The team known for comebacks couldn't quite pull off another one.
Despite facing large deficits several times this year, including during a 17-game winning streak, the North Penn Knights didn't seem bothered.
In the state quarterfinals against Garnet Valley, the Knights found themselves behind by 14 in the second quarter and 10 at halftime. They managed to take a one-point lead early in the final period but ultimately lost 58-51 at Bensalem High School on Friday night.
Kylie Mulholland scored 21 points, Haylie Adamski had 15, and Emily Olsen added 14 for the Jaguars, who are advancing to the PIAA Class 6A semifinals against Spring-Ford, the No. 2 seed from District 1.
North Penn coach Brianna Cullen expressed disappointment at the loss, stating, "It's tough when you come back and still lose, but that's the way the game goes. There's never a point in a game where I think we're not capable of winning… Unfortunately, we got in a hole early.
Cullen also noted the team's lack of depth and fatigue towards the end of the season as contributing factors to their loss.
Junior Cameron Crowley led North Penn with 14 points, while Caleigh Sperling scored 12, Lily Brown had nine, and Leah Mikulski and Olivia Stone had eight each.
District 1 dominated the final four in this classification, with three out of the four schools hailing from the district. Garnet Valley (23-5) was the sixth seed from the district.
Following the victory, Kylie Mulholland commented, "We wanted to come out super-aggressive, we knew they were a tough team, and we just wanted to match their energy. I think we had more energy than they did coming out.
North Penn (23-5) gained momentum in the second period, exchanging a flurry of four 3-pointers with their opponents.
After a strong first half by Garnet Valley, their shots stopped connecting. Meanwhile, North Penn made consecutive 3-pointers and free throws to even the score at 41.
North Penn briefly took the lead at 44-43 early in the fourth quarter after Stone made a 3-point shot.
Cameron Crowley attributed their comeback to the team's defense, stating, "Our defense fuels our offense. Right after halftime, we just said, 'We’ve got to step it up,' and everyone got together. We got some turnovers that fueled our offense, and we came back.
Unfortunately, a series of poor possessions, including two turnovers, allowed Garnet Valley to regain the lead for good.
A dagger arrived early in the fourth quarter, as Haylie Adamski successfully made a 3-pointer from a faraway distance.
“Scoring three-pointers is my specialty,” Haylie stated. She has been offered scholarships by nine colleges, including Penn and St. Joseph’s. “I consider myself a sharpshooter. My teammates pass me the ball when I’m open, and I take the shot, hoping it goes in.
“When I release the ball, I have a feeling that it will go in, and then I feel reassured that we are in a good position.”
The Knights were still missing Kelly Donnelly, who committed to Widener and got injured in late January. Kelly, Stone, Sperling, and Olivia Stevens will all graduate this spring.
“It’s difficult because I hate to see this senior class leave, but they led us to this point,” said Cullen, a North Penn graduate who became the coach in 2021. “This achievement is beyond our initial expectations for the year.”
“I told them in the locker room, three years ago, none of us would have imagined being in this position. We have a new coach, a first-time head coach coming in, they bought in and they made it their own.
“I hope this is a moment they cherish throughout their careers, this feeling, how they reached here, and what it takes to get here. I am extremely proud of them, especially when facing adversity, they never gave up and kept fighting.”
Cardinal O’Hara and Parkland will compete in the other 6A semifinal.
Garnet Valley 58, North Penn 51
North Penn 8 17 16 10 — 51
Garnet Valley 19 16 8 15 — 58
North Penn: Cam Crowley 3 2 2-2 14, Caleigh Sperling 3 6-11 12, Lily Brown 3 3-3 9, Leah Mikulski 1 2 0-0 8, Olivia Stone 1 2 0-0 8. Totals — 11 6 11-16 51.
Garnet Valley: Kylie Mulholland 6 2 3-5 21, Haylie Adamski 3 3 0-0 15, Emily Olsen 5 4-5 14, Kylie Adamski 0 2 0-0 6, Addison Adamski 1 0-0 2. Totals — 15 7 7-10 58.
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.
