PCL Championship: Archbishop Wood defeats Archbishop Carroll in double-overtime thriller

The Philadelphia Catholic League championship game between Archbishop Wood and Archbishop Carroll was a classic Monday at the Palestra. Check out the matchup and game recap, and see photos from the game and ensuing celebration here.

Ava Renninger lifts Archbishop Wood to double-overtime win

As championship games go, you couldn’t ask for a better one than this.

It took two overtime periods to decide, but Archbishop Wood prevailed, winning the Philadelphia Catholic League girls basketball championship against Archbishop Carroll 54-52 in an instant classic.

Ava Renninger scored eight of the Vikings’ nine points in double overtime, going 8-for-8 from the free throw line in the ultimate clutch performance. She led all scorers with 22 points, while Emily Knouse had 15 for the Vikings.

Major Milestone for Renninger

What's better than winning a Catholic League Championship? Scoring your 1,000th career point in the process. For Ava Renninger, it was truly a night filled with memories that will last a lifetime. In addition to playing hero by scoring eight points in the second overtime, Renninger recorded her 1,000th career point in the period. Needing 17 points for the milestone, Renninger was five points shy at the end of regulation. Her clutch free throw shooting secured the milestone as she finished with 22 points.

Wood-Carroll Championship Game Updates:

More Free Basketball! The game goes to double overtime:

The Vikings open the second overtime with two more free throws, this time courtesy of Ava Renninger, giving Wood a 47-45 lead. She knocks down two more, putting Wood up 49-45 with 058 seconds remaining. Brooke Wilson and Abby McFillin both scored for Carroll, but Renninger goes to the line four more times and converts all four, putting the Vikings up 53-49 with 18 seconds left. Wilson sinks a 3-pointer to put Carroll within a point, but only 4.6 seconds remain.

Free Basketball! The game goes to overtime:

Emily Knouse knocks down a pair of free throws to give Wood a 43-41 lead with 3:34 to go. A nice drive by Carroll results in a layup by Alexis Eberz, tying the game again. The two teams trade buckets again − Lauren Greer for Wood, and Abby McFillin for Carroll, leaving the game tied 45-45 with 1:04 left.

With 0:36 remaining, Maddy McFillin comes up with a steal for Carroll. The possession ends in a turnover with Lauren Greer recovering the ball for Wood with one second on the clock.

Wood, Carroll remain tied after the fourth quarter:

Alexa Windish opened the quarter with a 3-pointer, giving the Vikings a 35-32 lead. Emily Knouse scored two quick buckets for Wood, but Maddie McFillin had a pair of 3s for the Patriots. After a pair of free throws by Knouse, and a 3-pointer by Olivia Nardi, the game was tied 41-41 with two minutes to go.

With 19.3 seconds left, the game remained tied. Carroll had the ball after a timeout, but missed on two shot attempts. Wood had the ball with 3 seconds to go, but couldn't pull off a miracle.

Wood, Carroll tied after three quarters

Ava Renninger had six points in the quarter, and Alexa Windish had four as Wood outscored Carroll 11-8 in the frame, tying the game at 32-32.

Carroll leads Wood, 24-21 at halftime

Ava Renninger leads all scorers with 10 points in the first half for Wood, while Emily Knouse has seven points. Brooke Wilson and Olivia Nardi have six apiece for Carroll.

Carroll takes 13-10 lead after the first quarter

PCL MVP Brooke Wilson scored the first points in the game for Carroll. Ava Renninger had five points for the Vikings.

When did Archbishop Wood, Archbishop Carroll last compete for the PCL title?

The Archbishop Carroll Patriots last played in the PCL Championship game two years ago, and they last won the title in 2019.

Archbishop Wood played for the PCL title last season, when they lost to Lansdale Catholic. The Vikings won the championship the previous year, and have been in 14 of the last 16 title games.

How did Wood and Carroll advance to championship game? 

The Vikings ran through the regular season undefeated, going 9-0 in league play to claim the No. 1 seed. Both their playoff wins were blowouts, defeating Conwell-Egan 74-30 in the quarterfinals and topping Nazareth 63-45 in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, Carroll’s two wins were by a combined nine points. It edged Lansdale Catholic 35-33 on a buzzer-beater in the quarterfinals, and defeated Cardinal O’Hara 45-38 in the semifinals. Carroll went 9-2 in the PCL regular season.

What happened when Wood and Carroll met in regular season?

Of Archbishop Carroll’s two league losses, one was to O’Hara, whom it defeated in the semifinals, and the other was to Wood, with the Vikings winning 51-46 on Jan. 20. Emily Knouse was the top scorer with 17 points.

Who are the top players for Wood and Carroll?

Junior Emily Knouse, a first-team All-Catholic selection and St. Joseph's University commit, leads the Vikings in scoring, averaging 14 points per game. Knouse tied the team’s record for points in a game when she scored 34 against Lansdale Catholic this season. Against PCL playoff teams, she averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals per game.

Senior Ava Renninger_, a Fairleigh Dickson recruit and first-team All-Catholic, averages 13 points per game. Those numbers are a bit misleading, though, as the Vikings were involved in numerous blowouts this season, often using as many as 10 players in a game. In PCL games, Renninger averaged 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals per game.

Lauren Greer is the Vikings’ defensive catalyst, and she is quite capable on offense as well, scoring double digits in six games.

The Patriots claim the Catholic League MVP in West Point commit Brooke Wilson. The senior point guard scored her 1,000th career point at the end of the regular season.

Guard Alexis Eberz is known for her lethal 3-point shooting and was the Patriots’ leading scorer in both the quarterfinal (10 points) and semifinal (13 points) wins.

Freshman Abigail McFillin was the hero in the quarterfinals, scoring the game-winner at the buzzer against LC to continue the Patriots’ PCL playoff run.

The Battle in the Stands

Playing at the Palestra is a huge deal — and can be a little intimidating. That's where the student sections come into play. Wood’s student section is well-known, and it has inspired plenty of schools to step up their games. The Wood Wackies bring plenty of experience to the table. Carroll's student section faces a tough matchup here.

Wood-Carroll PCL game details

No. 1 Archbishop Wood takes on No. 3 Archbishop Carroll on Monday at 6 at the Palestra, followed by Archbishop Ryan and Roman Catholic in the boys championship game. Tickets are sold out.

The game will be broadcast on the Sports Fan Base Network for $20.

Who will win?

Prediction: Archbishop Wood 56, Archbishop Carroll 47

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Archbishop Wood girls grab Philadelphia Catholic League title