Archbishop Carroll’s varsity girls basketball team and perennial Philadelphia Catholic League contender kicked off its season Wednesday night with a 69-36 loss against Westtown School, which ESPN lists as the No. 5 team in the nation. Despite the defeat, it was the right test if the team wants to reach its goal this year — to win its first PCL title since 2019.
“Starting the season, we wanted it to be against a really good competitive team,” said coach Renie Shields. “We wanted a baseline for where we are and where we wanted to go. So I thought we competed, though we turned the ball over a lot.”
Carroll is coming off of one of its most heartbreaking season conclusions in recent memory, first falling 54-52 to a star-studded Archbishop Wood team through double overtime in the PCL Championship game, then falling 48-37 to a hard-nosed Parkland team in the state 6A quarterfinals.
With star-studded cores that included the likes of Taylor Wilson, Brooke Wilson, Grace O’Neil, Maggie Grant, and Courtland Schumacher, the Lady Pats appeared in PCL title games not only in 2024 but also in 2022, yet they just haven’t been able to get over the hump.
“Well, it’s the pace of play,” said Shields. “We learned the pace that these teams play with and we know that we need to slow our minds down sometimes, so this is what we’re competing for when we get to the Catholic League and they just play so strong and physical.”
The Lady Pats return just two starters from last season, though they’ve added a lump sum of talent in the offseason to complement the high-level backcourt. That backcourt includes senior Olivia Nardi and junior Alexis Eberz. Nardi and Eberz are complemented by yet another set of sisters who will grace the court for the Pats: Kelsey and Kayla Eberz, the young sisters of the team’s junior star.
Seniors Bridget Archbold (Catholic) and Brooke Olender (Scranton), who are both committed D3, will give strong efforts off the bench, while the talented sophomore duo of Abbie McFillin and Cate Schumacher will work as rotational pieces.
“Obviously, it’s great to have a player like Lex,” said Shields. “Basically she’s here to lead us on the court. I thought she played really well today and kept her demeanor well. She’s been teaching the other younger girls what we can do and how we can be better.”
McFillin, along with Alexis Eberz, showed up in the opener despite the loss. McFillin was able to limit Westtown on offense in the first quarter, pulling down five rebounds all on defense and helping Carroll to stay within a 10-point margin as the second period began.
Alexis Eberz, on the other hand, took a bit of time to get started, not scoring until the opening of the second quarter. Nonetheless, the Division 1 recruit, who had fielded offers from Big Five powerhouses such as La Salle, St. Joe’s, and Villanova, got it going as the contest went on.
Going up against one of the top-ranked teams in the nation, with Division 1 recruits across the board, Alexis Eberz put her skills on display. The 5’9 guard finished the night with a team high 17 points, fighting for every shot opportunity on a night where Westtown seemingly had every passing lane locked down.
Alexis and Kayla Eberz both buoyed the Lady Pats through the second half, keeping the Carroll offense active for a majority of the late going.
With the loss, Carroll begins its season 0-1 and will look ahead to Sunday morning when the team takes on local powerhouse Imhotep Charter at Archbishop Ryan for an 11:45am tipoff in the 2024 Scholastic Event.
