Archbishop Wood tops Archbishop Carroll in double OT for first PCL title since 2020-21
Senior Ava Renninger scored 22 points as she surpassed 1,000 career points in leading the Vikings to the title.
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Top-seeded Archbishop Wood defeated Archbishop Carroll, 54-52, in double overtime to win its first Philadelphia Catholic League title since 2020-21.
Historically, the Palestra, overtime games, and Wood had not meshed well.
The Vikings had gone to overtime three times while playing for a PCL championship — and they came up empty in each.
Wood lost in overtime in the 2011-12, 2018-19, and 2019-20 seasons, losing to Carroll in 2012 and 2019. But on Monday night, the Patriots, who were chasing their first crown since 2019, made Wood earn its title.
“They definitely weren’t going away,” Wood junior Emily Knouse said. “We knew we needed to stick with each other. Fortunately, all four of us have that experience and I think we kept relying on each other and following our seniors.”
Senior Ava Renninger led the Vikings with 22 points and she surpassed 1,000 career points. The Fairleigh Dickinson signee shook off two misses at the free throw line with 25.1 seconds remaining in regulation that helped send the game to its first overtime.
A foul sent Renninger to the free throw line with 3:35 left in the second OT. She sank both, giving Wood a lead it wouldn’t give up.
“We knew they were going to be the toughest opponent we’d played all year,” Renninger said. “We knew this was going to be a great game. They have a great coach, a great coaching staff, great players that are going to give it their all until the last buzzer goes off just like us. We knew it would be a close, tight game.”
The third-seeded Patriots made one last push, with Wilson scoring on a drive with 33 seconds left and Abbie McFillin swiping the inbound for a layup. A three by Wilson with 4.6 seconds left cut the lead to one before Lauren Greer split two free throws for the final margin.
This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.