Six years ago, the Red Raiders of Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School pulled off a memorable feat for their Coal Township school community, with their boys’ and girls’ squads winning back-to-back District 4 championships on the same cold February night at Danville High School.
No doubt several of the players on the current rosters were in attendance for the doubleheader that night in 2019, and enjoyed post-game celebrations on the court as both varsity squads took gold medals and trophies back to their home gym.
Powering through the District 4 Class 1A brackets this year – the girls a number one seed and the boys slaying perennial giants as the number six seed – the Red Raiders had a chance to repeat history as both teams played in back-to-back championship games Thursday night, February 27, at Montoursville Area High School.
The girls opened the double header, facing the Millville Quakers out of Columbia County, an opponent Lourdes had beaten earlier in the month. And from the outset, it was clear that Coach Mike Klembara’s freshmen and sophomore-laden team would seal the deal once again, as Lourdes took a 9-2 lead in the game’s opening minutes. After a much-needed timeout, the Quakers answered with a three-pointer to pull within four points. But Lourdes stepped on the gas, hustling for loose balls and forcing turnovers that converted into points. At half, they were in full control with a 27-12 lead.
The second half saw more of the same, as the Quakers couldn’t answer Lourdes’ pace and prowess. The Red Raiders forced 23 turnovers on Millville throughout the night.
Lourdes claimed a 54-21 victory, taking their first district title since the memorable doubleheader in 2019.
Sophomore Hannah Lokitis, a center at 6-foot-1, had a standout game with 22 points and 17 rebounds.
Post-game, Coach Klembara told the media he’s been referring to Lokitis as Lourdes’ best-kept secret. “I told her earlier this week, ‘You’re no longer a secret.’”
Freshman Kylla Sandri contributed 12 points, and senior Anna Keer added nine. For Keer, the title win was especially poignant for her senior season.
“It’s an amazing feeling to get this title,” she told The Witness. “For me, it’s been four years coming, and I’m so happy that I got a chance to win it.”
“The message tonight was to go in and get the job done, to do what we have to do, play our game and be confident,” Keer said. “We have a well-rounded offense and defense, and we’re always there to help each other on the floor.”
With the first half of the doubleheader in the books, it was the boys’ turn to take the court. Coach James Sandri’s Red Raiders came in as a hungry underdog at 8-17, fresh off a semifinal upset win over Sullivan County, the number two seed in the brackets. In the finals, Lourdes was up against the number one seeded North Penn-Liberty Mounties from Tioga County, and in the opening minutes, it looked like the Red Raiders were heading toward another upset victory as they opened with a 7-2 run that forced the Mounties to call a timeout and readjust.
And readjust they did. Fresh of the timeout, Liberty flipped the script to go on a 7-2 run of their own. Halftime found the Mounties up 31-28 with the sense that it was anyone’s game to take.
Liberty mounted a frenetic start to the second half, building a 38-28 lead and forcing turnovers as Lourdes struggled to keep possession. But Lourdes clawed back with a timely three-point play by Billy Rishel and back-to-back buckets from Brighton Scicchitano to eventually pull within three, 44-41, at the end of the third quarter.
A continued push by the Red Raiders gave them a lead 50-46 after scoring seven straight points from Landon Williams, Kyle Baranoski and Scicchitano with three minutes left in the game. But costly turnovers compounded by a dry spell in the paint and Liberty’s 11 points in the waning minutes dashed Lourdes’ hopes of another upset victory. The Mounties topped the Red Raiders, 57-53.
It was a tough loss for Lourdes, as the game slipped from their hands.
“I thought they played hard today,” Coach Sandri told The Witness after speaking with his team in the locker room. “We were down by ten early in the second half and I knew we needed somebody to make a stop and turn it into points. We did that and we came back, but there was a play in the fourth quarter where we turned it over and Liberty came back with a three-pointer, and that was a cut I don’t think we recovered from.”
“We’re going to take a day or two off, regroup and retool, and start things up again to play next Friday in the first round of states. We’re just going to give it everything we can, and put this game behind us,” Sandri said. “We lost, we have to forget about it and focus on next Friday.”
For the first round of states, Lourdes’ girls will play the number three seed from District 6 and the boys will meet the second seed from District 3 next weekend.
(Photos by Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
