Molly Murphy drained five 3-point shots and scored 23 points Wednesday night while leading host Valley View to the title of the Lou Camoni Memorial Tournament with a 61-24 girls basketball victory over Mid Valley.
The tournament is played each year in honor of the late coach, who made Valley View into a perennial contender and guided the Cougars to a 1986 state championship game appearance.
Valley View came out strong and got stronger. The Cougars outscored the Spartanettes by 9 points in the first quarter, then increased that to 12 in the second and 16 in the third.
Murphy had two 3-pointers and 10 points in the first quarter as Valley View took a 17-8 lead. She then got more help as the game progressed.
Ella Cooper joined Murphy in hitting 3-pointers in the second quarter. Murphy had five points in the quarter and Cooper four as the Cougars took a 34-13 halftime lead.
Valley View outscored Mid Valley, 18-2, in the third quarter.
Murphy made two more 3-pointers while scoring her last eight points in the third quarter, sending the Cougars into the fourth with a 52-15 lead.
Giada Costa, who had eight points, joined Murphy on the all-tournament team.
There were similarities in the two tournament games for Murphy, who scored 21 points in Monday’s 53-37 semifinal victory over Lakeland.
Murphy hit five 3-pointers in each game and reached double figures in the first quarter both times.
Chiara Zavislak hit two first-half 3-pointers to lead Mid Valley with six points. Krista Cortazar represented the Spartanettes on the all-tournament team.
Lakeland 61, Carbondale 29
Naomi Rude finished with 15 points and Lakeland used a dominant second-half effort to pull away from Carbondale in the Camoni third-place game.
Carbondale’s Sadie Gardus made three 3-pointers while scoring 11 of her 18 points in the first quarter to keep the Chargerettes within 15-11.
Lakeland made it 29-24 at halftime, then outscored Carbondale, 32-5, in the second half, shutting out the Chargerettes in the fourth quarter.
Jillian Contorno added 12 points and made the all-tournament team from Lakeland, joining Carbondale’s Gardus in securing that honor.
Elizabeth Pittsman had 7 of her 8 points and Alexia Bauer had 6 of her 11 to lead Lakeland to a 20-point third quarter.
MORE CAMONI MEMORIAL COVERAGE
Monday’s semifinal recap: Cougars, Spartanettes reach final – NEPA Sports Nation.
