Basketball Wins the AACA Championship Title!

Want to see history in the making? Look no further than the GMA Basketball team. This past Monday, February 14^th, Gwynedd Mercy Academy took down Villa Joseph Marie in the AACA Championship game at Lasalle College High School making them the new AACA Champions! This is the first championship title the monarchs had held since 2016, and it came with a season of hard work and dedication.

After defeating Mount St. Joseph Academy with a 43-29 win in the semi-final game, Gwynedd advanced to the championship. They made it to this point in last year’s season as well, but unfortunately had a devastating loss in overtime to St. Basil’s. The sting of last year’s loss carried over into this season and made the Monarchs determined to win this year’s championship. This was the third game in the season where Gwynedd faced Villa Joe, and even though they beat them twice before, they knew they were going to have to come out strong, especially with their point guard, Hannah Griffin, out for injury.  Senior captain Maddie Newell said, “This game was what we’ve been working for all season. This was the game to win it all.”

To put it simply, the monarchs stepped out on the court ready to win. Playing lockdown defense and sinking shot after shot, Gwynedd was up by 8 by the end of the first half. After halftime, Gwynedd came out onto the court with even more energy and motivation. They hustled up and down the floor, chased after rebounds, and made powerplays on the offensive to wrap up the game with a final score of 44-25! Senior captain Sofia Coleman stated, “Winning the championship was a goal of mine since freshman year. It feels so good that we won, and I’m so proud of my team.”

The outcome may have not been the same of they did not have the mighty support of the Gwynedd community. Students, teachers, and parents all showed up to cheer on the basketball team to victory. The energy of the student section was out of this world and their chants vibrated off the gym walls. After Gwynedd took the win, the girls all charged onto the court to sing the Alma Mater and celebrate with the team. Senior basketball player Lizzie Lowry said, “I love it when students are at the game. It encourages us to work that much harder for them and it is always fun to hear their cheers!”

The basketball team finished their regular season with an undefeated record of 20-0, another huge accomplishment for all the players. They now advance to the district tournament where they will take on New Hope- Solesbury in the semi-finals on Tuesday, February 22^nd at the Monarch’s home court. They then hope to qualify for the state tournament and win Gwynedd the State title! As the famous basketball star Kobe Bryant would say “ The job’s not finished yet.”