Lourdes Hannah Lokitis (22) rips a rebound away from North Schuylkill's Jadelin Stitzer during Tuesday's Schuylkill League girls' basketball semifinals at Martz Hall (Photo by Danie Mae Photography).

Junior center posts double-double, keys press break in 49-32 win

POTTSVILLE — Lourdes center Hannah Lokitis fills up the stat sheet on a regular basis for the Red Raiders.

The 6-foot-2 junior did it again Tuesday night in the Schuylkill League girls’ basketball semifinals at Martz Hall.

Lokitis’ biggest contribution, however, in Lourdes’ 49-32 win over North Schuylkill wasn’t her game-high 17 points on the offensive end nor her 15 rebounds and four blocked shots on the defensive end.

What Lokitis did in the middle of the floor against the Spartans’ full-court press is the biggest reason the Division II champion Red Raiders (22-1) will be playing in the Schuylkill League championship game for the first time in 30 years when they face Schuylkill Haven at 6 p.m. Friday at Martz Hall.

“They had the ultimate press break, and that was (Lokitis) in the middle,” North Schuylkill coach Rich Wetzel said. “We had girls draped on her and all they had to do is throw it up to her and she catches it.

“We were able to pressure their guards tremendously. That big girl in the middle, with her arms in the air she’s got to be 6-7. Throw it up and she catches it. It’s the way out of everything.

“(Lokitis) in the middle of the press, that hurt us. They just threw it up, she caught it. Normally we get those balls.”

North Schuylkill (16-8) thrives off its pressure defense to cause turnovers and create offensive opportunities at the other end.

The Spartans were able to do that for a portion of a fast-paced first half against Lourdes. North Schuylkill forced 11 first-half turnovers, led 14-12 after one quarter and got scoring from all five of its starters over the first 16 minutes. North Schuylkill hit its shots, shooting 11-for-30 from the field.

The problem for North Schuylkill was that Lourdes was able to break the press by putting Lokitis in the middle of the floor near half court and use her as a terminal that all passes up the floor went through.

“That’s something that my coach emphasizes, that I have to help,” Lokitis said. “We knew coming into this game that their guard pressure was going to be something of a challenge. Our guards handled it very well. I was there to help.”

Lourdes weathered North Schuylkill’s storm in the first half as Kylla Sandri and Lokitis each scored eight points. Sandri had seven points in an 11-2 run that gave Lourdes a 20-16 lead early in the second quarter before North Schuylkill answered to grab a 24-23 advantage in the final minute.

A driving basket by Lokitis and a layup by Sophia Karlovich off a feed from Lokitis gave the Red Raiders a 27-24 halftime lead.

“It was close in the first half. We really just wanted to come out in the second half and break away,” Lokitis said. “In the second half, all five of us on the floor started clicking, started connecting and everything started to fall into place.”

The second half was all Lourdes.

The Red Raiders opened the second half on a 9-0 run as Lokitis scored a pair of buckets, Sandri converted a layup and Karlovich tallied three points.

After Katie Urbanowicz drained a 3-pointer with 2:21 left in the third for North Schuylkill — ending a 6-minute, 37-second scoring drought — Lourdes ripped off six more points on a steal and layup by Sandri and four free throws by Lokitis.

The 15-3 run gave Lourdes a 42-27 lead … North Schuylkill didn’t get closer than 13 points the rest of the way.

“We know they live and die by the trey and that’s what they have to do,” Lourdes coach Michael A. Klembara said. “I think our dominant inside people were the key to our success. We turned the ball over a lot more times than we wanted to, but we were big in the third period. We put a lead that was a little difficult for them to come back.

“For a team that doesn’t have a senior starter, we did show an awful lot of poise. That’s really a tribute to their intelligence, and my coaches do a great job. We have a great staff.”

North Schuylkill shot 2-for-25 from the field in the second half and did not make a two-point field goal. The Spartans also turned it over 10 times.

Gianna Capone led the Spartans with eight points, but leading scorers Mya Conti and Monica Selgrade were held to five and four points, respectively.

“The bottom line is when you get that many good shots, you have to put them in,” Wetzel said. “Their size in the half-court, we’re not going to get many shots in the paint clean because they’re bigger than us. It came down to us making outside shots. We didn’t make enough, it’s that simple.”

For Lourdes, Sandri finished with 12 points while Karlovich had 10 points and nine rebounds.

The win, Lourdes’ 16th straight, is its first Schuylkill League playoff win since 1996 and the Red Raiders’ first-ever victory over North Schuylkill.

The Red Raiders will look to win the first Schuylkill League girls’ title in program history Friday against Schuylkill Haven.

“It’s something we’ve worked really hard for,” Lokitis said of reaching the Schuylkill League final. “It was one of our goals this season.

“All season we talked about this moment. We worked so hard to get here. All that work we have put in is starting to pay off. I’m excited to see what is to come for this team.”

Game Summary

Schuylkill League Girls’ Semifinal

At Martz Hall

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (32) — Selgrade 2 0-0 4, Conti 2 0-0 5, Capone 3 2-2 8, Ja. Stitzer 3 0-0 6, Digris 1 0-0 3, Gawrylik 0 0-0 0, Urbanowicz 2 0-0 6. Totals 13 2-2 32.

LOURDES (49) — Sandri 5 1-4 12, Barnes 1 0-0 2, Lokitis 6 5-6 17, Karlovich 4 2-3 10, Reiprish 2 0-0 5, Schroyer 0 3-4 3, Shingara 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 11-17 49.

3-point FGs: Conti, Digris, Urbanowicz 2, Sandri, Reiprish

Officials: Shober, Fryer, Merwine