Apr 4, 2002 By Staff And Wire Reports 4 min read

Loui Hall helped the Albert Gallatin girls basketball roar back from a slow start to earn a WPIAL playoff berth this season. Apparently her performance didn’t go unnoticed.

Hall was named to The Associated Press girls Big School all-state second team on Wednesday as selected by sports writers and broadcasters.

The Lady Colonials lost seven of their first 10 games then rallied to win 11 of their last 13 to finish in a three-way tie for second place in Section 2-AAAA with Uniontown and Ringgold.

Hall, a 6-foot-2 junior forward, averaged 26.4 points for the season and 32 points in her final eight games as AG made the playoffs for the third consecutive year under coach Ann Capozzi.Members of the first team were Springfield Cardinal O’Hara’s Kate Dessart Mager, Allentown Central Catholic’s Jackie Adamshick, Oakland Catholic’s Meg Bulger, State College’s Katie Glusko and Central Dauphin’s Jennifer Harris.

Springfield Cardinal O’Hara is one of the best girls basketball programs in the state -and Dessart Mager is one of the best players the Lions have ever produced.

Dessart Mager led O’Hara to a 26-2 record, its fifth Philadelphia Catholic League championship in eight years and a No. 8 national ranking. A 6-0 senior who has signed with Villanova, Dessart Mager averaged 16.8 points and 5.1 rebounds, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field and 78 percent from the foul line. And she had only 33 turnovers.

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s all-area player of the year, Dessart Mager will play in the McDonald’s All-American game Thursday in Madison Square Garden, the only Pennsylvania player selected from a pool of 1,000 nominees nationally.

Dessart Mager was a second-team selection as a junior.

Harris, a 6-0 junior, is the only returnee on the first team. She averaged 22.1 points and 10.7 rebounds during the season, then pushed her average to 30 points during the playoffs. She has already committed to Penn State.

Just as Dessart Mager did, Adamshick moves up from the second team and is heading to Villanova. A 5-11 senior, she averaged 18.4 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals as the Vikettes won their second straight PIAA Class AAA championship.

A two-time Morning Call player of the year, Adamshick finished her career with 1,848 points and more than 1,000 rebounds on teams that went 102-18.

Glusko and Bulger were on the fourth team last season. A 5-11 guard who has signed with West Virginia, Glusko averaged 21.5 points and 6.5 rebounds to lead the Lady Lions into the PIAA Class AAAA semifinals for the first time.

Although her team had just three seniors, Bulger led the Lady Eagles to their third consecutive PIAA Class AAAA championship game appearance. A 5-11 junior, she averaged 20.7 points and six rebounds.

There are several familiar names on the second team in addition to Hall.

Carmen Bruce, a 5-10 senior, is the daughter of former Pitt coach Kirk Bruce.

She scored more than 2,000 points in her career and led Schenley to its first PIAA playoff victories.

Cheltenham’s Rachel Laws makes a jump up from the third team. A 5-11 senior who battled an ankle injury in the playoffs, she averaged 14 points and 7.7 rebounds, leading Cheltenham to a 31-2 record and a berth in the PIAA Class AAAA semifinals.

Rounding out the second team are Lancaster Catholic 5-9 senior Katie Hayek and Cumberland Valley 6-3 junior Carla Thomas, a Vanderbilt recruit who led her well-balanced team to the PIAA Class AAAA title.

Engineering and Science 6-0 senior Aquisha Cahoe leads the third team after averaging 21.5 points and 19.1 rebounds and going past the 1,000 mark for her career in both categories.

Still unsigned, she is receiving attention from Rutgers, Old Dominion and Syracuse.

The third team also includes 5-6 North Schuylkill senior Tehana Geist, 5-9 Easton junior Liz Hayes, 5-8 Reading junior Rashida Suber and 6-0 Moon junior Erin Wigley.

A pair of PIAA District 7 (WPIAL) senior standouts highlight the fourth team.

Upper St. Clair’s 5-11 Leigh Sulkowski, a Richmond recruit, averaged 21.8 points in leading her team to the District 7 Class AAAA championship game, while Greensburg Salem’s 5-8 Danielle Dawson averaged 19.7 points.

Warwick 5-10 junior Meg Abele, Central Bucks East 5-11 senior Shannon Bush and Scranton Prep 5-7 senior Jenna Skorupa also made the fourth team.

The fifth team includes a pair of District 6 players who lead their teams to landmark victories this season.

Crystal Andrews, a 5-6 sophomore, spearheaded Johnstown to its first District 6 championship and first PIAA playoff victory by averaging 16 points, nine assists and seven steals. Lindsey Hollobaugh, a 5-10 junior who is already receiving Division I recruiting, took Central Mountain to the PIAA Class AAAA playoffs for the first time, averaging 18.5 points and 7.3 rebounds.

Also on the fifth team are Laura Harper, Cheltenham; Jamie Kauczka, Wyoming Valley West; and Chelsea Smith, Grove City.