Girls Hoops: Lady Cards a Win from States After Victory Over CB West

Coming into Wednesday night's District I consolation semifinal matchup against Central Bucks West, Upper Dublin guard Cutrena Goff was battling flu-like symptoms. However, once on the court, Goff did a different kind of battling; scoring a team high 16 points in a gritty 46-35 Cardinals win that was close until the final minutes.

The junior point guard left her illness out of her post game comments.

"I felt fine, I came out and just really wanted to win," Goff said. "We came out with a mentality that we weren't going to go home early."

Upper Dublin head coach Vincent Catanzaro filled in the details.

"She's been sick, [physically ill]," said Catanzaro. "She was sick the whole game, but just gutted it out."

The game was close through the first three quarters, with Upper Dublin (21-5) entering the fourth with just a 33-30 lead. However, the Lady Cardinals were able to turn that margin into an 11-point victory with solid defense and accuracy from the foul line. After CB West's (18-8) Jen Fabian scored on the first possession of the fourth to cut the lead to just one, the Bucks would not score again until the 1:21 mark.

Upper Dublin scored six points over that seven-minute stretch, including a basket by Goff and one each from Lauren Rothfeld and Taylor Bryant. The Cardinals would also hit 7 of 8 free throws in the final minute to seal the victory. Upper Dublin has had trouble at the charity stripe in the playoffs, but Catanzaro says it was a return to form.

"We've been struggling, but we've also been working hard at free throws all year, and now it's paying off a bit," said Catanzaro.

Clamping down on defense was also key, as the Bucks showcased a high-tempo offense that came out firing. CB West has one of the region's best young point guards in freshman Nicole Munger, who utilized her speed early to move the offense and find open looks. Munger also finished tied for a team-high 7 points.

"She was running all over the place, and we were getting too tired," Catanzaro said. "I put Lauren [Rothfeld] and Kayla [McAneney] pressing her to slow her down, and I think that was part of why we won the game."

After the teams traded baskets in the opening minutes, Goff would steal the ball and take it the length of the court for a layup to give the Lady Cardinals a 12-11 lead with 1:11 to play in the first. After the Bucks evened with a free throw, Goff hoisted a three at the buzzer to give Upper Dublin a 15-12 lead.

She would do it again at the end of the second quarter. After Upper Dublin battled to a 21-17 lead, courtesy of a pair of Bryant baskets and another Goff layup, Upper Dublin got the ball back with only a few seconds remaining. With a CB West player closing in and time winding down, Goff threw a dart from beyond the arc that did not have much business going in. But it did, staking Upper Dublin a 24-17 halftime lead that would ultimately put them in a position to control the clock later in the game.

"Honestly, I was surprised [I made the threes] because I can't shoot a lick from the outside," said Goff. "So I felt good shooting them and making them and was proud of myself."

The Bucks would battle back in the third, getting 13 points from five different players. After Rothfeld hit a three to push the lead to 31-23 with 5:29 in the quarter, the Bucks would close on a 7-2 run to setup the final frame.

There, Upper Dublin put the game away, holding the Bucks to just five points, and zero from Munger.

The Cardinals, and Goff, have little time to recoup, as they'll play Central Bucks East (20-6) Friday at 6:00 at Wissahickon for ninth place in the district. The winner will get D1’s final ticket to the state tournament.

Upper Dublin scoring

Cutrena Goff, 16
Lauren Rothfeld, 12
Taylor Bryant, 9
Jennifer Myers, 5
Brianna Spector, 2
Jackie Lillo, 2

Central Bucks West scoring

Jen Fabian, 7
Nicole Munger, 7
Sam Colloi, 6
Kathryn Bahner, 4
Maggie Gratz, 3
Caitlyn Mautz, 3
Amanda Parker, 3
Makenzie Carroll, 2