GIRLS BASKETBALL: The Dao is up at PJP

Pope John Paul II sophomore point guard Lauren Dao is averaging 9 points over the Golden Panthers' past four games.

By Darryl Grumling
dgrumling@pottsmerc.com
Twitter: @MercSmokinD

The stock market has been on a roll of late.

And when you're talking about the Pope John Paul II girls basketball team, the Dao has been also performing strongly in recent weeks.

Lauren Dao, the Golden Panthers' 5-foot-4 sophomore point guard, has provided a spark for PJP's run to the PIAA tourney for the first time in its three-year history.

In addition to her main responsibilities of handling the ball, finding the open player and leading the break, Dao is also starting to become a legitimate offensive option for the Golden Panthers.

After averaging 4.7 points for the first 19 games of the season, Dao has averaged 9.0 ppg over the past four games. She contributed a career-best 12 points in a 58-49 Pioneer Athletic Conference semifinal loss to Methacton, then scored 24 combined points in three District 1-AAA games -- including a nine-point effort in a 44-30 victory over Lower Moreland that punched PJP's state tourney ticket.