Sports
AACA Hoop Title Eludes Villa Maria After Two-Point Loss to Magic
The Hurricanes and Mount Saint Joseph's stared each other down all night before the Magic prevailed.
It was not a game for the faint of heart.
Mount Saint Joseph's captured the Athletic Association of The Catholic Academies 2010-11 basketball title on Tuesday night at Gwynedd Mercy College in Ambler with a 47-45 win over Villa Maria.
The game was one with no margin for error as the two perennial District 1 powerhouses fought tooth and nail right to the final buzzer before The Mount prevailed.
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The Hurricanes (18-6) took the lead in the first quarter, moving ahead 13-12 as it ended. But the two teams sparred like fighters and, when halftime rolled around, the game was tied at 28-28. That toe-to-toe battle never let up with both teams scoring six third-quarter points to end the period in a 34-34 deadlock.
Play opened up a bit during the final eight minutes, but the defenses were still stingy and neither team could widen any lead they had. When it came down to the end, The Mount (17-6) had take the title by the 47-45 final.
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Lisa Mirarchi was high scorer for Villa with 16 points while teammate Brooke Angelos added 11.
This was the third time this season the two teams had squared off. The Magic won the first time, 43-39, but the second game, at Villa's gym in Malvern, the Hurricanes finished with the upper hand, 50-43.
Villa had reached the AACA final by defeating Nazareth Academy, 44-37 in the semi-final game last Saturday, while Mount St. Joe's pummeled St. Basil's Academy, 46-24.
Next up for the Hurricanes is the District 1 AAA tournament where they will not play until Friday, Feb. 25. Because they are the top seed, they receive a first round bye and will face the winner of the Feb. 22 game between Merion Mercy and Marple Newtown.
Also, they won't see their rival Mount St. Joe's until next winter because the Magic have moved up to the AAAA division, where they are the number two seed.