PIAA GIRLS CLASS A

BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPSECOND ROUNDMarian Catholic (District 11 champion) vs.vs. Old Forge (District 2 Champion)RECORDS: Marian Catholic (25-2); Old Forge (20-3)'TIPOFF: Wednesday, March 12 - 6:00 p.m. at Hazleton High SchoolHEAD COACHES: Marian Catholic - Paul Brutto (23rd season); Old Forge - Tom GattoHOW THEY GOT HERE: Marian Catholic - Marian defeated Northeast Bradford 47-23. Old Forge - defeated Harrisburg Christian 52-27.PROBABLE STARTERS: Marian Catholic - Gabby Green, 5-3, senior, (7.5 ppg, 3.1 apg, 24 three-pointers); Emily Sofranko, 5-3, senior, (4.6 ppg, 3.5 apg); Lindsay Nemeth, 5-3, senior, (5.1 ppg, 31 three-pointers); Abbey Whildin, 5-7, junior, (7.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg); Savanna Krusinsky, 5-10, sophomore, (9.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg). Old Forge - Lauren Carey 5-7, senior, (13.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg), Taylor Nemetz, 5-7 (8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 22 three-pointers), Ryhan Barnic, 5-5, senior (10.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 46 three-pointers), Natalie Bieryla, 5-7, senior (3.9 ppg), Teri Viera, 5-2, senior (3.5 ppg, 16 three-pointers)KEY RESERVES: Marian Catholic - Vanessa Whitecavage, 5-3, sophomore, (5.8 ppg, 25 three-pointers); Ashley Fannick, 5-5, junior, (2.8 ppg); Brenna Karnish, 5-8, freshman, (2.3 ppg); Old Forge - Tori Tansley, 5-6, junior (8.7 ppg 5.3 rpg)GAME NOTES: Marian and Old Forge will be meeting for the second time in the last three years in the state playoffs. That game was also played at Hazleton High School with Marian winning, 44-39 ... It's easy to see why both these teams are back in the state playoffs with the experience they've returned. Old Forge's top four scorers Lauren Carey, Taylor Nemetz, Tori Tansley and Ryhan Barnic played in that game against Marian in 2012. The same goes for the Fillies as their three senior guards Gabby Green, Emily Sofranko, and Lindsay Nemeth were on the court against the Blue Devils ... Balance is the key for both of these squads. Marian has five girls that are averaging at least five points a game this season, while Old Forge has four girls averaging eight or more ... Depth is once again on the side of the Fillies, which has helped them attack teams with defensive pressure. Marian has had seven players see consistent court time most of this season and now have eight with freshman Brenna Karnish seeing more playing time in the postseason. Old Forge goes just six deep and after that six, senior Marissa Zambetti has seen the most playing time, playing in just 12 games ... Marian will have to do a good job containing the Blue Devil shooters. Old Forge hit 111 three-pointers during the regular season with Ryhan Barnic tallying 46 of them.SCOUTING REPORT: There are a lot of interesting story lines in this ball game, especially with Marian returning three players and Old Forge returning four from their 2012 state playoff clash. The Fillies and Blue Devils are the same in a lot of ways. They are both guard oriented, putting four guards and just one forward on the floor most times. The key for Marian will be to get its press working early. Northeast Bradford handled the Fillies pressure pretty well in the opening round game, so that's something coach Paul Brutto will want to see out of his team. Savanna Krusinsky and Abbey Whildin will need to continue to play tough and physical on the inside. Whildin finished with 10 points and seven boards and Krusinsky finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Northeast Bradford. Those two helped Marian gain an 18-6 advantage on the offensive glass. That's something very valuable in state playoff competition, especially if other parts of your game plan aren't working. Old Forge plays a match-up zone defense that can be very difficult to process in a game setting, so it could be important for Gabby Green, Lindsay Nemeth, or Vanessa Whitecavage to hit a couple outside shots early to stretch the Blue Devils defense.NEXT OPPONENT: The winner will advance to Saturday's quarterfinal round against the St. John Neuman-Jenkintown winner.QUOTABLE: "We want to pressure them from the onset and cause some turnovers. We really didn't get much out of our press on Saturday, so that's something we need to get done. Our defensive pressure has been such a big part of our success. We're also going to continue to try and get the ball inside. Savanna (Krusinsky) really played well the other night and that offset the fact that we didn't get them to turn it over that much. I think our depth is once again something that will help us. We play seven or eight girls, while they only play five or six, so we'd like to take advantage of that. I also think it's key that our girls don't try and over think on offense. Their match-up can be tough and sometimes if you think too much out there and over analyze you end up doing less offensively. We told the girls to just take what the defense gives you and if you get a good look to take it." - Marian coach Paul Brutto.