St. Joseph girls basketball team wants to keep rolling

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, January 31, 2024 | 6:33 PM

Senior Maggie Bernat understands where the veteran St. Joseph girls basketball team stands as it enters the final stretch of the regular season.

Closing in on another section championship, the Spartans also hope to keep pace with the likes of Union and Aquinas Academy at the top in Class A with the WPIAL playoffs just two weeks away.

“We are really motivated to get to the playoffs and get to the WPIAL title game that we’ve come close to the past couple of years,” said Bernat, one of four senior starters on a team that was 15-2 overall heading into a nonconference showdown with defending District 9 Class 2A champion Redbank Valley on Wednesday.

“Knowing that this senior group is getting to the end of our time together motivates us even more. This is our last shot at doing something big in the playoffs. We have the confidence to go up against the other really good teams in single-A.”

St. Joseph has lost by three points to Class 5A North Hills at the season-opening St. Joseph tournament Dec. 2. The second loss came in overtime at Aquinas Academy, 66-62, on Dec. 18.

The Spartans entered the week No. 2 in the Triblive HSSN WPIAL Class A rankings, one spot behind defending WPIAL champion Union and one ahead of Aquinas.

“It’s exciting and also nerve-wracking a little bit as we try to do what we need to do to be ready for the playoffs,” senior guard/forward Julie Spinelli said.

“We have enough to worry about before the playoffs get here. We know we are going to be a top seed with Union and Aquinas and others, and we hope to be playing our best basketball. We’re gaining confidence because we’ve zeroed in on some of the things in practice that will help us get better.”

St. Joseph players said the first game with Aquinas was an intense battle, one they hope is repeated in the playoffs.

“That is one game that we really want to have,” said Spinelli, who tallied a game-best 36 points and added 12 rebounds against Aquinas.

“We didn’t rebound the way we wanted to in that game, and there were other opportunities that we missed. That happens, though, and the game was so competitive. We’ll be glad to face anyone in the playoffs, but to have an opportunity to play Aquinas again, if we work hard, I know we can turn around that first result.”

St. Joseph caps its regular-season run with section matchups next week against Leechburg on Monday at home, Tuesday at Jeannette and Feb. 8 at Riverview. The Spartans outscored those three opponents by an average of 35 points the first time around.

“I think our best game is still out there,” said 6-foot-3 senior Anna Kreinbrook, who averages 9.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.4 blocks. “We’ve taken every game and every practice as an opportunity to get better.”

A stern test at perennial Class 3A power Shady Side Academy (15-2) awaits in the regular-season finale Feb. 12.

“That game will really help us prepare for the playoffs,” said Spinelli, who leads the team in scoring at 20.3 points and averages 6.4 rebounds and 3.4 steals.

“We’ve always been willing to play bigger teams, and we’re pretty excited for it. Shady Side has two really good outside shooters who can knock the ball down. We have to make sure we know where they are on the court at all times. They also have a big inside who can control the paint and get layups. It’s always a challenge to defend both.”

Class 6A Allderdice saw its six-game winning streak snapped Jan. 25 when St. Joseph prevailed 75-65. It was the Spartans’ highest-scoring game of the season.

“That game gave us confidence that we can go out and do well against bigger teams,” said senior guard Emma Swierczewski, who averages 10 points and 5.6 rebounds. “We’re more than just beating teams in our section.”

Monday’s matchup with Leechburg is senior night, and seven players, including the four regular starters — Bernat, Spinelli, Kreinbrook, and Swierczewski — and reserves Montana Geibel, Amelia Wygonik and Kalyda O’Connor will be honored.

Swierczewski expects it to be an emotional evening.

“It will be pretty hard to get through,” she said. “I’ve been with these girls since middle school. We’ve been through a lot and have done so much together. But it also will add to the motivation to finish the (regular season) strong.”

The lone nonsenior starter, junior guard Gia Richter, is second on the team in scoring at 10.9 a game, and she is averaging 3.1 assists and 3.8 steals. She scored in double figures in 11 of her team’s first 17 games with a season-best 18 against North Hills.

The St. Joseph players tested themselves Wednesday evening with a nonsection matchup at Redbank Valley, which defeated Serra Catholic in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.

“This group is so close on and off the court,” said Bernat, who averages 4.6 points and 4.2 rebounds. “We want to play and do well for each other. That is even more motivation to make a run and try to make history together.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: St. Joseph