NORTHAMPTON — Dallas saw firsthand Wednesday night why Archbishop Wood has played for a state championship in eight of the last 10 years.
Wood jumped out early, crashed the boards all night and rained down 3-pointers as the Vikings defeated Dallas 66-32 in a PIAA Class 5A girls basketball second-round game at Catasauqua High School.
Molly Walsh had 14 points and Elizabeth Viglone, in her final game, added 10 for Dallas. The District 2 third seed Mountaineers ended their season at 21-8.
“I’m proud of the girls,” Dallas coach Vince Bucciarelli said. “They have nothing to be ashamed of losing to a team like them. We went further than most people thought we would go. We accomplished more winning 21 games and losing whatever … nothing to hang our heads about.”
District 12 champion Wood (23-5) will play District 2 champion Scranton (25-2) on Saturday in the quarterfinals. Scranton defeated District 1 third seed West Chester Rusin 58-49.
Wood scored the game’s first eight points on the way to a 17-4 lead after one quarter. Dallas’ only baskets came on steals and layups by Viglone and Mia DelGaudio. The Vikings also had a 15-3 rebounding advantage, often limiting Dallas to one shot. For the game, Wood outrebounded Dallas 42-16.
Dallas closed out the second quarter strongly on a basket and 3-pointer by Walsh, yet trailed 35-13 at halftime as Wood connected on four of its 10 3-pointers.
“We knew what they were going to do,” Bucciarelli said. “They were going to penetrate and kick, penetrate and kick, We weren’t containing them. We were up on top of them and that’s not going to work.”
Viglone and Brianna Casey opened the third quarter with baskets for Dallas, which outscored Wood 14-13 in the period. The Mountaineers, though, could never mount a sustained comeback attempt.
Wood eventually started the 30-point mercy rule midway through the fourth quarter when Emily Knouse’s basket made it 59-29. The points were part of a 12-0 run before Walsh ended it with a 3-pointer for the game’s final points.
The only two years Wood hasn’t played for a state title were 2019, when the Vikings lost in the quarterfinals, and 2020, when the state playoffs were halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
PIAA Class 5A Second Round
Archbishop Wood 66, Dallas 32
DALLAS (32) — Mizzer 1 0-0 2, DelGaudio 2 0-0 4, Casey 1 0-2 2, Viglone 4 2-4 10, Walsh 6 0-2 14, Wydra 0 0-0 0, Comitz 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 2-8 32.
ARCHBISHOP WOOD (66) — Renninger 2 0-0 5, Topakas 4 1-2 9, Knouse 5 0-0 12, Greer 3 4-4 12, Windish 1 1-2 4, McDonald 5 0-0 12, Przepioski 1 0-0 2, Yogis 2 0-0 5, Rogers 1 0-0 3, Finnegan 1 0-0 2, Seckinger 0 0-0 0, Garry 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 6-8 66.
Dallas`4`9`14`5 — 32
Archbishop Wood`17`18`13`18 — 66
Three-point goals — DAL 2 (Walsh 2); AW 10 (Knouse 2, Greer 2, McDonald 2, Renninger, Windish, Yogis, Rogers)
