South Fayette ends Archbishop Wood's title streak at four in PIAA Class 5A Girls Basketball Championship
All good things must come to an end, even at the sweetest place on Earth.
The Archbishop Wood Vikings continued to defy the odds and make history this season, winning a PIAA record 24 straight games. But they weren’t able to secure their 25th straight win and fifth consecutive state championship, as the young team fell to South Fayette, 45-37, in the PIAA Class 5A title game on Saturday night in Hershey.
The Vikings, with just one senior, Emily Knouse, cruised through the first four rounds of the state playoffs, before facing South Fayette in a rematch of the 2023 championship game, which Wood won 61-54.
Despite losing standout junior Colleen Besachio to injury late in the regular season, the Vikings continued to excel with three sophomores in the starting lineup. However, it was tough for the young Vikings’ players, outside Ryan Carter, to get much going against South Fayette’s stifling defense.
Carter, a sophomore and ranked as a top 10 player in her class by ESPN, did all she could to carry the Vikings to victory, scoring a game-high 23 points along with 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Knouse had 10 points and 7 rebounds, but Sophia McDonald was the only other Viking to score until the starters were pulled in the final minute.
While the Vikings will lose 4-year player Emily Knouse, a St. Joseph’s University commit who played in four state championship games, they return the rest of the roster next year.
While the Vikings’ state championship streak came to an end on Saturday, that just means it’s time to start a new streak next season.
Top Performances from Archbishop Wood:
- Ryan Carter. The sophomore had an elite performance, scoring a game-high 23 points, shooting 43 percent from the field. She also had 7 steals and 4 rebounds, with only one turnover.
- Emily Knouse. The Vikings’ lone senior contributed 10 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block.
