Liberty falls to Governor Mifflin in PIAA 4A girls basketball

HAMBURG For all that went wrong for Liberty through three quarters foul trouble, missed free throws, passes without purpose it had the opportunity it wanted.

Emily Gingrich swiped the Hurricanes' chances to complete their game-long comeback quest.

Best known for her footwork on the soccer field, the Governor Mifflin junior flashed quick hands on the basketball court Tuesday when the Mustangs were in danger of losing their lead. Twice she converted steals into baskets with her team's advantage sliced to a single possession.

Her second swipe-and-score wound up as a three-point opportunity that she finished, starting a 12-2 run that clinched Governor Mifflin's 51-42 win over Liberty in a PIAA Class 4A second-round girls basketball game at Hamburg High School.

Gingrich finished with 25 points and seven steals for the Mustangs (19-8), who entered the 4A playoffs as District 3's No. 6 state qualifier but have wound up as one of the last eight 4A teams still playing in the state. They will face District One No. 4 Council Rock South, a 54-51 winner over District 3 champion Red Lion, in a state quarterfinal Friday at a site and time to be determined.

Liberty, the District 11 4A runner-up, concluded its season at 17-10. The Hurricanes led just one time Tuesday, at 2-1 in the first quarter. They still had three chances to tie or go ahead in the fourth quarter but could not keep the ball away from Gingrich when it mattered most.

"I knew how quick she was, but it's hard to guard speed," Liberty coach Amy Yencho said. "We needed to be in help position. I knew on the defensive end she was going to cause problems too. We emphasized skip passes and back passes were not going to be there, and we would have to ball-fake and dribble-penetrate. We didn't execute."

In a game featuring Governor Mifflin's all-time leading scorer (Ashley Espinosa) and a Division I basketball recruit (Liberty senior Jody Chickey), Gingrich played better than anyone. She scored 10 of her points in the first quarter, helping the Mustangs build a 16-6 lead after eight minutes. She added nine more points in the fourth quarter.

Her biggest play came midway through the fourth. Liberty senior C.J. Hilliard missed a 3-pointer that would have given the Hurricanes the lead, but Maggie Zerbe (eight rebounds) grabbed the offensive board.

When Zerbe tried to throw the ball to a teammate, Gingrich zipped in front of the pass for a steal and drove the length of the floor for a layup on which she was fouled. She drilled the free throw to give Governor Mifflin a 39-34 lead with 4:21 to go.

Read the original:
Liberty falls to Governor Mifflin in PIAA 4A girls basketball