down 15 - 6 after six minutes, the Saints refused to go quietly. Over the course of the next eighteen minutes it was a 31-32 ball game. But give St. Catherine credit, they did what they needed to do; got off to a fast start and then matched St. Theresa's furious come back. So the Lady Saints finish second in the league and now begin ten days of preparation for the Diocesan preliminaries.
Saints Rock the House, Down SJA 48 - 30 (2/20/10) Two good team squared off in the semis of the League Tournament and after 2 quarters, St. Theresa led St. Joan of Arc by a slim 19 - 16 margin. But in a break-out 3rd quarter, St Theresa outscored SJA 18 - 7 and breezed to a 48 - 30 victory. Cassie Zangari showed real range with an outside jumper as she rang up a season high 23 points for the Saints. Bri Betz-White added 16 of her own to go with 11 assists in the game. Miranda Nixon turned in some great minutes working under the boards and Jillian Marinelli chipped in 6 points and a great defensive effort. Alex Lund, Jacqui Barbush, and Chelsea Reneker cranked up the defensive pressure as the Saints full court heat caused a number of turnovers. With this victory, the Lady Saints earn a shot at the league title against favored St. Catherine.
League Tournament Opener: Saints Down LC 32 - 7 In a well balanced effort, nine Saints figured in the scoring, all 12 saw action, and everyone contributed good things to a solid win. Bri Betz-White led all scorers with 7 points. The Saints advance to the semi-finals, where they will meet St. Joan of Arc.
Saints Close Out League Play: (2/16/10) St. Theresa finished the regular league season with a victory over Lebanon Catholic. The girls appreciate the support we had; even though we were on the road we had more fans in the stands than the home team. Bri Betz-White led all scorers with 8 points. The Lady Saints end the regular season at 10 and 4 (17 and 9 overall). Next up, a quick re-match with Lebanon Catholic in the opening round of the Harrisburg League Tournament.
St. Theresa Honors 8th Graders: Led by Captains Bri Betz-White & Jillian Marinelli, a bevy of 8th Graders were recognized in their final home game in the Bert Leo Gym on Sunday. This group of young ladies has worked hard and earned distinction for themselves and the St. Theresa program. We recognize these players here and thank them for their efforts as Lady Saints:
Bri Betz-White
Kasey Dare
Reagan Devine
Aliyah Hench
Jillian Marinelli
Chelsea Reneker
Colleen Shuller
Natalie Weaver
Cassie Zangari
Lady Saints Split 2 Games on the Weekend: (2/14/10) The Saints dropped a big one versus St. Catherine's 16 - 27 and then bounced right back versus St. Margaret Mary with a 30 - 15 victory. Against St. Catherine's, St. Theresa led by 3 at the half but left their offensive play book in the locker room for the 2nd half, scoring only 2 points over the final two quarters. Cassie Zangari led a much more effective effort versus St. Mag's with 11 points. The Saints travel to Lebanon Catholic for their final league game Tuesday night.
St. Theresa Downs Good Shepherd 23 - 15 (2/7/10) St. Theresa and Good Shepherd looked like they decided to leave the fireworks for the Super Bowl, as both teams struggled to find the basket. The Lady Saints ratcheted up their defensive effort and hit the boards hard which turned out to be the difference in the game. Bri Betz-White, who spent considerable time riding a seat on the sideline due to foul trouble, still managed to lead all St. Theresa scorers with 8 points. Cassie Zangari added six and some solid rebounding. Miranda Nixon also added to the rebounding effort as did Colleen Shuller. Alex Lund passed on the scoring options but ran the point guard spot well in Bri's absence and turned in a super job on defense. Jacque Barbush added timely scoring, as did Jillian Marinelli. With this win, St. Theresa extends their winning streak to six games.
Lady Saints Roll on 5... In a Row (1/31/09) St. Theresa continued their steady advance, downing an always dangerous St. Joe's squad 44 - 35 and climbing into second place in the league. Thanks to a Good Shepherd upset of previously unbeaten (in the league) St. Catherine, the Lady Saints are in striking distance of the league leader with four games to go. The Betz-White/Zangari combination again rang up big points for St. Theresa, with Bri having a season-high 19 (6 for 6 down the stretch in the 4th quarter) and Cassie chalking up 15 points including some big put-backs on the offensive boards. The Saints continue to find a way to get it done, always the mark of an improving team.
Has St. Theresa Turned the Corner? (1/24/10) Nothing like four wins in the span of six days to jump-start your season. This mini run in late January couldn't come at a better time as the Saints try to build some momentum for the post season. Eight days ago, St. Theresa had stumbled badly against St. Joan of Arc, losing 29 - 21 at the Shark Tank. But today on the road in Hershey, the Lady Saints showed they know how to take on a tough opponent without backing down. In a very physical game that was back and forth for three quarters, St. Theresa led by a single point: 28-27. Then, it all clicked for the Saints. Alex Lund set up a nice entry pass and Cassie Zangari (13 points) finished smartly with a nice duck shot. After a "D" stop, the Saints came down on the second possession of the 4th Q and Lund (7 points) hit a trey to extend the lead to six. St. Theresa would never look back. Zangari would score 6 more in the 4th and Bri Betz-White, in another 17 point performance, would be a perfect 6 for 6 at the line. As a team, the Saints were 10 for 11 in that final stanza and turned a close ball game into a 47 - 32 victory.
St. Theresa, 3 in a Row (1/23/10) With contributions from every player, the Lady Saints downed St. Margaret Mary 37 - 14 at home. Jillian Marinelli led a balanced scoring attack with 9 points; Bri Betz -White added 8 and Reagan Devine and Cassie Zangari had 6 each. St. Theresa had 17 field goals in the game, the most this season. Tomorrow, we get a re-match with St. Joan of Arc in Hershey.
Lady Saints Games Not For the Weak of Heart (1/21/10) Another slam bang finish saw St. Theresa get the better of Good Shepherd this go-round, 36/29. The Lady Saints trailed by three after three quarters of play but rallied in the fourth with an impressive 14 points while holding the Rams to just 4. Bri Betz-White opened up her outside game and rang up 17 points for the game, 8 of them in the 4th. Cassie Zangari had all 11 of her points in the second half for a strong finish for St. T's. Back-to-back wins feel mighty good right about now as the team is playing with a renewed sense of purpose. St. Theresa will look to make it three in a row this Saturday at home versus St. Margaret Mary.
Whew! Streak Ends at 4; Saints Win! (1/18/09) In the pre-game locker room, the coaching staff talked about two things: having some fun on the court and finishing. The players did both; and Coach is still trying to catch his breath. Lots of people stepped up tonight and none bigger than Alex Lund who hit a huge trey as time expired to give the Lady Saints a 27 - 24 victory over St. Joe's. Miranda Nixon started in the "5" spot and came up huge on the boards and added 4 points. Cassie Zangari (6 points total) stepped away from the basket and hit two critical outside shots and just as importantly, played tough with four fouls and was still standing at the end of the game. Jillian Marinelli and Bri Betz-White each added 6 points a piece. Every player who hit the floor hustled, played hard, and helped contribute to ending the losing streak.
Next up, a re-match with Good Shepherd on a rare Thursday night make-up game.
Gettysburg Recap: 1/10/10 Inconsistent play, a bug-a-boo for the Lady Saints all season long, came back to haunt us again in the St. Francis Xavier tournament. Friday night vs St. Margaret, St. Theresa stormed out to a 20 - 9 half-time lead. The fast break transition was working, the defense was sharp, and shots were falling. Cassie Zangari exploded with 12 of her game high 16 points in the opening half. But the Lady Saints dozed off half-time and St. Margaret came roaring back. St. T's was 1 for 9 from the foul line in the 2nd half and managed only five field goals but held on for a 31 - 24 win.
Saturday morning the Saints tackled a tough Villa Maria squad. Down by 6 at intermission, the Saints only managed 1 point in the entire third quarter. Then in the 4th quarter, St. Theresa roared back to life and cut the lead to 4 while holding Villa scoreless from the field. Unfortunately, VM went 10 of 12 from the charity stripe down the stretch to seal a 25 - 33 win. Bri Betz-White's 8 points led an anemic Saints scoring effort.
Forced to the consolation bracket with the loss to VM, the Lady Saints took on cross town rival Good Shepherd in the afternoon. Both teams were playing their second game of the day but clearly the Rams had more in the tank than St. Theresa's. Good Shepherd's shooters looked sharp, hit their first four shots while the Saints went 0 for 8 to start the game. End result in a lackluster performance: a 29 - 35 loss. Bri Betz-White again led with 8 points in this game.
A critical weekend in the league shapes up right down the road. St. Joan of Arc at home in the Shark Tank on Saturday, St. Catherine away on Sunday, and St. Joe's on the road on a rare Monday night game could make or break our league season.
Holy Name Returns the Favor: (1/3/10)
Back before Christmas, St. Theresa defeated Holy Name in their gym. Today, the Jets evened that score by taking down the Lady Saints 32 - 30 in New Cumberland. Down to the wire it came down to made foul shots and poise under pressure. Both teams left it all on the floor but Holy Name was the squad that found a way to win. Cassie Zangari played very well, led the Saints with 11 points, and hung tough with four fouls for a long stretch of the 4th quarter. Bri Betz-White was 7 of 9 at the foul line and finished with 9 points total before fouling out late in the game. The Lady Saints now turn their attention to the upcoming tournament at Gettysburg College.
New Year With a Bang! (1/2/10)
With an eleven day layoff, everyone was interested (and a little worried) as to how the Lady Saints would start out the New Year. Unfortunately for Lebanon Catholic, St. Theresa showed zero rust and plenty of gas in the tank as they stormed out to an 11 - 5 1st quarter lead behind Bri Betz-White (10 points total) and Cassie Zangari (9 points total). The starters sat early and often in this contest and the entire team stepped up to show they were ready to play. Ten of twelve players figured in the scoring, led by Miranda Nixon's 5 points off the bench. Saturday's final: St. Theresa 39, Leb. Catholic 18.
Holy Name Game... (12/20/09)
If we told you that St. Theresa went 0 for 8 shooting from outside the paint in the first quarter, or that we had in excess of 20 + turnovers for the game, or that we shot less than 10% from the foul line, you'd probably suppose Sunday's game was a Holy Name victory. Fortunately for the Lady Saints, that was only one part of the story. The other part would be about a lot of hustle to overcome mistakes, a ton of heart to bear up under the pressure, and St. Theresa finding a way to win. Cassie Zangari came up big for the Lady Saints with 12 points and several key blocked shots. Bri Betz-White left it all on the floor as usual, rang in with 7 points of her own, and created havoc throughout the game. Kasey Dare provided a spark with an early trey and gave the Saints solid minutes at both ends of the court. Alex Lund turned up the defensive pressure with some key steals and Jillian Marinelli added a big bucket late in the game to help ice the victory at 28 - 24.
Saints Bounce Back, Take Sacred Heart 44 - 30 (12/13/09)
After a less than stellar team effort the day before, the Lady Saints showed a lot of character as they rebounded back into the win column by downing Sacred Heart. Cassie Zangari led the way with a number of rebounds, blocked shots, and a team high 14 points. Bri Betz-White gave her all (including one contact lens) as usual, scoring 10 of 12 points in the break-out first half when the Lady Saints sprinted out to a 23 - 7 half time lead. Although 11 players made an appearance in the game, all of the scoring was done by the starting five. Jillian Marinelli ended with 7, Aliyah Hench 6, and Alex Lund 5. The Saints took some air out of the ball for the 4th quarter, slowing things down and trying to run some clock. Despite some turnovers and the pull-out offense, St. Theresa still racked up 9 points in that final quarter.
With a short practice week coming up thanks to the Christmas play on Monday, the Lady Saints will need to work hard to prepare for a tough final weekend before the Christmas break.
Lady Saints Lose to St. Leo 30 - 24 (12/12/09)
On a night when St. Theresa started the game by warming up at the wrong end of the floor, you just knew that the Thursday night practice woes had not been put behind us just yet. 8 turnovers against the press in the 1st quarter = 8 St. Leo points, just like that. But the Lady Saints battled back with an excellent 2nd quarter, powered by 7 Cassie Zangari points and solid execution of the game plan by Bri Betz-White and Aliyah Hench. At the half, it was 21 all. And then... the wheels fell off. St. Theresa could only manage one field goal and one made foul shot in the final 12 minutes of play. St. Leo packed into a tight zone for the 4th quarter and six different St. Theresa shooters tried but could not find the range. The Saints went 4 for 11 from the foul line and 0 for the world on any shot outside 8 feet.
No time to sulk... Sacred Heart of Lancaster (3 & 0 in their last three games versus St. Catherine's, Holy Name, and St. Joe's of Mechanicsburg) rolls into the Bert Leo Gym for a Sunday afternoon showdown.
Saints Down OMPH 35 - 18 (12/6/09)
In as balanced a game as you may ever see, 11 Lady Saints contributed to the scoring and all 13 contributed to the defensive effort as St. Theresa improved to 5 & 2. Jillian Marinelli and Cassie Zangari led the effort with 5 points a piece. OMPH was overmatched by the taller, faster Saints but put up a good effort and made St. Theresa work for the win.
Next weekend, we return to Lancaster on Saturday for a road game versus St. Leo and then meet Sacred Heart at home on Sunday. Sacred Heart had a very impressive weekend, with victories over St. Catherine and Holy Name.
St. Catherine Jumps Out Early; Lady Saints Come Up Short (11/22/09)
In the Lindsay Bender title game, St. Catherine started with a bang running out to a 21 - 10 first half lead and cruised to a 34 - 26 victory over St. Theresa. Inconsistent play and mental mistakes continue to plague the inexperienced Lady Saints. On the positive side: St. Theresa handled the 1-3-1 press with only one turnover, shot 6 of 8 from the foul line in the 4th quarter to keep it close, had eight different players involved in the scoring, and held the Gelbaughs to single digits each. On the negative side: we were 0 - 5 from the foul line in the first half, consistently misplayed post defense and wing pick-ups out of the "4" defense, and rebounded poorly. Most disappointing was a general lack of intensity.
With this game behind us, the pre-league tournament season draws to a close. After a few days off for 40 Hours Devotion and the Thanksgiving holiday, the Lady Saints head back to the gym next weekend to prepare for the opening of league play.
Captains Lead the Way (11/21/09)
In the opening round of the Lindsay Bender Memorial Tournament, St. Theresa's captains set the pace. Bri Betz-White scored 8 of her game high 16 points in the pivotal 3rd period as the Lady Saints downed a tough Sacred Heart team 34 - 31. Jillian Marinelli spread 10 key points out evenly over the course of the game in her best performance this season. These co-captains also led a defensive charge that kept the visitors off balance most of the day. Sacred Heart stayed close on the strength of 11 of 19 made foul shots but in the end the tenacious St. Theresa defense prevailed.
In the night cap, Resurrection had to forfeit to St. Theresa due to a shortage of available players. St. T's held an inter-squad game to fill the time slot and work on some things for Sunday's game versus St. Catherine.
Saints Drop First Game, Lose to HNJ 43 - 32 (11/7/09)
When playing a quality opponent, you need to put together a complete game. St. Theresa learned that lesson as they played well in two quarters but had let-downs in two others. HNJ took full advantage of the Lady Saints' inconsistency and made their foul shots down the stretch to seal the win. St. Theresa meets St. Joe's for 3rd place in the Daley Tournament on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
Cardiac Saints Squeak One Out (11/5/09)
When St. Theresa had to make their first substitution BEFORE the jump ball, you just knew this was going to be a weird game. Co-Captain Jillian Marinelli busted open her finger just before the end of pre-game warm-ups and had to be replaced while the coaches scrambled for band-aids. Good Shepherd scored the first two baskets in the blink of an eye and held the lead until the second quarter. On as cold a night shooting as you're likely to see, the Lady Saints couldn't throw it in the ocean for most of the game but they made up for it with defensive intensity. Things picked up in the third quarter as the shooters started to find the range. But it was the roller-coaster ride in the final quarter that left the fans breathing hard. St. Theresa led by 7 with under three minutes to play and pulled the ball out to spread the floor and run some clock, only to turn it over on three straight possessions which led to three straight baskets by Good Shepherd. The Rams would get one more possession and a chance to win the game but Bri Betz-White stole the ball to end the threat and seal the win for St. Theresa at 25 - 24. Betz-White led seven Saints in scoring with 7 points.
St. Theresa now moves on to Saturday's tournament semi-final against always tough Holy Name.
First Game Jitters (11/3/09)
OK, so there were times when it wasn't pretty. There were times when we weren't sure what the heck we were doing. But the Lady Saints figured it out just well enough to earn their first victory of the new season with a 28 - 17 win over Annunciation. Eight different players figured in the scoring for St. Theresa, led by a pair of 6s by Bri Betz-White and Jillian Marinelli. In a clear disparity, Annunciation shot 11 foul shots while the Saints didn't make it to the line one single time. The Saints defense played well in the first half, with Betz-White, Alex Lund, and Casey Dare swarming the court. But the second half was a struggle as St. Theresa's team lost focus and repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with turnovers as Annunciation went on a 7 - 0 run to start the 3rd quarter. Miranda Nixon steadied the ship with four points and the teams battled evenly in the 4th.
With this win, St. Theresa moves on in the winners bracket for a Thursday night (7:00) match-up versus Good Shepherd.
First Week of Practice In, Saints Looking Sharp (10/01/09)
The Saints are looking good after this first week of practice. With only two returning starters from last season's Diocesan champs, St. Theresa faces a rebuilding project. But thanks to a lot of hard work on the part of the players over the summer, the varsity team is further along than expected. With the start of the CYO tournament season a little more than four weeks away, that's a good thing.
Betz-White & Marinelli Named Captains (09/30/09)
Keeping with a long-standing tradition throughout his coaching career, Coach Cicak announced the selection of the two captains from the ranks of the upper classmen for the 2009 / 2010 season. "Bri and Jillian were unanimous selections among the coaching staff, for their leadership on the court, work ethic, and their tremendously positive attitude. In the past, we've always selected captains from among the 8th Graders to emphasize the importance of maturity, leadership, and the reward that comes with paying your dues and helping to build our program. Bri and Jillian are the latest in an illustrious line of captains who will lead their teammates by example and be excellent representatives of our team."
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