In star-crossed WPIAL final, Serra Catholic gets past Geibel Catholic to win Class A crown

By: Don Rebel
Friday, February 27, 2026 | 4:55 PM

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The clash between Section 2-A co-champions in the WPIAL girls basketball finals became more about a battle to overcome adversity.

In the end, Serra Catholic won the rubber game and, more importantly, district gold, by edging Geibel Catholic, 47-46, on Friday at the Pitt’s Petersen Events Center.

“Girls basketball is a big tradition at Serra Catholic,” Eagles coach Mike Voit said. “I took the job three years ago and I know culture is very important. We talk about culture and preparation and performance, and these girls have been locked in the whole year.”

The district crown is Serra’s fifth in school history and first since 2005.

“It feels amazing,” Serra Catholic senior guard Niki Sfanos said. “Our sophomore year, me and Abby (Genes) came up short. We knew we had goals this season and its very exciting to achieve them.”

Those goals were frozen in time when a late drive by Geibel Catholic senior Emma Larkin rolled around the rim and bounced away.

Adversity for the Gators came Monday when after upending top-seeded Aquinas Academy in overtime, the joy was short lived when 6-foot-1 sophomore Mallory Clemmer fell and broke her wrist as the team was celebrating.

“As you all know, we didn’t have Mal and they fought like hell,” an emotional Geibel Catholic coach Sara Larkin said. “Obviously, her presence inside changes the game. A lot of second and third chances for Serra on the offensive end because we didn’t have Mal inside, so of course it changes the game. It’s easily a 10- to 15-points swing when she’s in there for us.”

A team with only seven players on its roster headed to the finals with one bench player.

“We have seven kids on the roster and for some reason, the public thinks we have 14,” Larkin said. “So we’re used to getting a lot of minutes from these kids, and this is a huge floor, so obviously these kids were tired but they gave it everything they have for 32 minutes.”

The game was tight throughout.

In the first half, Serra Catholic struggled shooting while Geibel Catholic was bit by the turnover bug.

The Eagles were 9 of 43 from the field in the first two quarters, and the Gators turned the ball over 10 times as the game was deadlocked at 23-23.

While neither team held more than a two-possession edge, the two biggest runs for each team came in the third quarter.

Serra Catholic scored seven unanswered to take a six-point lead, then Geibel Catholic answered with a 9-0 run that gave the Gators a 36-35 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

It was Serra Catholic’s turn to face adversity late in the third quarter.

Already playing without starter Mia Brush, who was not eligible for the postseason, the Eagles lost freshman Lexi Pierce to an apparent knee injury.

Pierce scored the team’s first 13 points and finished with a team-high 17 points, all in the first half.

“They prayed, then they played hard and banded together and talked about doing it for each other,” Voit said about his players’ reaction to their fallen teammate. “They’re a very tight knit group.”

Added Serra Catholic guard Abby Genes: “We were definitely flustered, but then we calmed down.”

Pierce was able to rejoin her teammates in a wheelchair to celebrate on the floor after the game.

With Pierce out, sophomore Bella Dumbroski picked up the slack. The team’s leading scorer this season tallied 12 of her 16 points in the second half.

“Its very important,” Dumbroski said. “People needed to step up for us to win for her especially; that moment is right there and you have to take it.”

Dumbroski also scored her 1,000th career point in the second half.

“Its very special since not a lot of people do that at a very young age,” she said. “I wouldn’t have done that without my teammates.”

The fourth quarter remained tight throughout. After the Eagles missed a chance to extend their lead to three points, the Gators had a chance to win.

Emma Larkin had the ball outside on the wing, drove to the baseline and the hoop, but her contested layup rolled out.

“Exactly as planned, we just didn’t get the roll,” Coach Larkin said.

Geibel Catholic fell to 23-2 with both losses coming against Serra Catholic.

“I bet you everybody coming here thought, the No. 4 seed without Mallory Clemmer, this is going to be a blowout,” Emma Larkin said. “And we lose by one on an in-and-out basket. We lose by one. Disrespect, crazy.”

Larkin had a game-high 22 points.

“She’s an outstanding player specifically, because from a scheming standpoint, you know what she’s going to do, but she’s so crafty about getting to where she wants to get,” Voit said. “To me, that’s collegiate level skills. No matter what you throw at her, she’s still going to find ways to get what she wants.”

Serra Catholic improved to 17-6 and will host District 6 fourth-place finisher Williamsburg (22-4) in the first round of the PIAA playoffs March 7.

Geibel Catholic hosts District 6 third-place finisher St. Joseph’s Catholic (23-3) in the state playoffs, also March 7.

Tags: Geibel, Serra Catholic