BASKETBALL: Predicting the L-L girls' bracket
I’ve made my picks for the L-L boys’ bracket and now it’s time for the girls. There is no shortage of great games in this bracket and quite frankly, I had a much more difficult time choosing winners in this one.
Oh well, let’s break it down.
QUARTERFINALS:
THE GAME: Lebanon Catholic at McCaskey
THE WINNER: McCaskey
THE REASON: After taking the Section One tiebreaker game against Cedar Crest, McCaskey is riding high and I’m predicting that momentum will carry over into the first round. The Red Tornado is coming into this game on a six-game winning streak and it’s hard for me to envision them dropping this one.
THE GAME: Ephrata at Donegal
THE WINNER: Donegal
THE REASON: The Indians have scored over 60 points in three of their last four games and their ability to run the floor should give them a distinct advantage in this game. Ephrata has not scored 60 points in a game yet this season.
THE GAME: Cocalico at Lebanon
THE WINNER: Cocalico
THE REASON: This game will ultimately come down to whether or not Cocalico can play a full, 32-minute game. The Eagles are solid at all positions but can’t afford to be complacent. That being said, I still like them to chop down the Cedars.
THE GAME: Cedar Crest at Lancaster Catholic
THE WINNER: Lancaster Catholic
THE REASON: Folks in the north aren’t going to like me for predicting all three Lebanon County teams to fall in the first round but I have to go with Lancaster Catholic in this one. The Crusaders run a successful trap on the defensive side while sporting an outside shooting game in Erin Holt and inside presence with Caroline Scarff.
SEMIFINALS:
THE GAME: McCaskey vs Donegal
THE WINNER: Donegal
THE REASON: This should be a spectacular game and while I like the offensive firepower of McCaskey, I’m going with Donegal because I like the makeup of their team when things break down and the game gets chaotic.
THE GAME: Lancaster Catholic vs Cocalico
THE WINNER: Lancaster Catholic
THE REASON: These two teams played in a thrilling and controversial overtime game back in January with Catholic leaving their home court with a one-point win. I expect the same in this matchup (should it occur) with the Crusaders working the ball into Scarff a little more in the beginning.
FINALS:
THE GAME: Lancaster Catholic vs Donegal
THE WINNER: Lancaster Catholic
THE REASON:
The last time these teams played, it looked more like a track meet than a basketball game with points being exchanged with mere seconds in between with Catholic edging out a victory. If this happens to be the finals matchup, this will be an exceptionally fun game to watch. I’m rolling the dice on the Crusaders to pull out another win, however.