In matchup of D-I stars, role players make the difference
Jacob Calvin Meyer/Observer-Reporter
Chartiers-Houston’s Alexa Williamson drives to the basket against several Bellwood-Antis defenders during Friday’s game.
Alexa Williamson makes a jumper over two Bellwood-Antis defenders.
Alexa Williamson weaves through Bellwood-Antis' defense en route to a layup in the second quarter. The senior scored 29 points in her last high school game.
JOHNSTOWN – The Chartiers-Houston and Bellwood-Antis girls basketball state quarterfinal game was advertised as a battle of two future Division I basketball players.
While C-H’s Alexa Williamson and B-A’s Alli Campbell both looked like D-I players Friday night, the two players weren’t the difference in the game.
The difference was the other eight players on the court. Bellwood-Antis won that matchup, as the Blue Devils’ secondary scorers totaled 40 points – doubling the 19 points scored by Chartiers-Houston’s secondary scorers – en route to a 63-48 win.
“That’s what makes them so good and so hard to prepare for and defend,” said Chartiers-Houston coach Laura Montecalvo. “If you take (Campbell) away, which we did at some points, they have two or three other kids who can make the three consistently. They are a nightmare to defend.”
Aside from Campbell, who averages around 26 points, the Blue Devils have three other players who score in double figures. Sakeria Haralson, Emilie Leidig and Riley D’Angelo scored 14, eight and six points, respectively, last night, and Tina Hollen chipped in with 12 points, including two three-pointers. The only Bucs players in double figures were Williamson and Keaira Walker, who scored 29 and 11 points, respectively.
Jacob Calvin Meyer
Staff writer
jmeyer@observer-reporter.com
Chartiers-Houston head coach Laura Montecalvo discusses Chartiers-Houston’s season-ending loss to Bellwood-Antis in the PIAA girls basketball quarterfinals.
“Certainly, Alli puts us over the top with our guards,” said Bellwood-Antis head coach Jim Swaney. “But if you would take Alli away, which I don’t want anybody to ever do, we have three guards better than most high school teams have.”
Campbell, who is ranked as a top 20 sophomore in the country by one recruiting service and already has scholarship offers from South Carolina, Pitt and West Virginia, led the Blue Devils with 23 points and six rebounds. Montecalvo said her versatility on offense is almost impossible to defend.
Jacob Calvin Meyer/Observer-Reporter
Bellwood-Antis’ Alli Campbell makes a layup against Chartiers-Houston’s Alexa Williamson, left, and Macy Mazutis. The sophomore guard scored 23 points for the Blue Devils.
“She doesn’t play like a high school sophomore,” Montecalvo said. “She can shoot the three, and she can go underneath if she wants to. But her most deadly offensive weapon is her floater. She beats her first defender, finds a soft spot between her defender and the post player. But if you take one part of her game away, she’s going to beat you with something else.”
Swaney said the game was “just another day at the office” for Campbell, who has eclipsed more than 1,300 points in her brief high school career.
“I think she’s the best player in the state,” Swaney said. “I don’t care if she’s in 10th grade or not.”
For Williamson, every defensive game plan by Chartiers-Houston’s opponents revolves around the Temple University commit. While Swaney created a game plan for Williamson, who scored 31 points a game this season, he was more focused on stopping the rest of the Bucs’ players.
“You’re not going to stop her; that’s impossible,” Swaney said. “The best you can do is try to contain her a little bit. She’s going to get her points, but we wanted to make sure we stopped everyone else. Even if she has 30, we’re probably still going to win.”
Montecalvo agreed with Swaney that the pressure the Blue Devils put on her guards was a key in also stopping Williamson, as the Bucs turned the ball over 22 times.
“They put a lot of pressure on our guards, and I feel like that was tough for them. Alexa did everything she could do, and I really think all of our girls did their best,” Montecalvo said. “I think it was a combination of putting a lot of pressure on our guards and when she caught the ball they had three people on her. That’s always tough no matter who you are or how good you are when there are three people on you.”
Jacob Calvin Meyer/Observer-Reporter
Senior forward Alexa Williamson attempts a reverse layup in the second quarter.
Swaney has coached D-I basketball players in the past, including Campbell, and he said Temple is getting a “gem” in Williamson.
“She’s an incredible talent,” Swaney said. “She is the best player we’ve played against in the last two years.”
Williamson was a freshman when Montecalvo started at Chartiers-Houston in 2014. Four years later, Williamson owns almost every Chartiers-Houston girls basketball record, including eclipsing 2,000 points this season and ending her career with 2,213.
“Having her in our program was such a blessing,” Montecalvo said. “She set such a high standard for any young player who will eventually play for us here at Chartiers-Houston. She’s left a legacy. She’s proven that even through adversity you can find success. I’m pretty aware that it’s very possible she’s a once-in-a-lifetime player for me.”