Mount Basketball Finishes at States

Below is an excerpt of an article published in the Chestnut Hill Local. Read the full article here.

Mount Saint Joseph Academy ended its basketball season on Saturday in a first-round game in the PIAA tournament. The third seed out of District 1 in Class 5A, the Magic bowed, 47-41, to another three-seed, District 12’s Archbishop Carroll High School.

MSJA, which had been the runner-up in the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies tournament, put the wraps on the 2019-20 campaign with an overall record of 20-9.

In Saturday’s state tourney opener at Methacton High School, a hot start by the Mounties had them up 15-9 at the end of the first quarter. The Carroll Patriots came back to lead by two points at the half, and later they took a 38-30 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Over the first two minutes of the final period the Magic got back within three points of the leaders (38-35), but got no closer. Later, free throws in the foul bonus put Carroll up by eight points once more before MSJA junior Grace Niekelski scored on a drive with seven seconds remaining, setting the final margin at six.

Niekelski and senior Audrey Bryce each scored six points for the Mount, which received 13 from senior point guard Lauren Vesey and 11 from senior forward Kelly Rothenberg. The Magic’s total was rounded out by four points from freshman Georgia Pickett and one from senior Taylor Sistrunk.