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Trinity trying to ride athleticism to state quarterfinals

3 min read
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The transition from soccer to basketball is a quick one for Alyssa Clutter and Courtney Dahlquist.

Sometimes the move to the hardwood even overlaps.

“I hadn’t seen them in a drill or watched them play,” Trinity first-year girls basketball coach Kathy McConnell-Miller remembers of the start of the season. “They didn’t get a shot up until after our first practice.”

Clutter and Dahlquist hit the ground running, quite literally, with the Hillers, who haven’t stopped surging with their athleticism all the way to the second round of the state tournament.

Now, Trinity (20-5) is hoping to impose its athletic prowess on District 1 runner-up Great Valley (23-4) in a PIAA Class 5A game this evening at Chambersburg High School. Opening tip is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

“I’m confident with our depth and athleticism,” McConnell-Miller said. “Truthfully, I loved to push the ball and play a high-possession game coming in. It’s played to their strengths. We have a lot of tough matchups for other teams. I definitely think when we are missing our shots that we still have the athletes to rely on who can make things happen.”

All of the seven or eight players the Hillers typically use, comfortably fit into their up-tempo attack, making opponents uncomfortable in the process. That includes Clutter and Dahlquist, who have been in the starting lineup.

The only player that rarely comes off the floor for Trinity is Riley DeRubbo, the Hillers’ leading scorer and Fordham recruit. The other four spots in the lineup have turned into a revolving door, focused on keeping players fresh and hoping opponents succumb to the pressure and tempo.

“As a team, we are really athletic,” Clutter, a second-team all-section selection, said. “We push the ball really well. A lot of teams can’t keep up because we have so many players coming off the bench.”

Dahlquist is a first-team all-section selection, benefiting from soccer footwork to be able to move up and down the court and in the post with her 6-2 frame.

“All of us are able to run,” Dahlquist said. “We are able to sub in anybody. Being in the post, people think you just bang around the whole time. Having good footwork really helps.”

That athleticism could be good against guard-oriented Great Valley, which is in the state tournament for the first time in coach Alex Vanarchik’s 10 years at the school, which is located about 45 minutes northeast of Philadelphia.

The Patriots are led by their only senior, Tessa Liberatoscioli, who scored 21 points and made the game-winning free throw in their first-round win over West York.

“At this point in the season, anybody playing is a pretty good team,” McConnell-Miller said. “I think they are pretty versatile. They can shoot and pass really well and are disciplined on the offensive end.”

A win would advance Trinity to a quarterfinal game between the winner of District 3 champion Gettysburg or District 2 runner-up Abington Heights.

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