`KC in title bid`

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LADY EAGLES EYE RETURN TO CHAMPIONSHIP

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Locals dominate Sheffield for a rout in the semis

By Brad Isles
Herald Sports Writer

CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS _ It appears as though the Kennedy Christian girlsbasketball team has revenge on its mind.

Kennedy Christian's Kathy Sokolak breaks free for an inside shot against Sheffield. (Tim Cimperman/Herald)

For the second consecutive season, Kennedy Christian will play for the District 10 Class A title after beating Sheffield Wednesday night at Cambridge Springs High School, 64-32.

And the Lady Golden Eagles will be looking to avenge last year's 45-36 defeat by Saegertown in the championship game.

After outscoring its opponents by an average of 32 points, Kennedy (21-5) hopes Youngsville, 47-44 victors over Linesville, will be its next victim. The site, date and time of the championship game has yet to be announced.

``We're not up to par with teams like Kennedy Christian yet,'' said Sheffield coach Jeff White. ``But give us time, we're young yet. We'll be there.''

Kennedy's stingy defense forced Sheffield into 28 turnovers, including 18 in the second half. If the Lady Wolverines managed to get a shot off, which wasn't often, they missed.

``I told our girls all year long that you want to fluster the other team,'' White said. ``Kennedy was able to do that to us tonight. They really flustered our guards and forced them into a lot of turnovers.''

Sheffield (13-13) failed to hit from the field in the third quarter, going 0-for-8. Over the second half the Lady Wolverines were 3-for-15. For the game they shot 34 percent (13-for-38).

``I think we came out with a little more intensity in the second half,'' said Kennedy coach Father Rick Tomasone. ``I think our zone had a little to do with it. I think we played it pretty effectively.''

Kennedy held a modest 33-24 lead at halftime but their defense, and Jamie Cicuto, quickly turned the game into a rout.

Cicuto, who finished as the game's high scorer with 19 points, exploded for 10 in the frame as the Lady Eagles shut out Sheffield 16-0 to take a 49-24 lead into the fourth quarter.

All 10 of Cicuto's third-quarter points came the first four minutes of the frame, with four of the hoops coming on putbacks of teammate's misses. She finished with a game-high 12 boards and the Lady Eagles combined for 42 total.

``I was actually pretty pleased with our overall rebounding,'' Father Tomasone said. ``Coach (Eddie) McCluskey told me early on that you can say what you want but you've got to have three rebounders on the floor at all times. I think tonight we had three kids going to the ball every time.''

Cicuto, at 5-foot-11, was dominating on the inside as her numbers show. Tara Stevens and Julie Fill also came up big under the boards for the Lady Golden Eagles. Sheffield just couldn't match up. Their tallest player who played a significant number of minutes was Amanda Duell at 5-8.

Duell led the Lady Wolverines with 13 points but left the game midway through the third after hurting her knee and didn't return.

Despite lacking in size, Sheffield took the ball at the Lady Eagles early and forced them into foul trouble.

With Kennedy leading 10-6 with three minutes left in the first, Cicuto had to go to the bench after picking up her second foul. A minute later, Fill picked up her second foul and Kim Herzog made the free throws to cut the Eagles' lead to two. Duell then followed a Fill miss with a jumper to tie it at 10.

Fill countered with a putback and then Launa Jones hit a runner to retie it at 12, but that would be the closest the Lady Wolverines would get the rest of the game.

Kathy Sokolak had a foul shot and Fill, who finished with eight boards, had another putback to give Kennedy a 15-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

``We did what we wanted to accomplish in the first half, we took it right at them and forced them to foul,'' White said. ``I think Father gave them a good halftime speech and turned them around.''

Melanie Giordano and Sara Laslow, who each had 12 points for the Lady Eagles, combined for 10 of Kennedy's 18 second-quarter points with six and four, respectively.

But with 30 seconds to go in the half, Duell putback a Carissa Mead miss to cut a nine-point Kennedy lead to 31-24. But that would be their last field goal until the 5:10 mark of the fourth quarter when Corinne Mead hit a 3-pointer to make it 54-27.

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Updated Feb. 28, 1997*
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Eagles 64Wolverines 32 DISTRICT 10 A GIRLS BASKETBALL

KC in title bid

LADY EAGLES EYE RETURN TO CHAMPIONSHIP

Locals dominate Sheffield for a rout in the semis

Eagles 64
Wolverines 32

DISTRICT 10 A GIRLS BASKETBALL

`KC in title bid`