First-round results for Bucks County area girls basketball teams in the PIAA playoffs

The road to Hershey is as sweet as can be, and seven Bucks County area girls basketball teams hope to be awash in chocolate on March 22. Check out the first-round matchups for the 2024 PIAA State Championships and key players for the first round, which began Friday.

First-Round Results from the PIAA Girls Basketball Championships:

Class 6A:

• (3-2) Dallastown 43, (1-7) CB East 36

• (1-4) North Penn 48, (11-3) Emmaus 34

• (2-1) Hazelton 63, (1-9) Pennsbury 48

Class 3A:

• (1-1) New Hope-Solebury def. (12-3) Pickett Mastery Charter North (forfeit)

Class 4A:

• (1-1) Villa Joseph Marie 54, (12-4) Prep Charter 22

Class 5A:

• (12-1) Archbishop Wood 55, (1-6) Radnor 42

• (11-1) Bethlehem Catholic 41, (1-5) Gwynedd Mercy 35 

Which local teams made the PIAA state playoffs?

Class 3A: New Hope-Solebury (1-1)

The Lions won the District One Class 3A championship and earned the lone district playoff berth.

Class 4A: Villa Joseph Marie (1-1)

The Jems won the District One Class 4A championship to earn top seeding in the state tournament.

Class 5A: Archbishop Wood (12-1)

The Vikings won the Philadelphia Catholic League championship, as well as the District 12 title.

Class 5A: Gwynedd Mercy (1-5)

The Monarchs won the AACA title, and earned the No. 1 seed in the district playoffs, before what seemed to be an upset by No. 9 Bishop Shanahan. Shanahan, though, went on to win the title. GM won both playback games to finish fifth in District One 5A.

Class 6A: Central Bucks East (1-7)

The Patriots, who started as the ninth seed in District One 6A, knocked off Neshaminy in the first round but had the misfortune of facing top-seeded Perkiomen Valley in the quarterfinals.

Class 6A: North Penn (1-4)

The Knights, the fourth seed in District One 6A, made it to the district semifinals before running into a seemingly unstoppable Perkiomen Valley, that team that went on to win the district title.

Class 6A: Pennsbury (1-9)

The Falcons had one of most impressive paths to the PIAA playoffs. Beginning district playoffs as the 16th seed, they are the highest seed to make the state tournament. The Falcons fell to top-seeded Perkiomen Valley in the second round, then won three straight playback games, including a victory against Neshaminy, a team they lost to twice in the regular season, in a win-or-go-home playback game.

Who are the top players from Bucks County area teams in the PIAA State Championships?

Izzy Elizondo, New Hope-Solebury

The junior scored 24 points in both district playoff games, helping the Lions claim the district title while winning both games by 20 or more points.

Ava Gumienny, Villa Joseph Marie

The senior had a huge game in the Class 4A semifinals, scoring 30 points against Springfield, and the Jems needed every one of those baskets to secure the 70-67 win. She had eight points in a blowout victory in the district championship.

Emilia Coleman, Gwynedd Mercy

The sophomore was named AACA MVP after scoring 23 points in each of the Monarchs’ two league playoff games, including the championship. In District One 5A, she averaged 18 points per game, with two games of 22 and 20 points.

Ava Renninger, Archbishop Wood

The senior responded on the biggest stage in the area, leading the Vikings with 22 points in a double-overtime victory to secure the Catholic League championship. She scored eight of the Vikings’ nine points in the second OT, going 8-for-8 from the free throw line. She is the Vikings’ top scorer in four playoff games, averaging 16 points per game, despite limited minutes due to three of those games being blowouts.

Caleigh Sperling, North Penn

The senior scored 23 points in a second-round win over Kennett, and had 28 of the Knights’ 46 points in the quarterfinals against Haverford. That standout performance included 10 points in the pivotal fourth quarter, and going 11-for-12 from the free throw line to secure the close 46-41 win. She also led the Knights with 14 points in a semifinal loss to top seed and eventual district champion Perkiomen Valley.

Sofia Vitucci, Pennsbury

The senior is the top offensive threat on a defensive-minded Falcons’ team. Despite seeing plenty of double-teams on defense, she averaged 17 points in five playoff games. Vitucci reached double digits in every playoff game, including 22 points in a win-or-go-home playback game on the road at Neshaminy. She was the Falcons’ top scorer in every one of their playoff games, leading them to three straight wins to secure ninth place, after beginning the district tournament as the 16th seed.

Anna Barry, CB East

The senior averaged 12 points per game in four district playoff games, and was the Patriots’ leading scorer in three of those. She had 17 points in a win over Neshaminy, and scored 18 in a playback loss to Haverford.

Girls Basketball Milestone Tracker: Bucks County players breaking records and more

First-Round PIAA State Championship Matchups:

Class 3A, Friday, March 8

• 1-1 New Hope-Solebury vs. 12-3 Pickett Mastery Charter North, 6 p.m. at Bensalem

Class 4A, Saturday, March 9

• 1-1 Villa Joseph Marie vs. 12-4 Prep Charter, 3 p.m. at Bensalem

Class 5A, Saturday, March 9 

• 12-1 Archbishop Wood vs. 1-6 Radnor, 6 p.m. at Archbishop Wood

• 1-5 Gwynedd Mercy vs. 11-1 Bethlehem Catholic, 3 p.m. at Bethlehem Catholic

Class 6A, Friday, March 8

• 1-7 CB East vs. 3-2 Dallastown, 7 p.m. at Dallastown

• 1- North Penn vs. 11-3 Emmaus, 7 p.m. at North Penn

• 1-9 Pennsbury vs. 2-1 Hazelton, 7 p.m. at Hazelton

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PIAA State Playoffs: Results for Bucks County area girls basketball