Lady Leopards avenge early-season loss to Lady Eagles
Belle Vernon closed out the first and second halves strong to avenge an earlier loss to South Park on Thursday night with a 42-32 victory in Section 3-4A girls basketball action at South Park High School.
The Lady Eagles (8-2, 11-7) edged the Lady Leopards, 39-38 on Dec. 18 in their first meeting. South Park also lost to Elizabeth Forward. The Lady Warriors are the only team to hand Belle Vernon (9-1, 15-3) a section setback.
Belle Vernon hosts Elizabeth Forward (9-1, 13-4) on Monday at 7 p.m. The winner will be in the driver’s seat for the section championship.
In Thursday’s tilt, the Lady Eagles had a 13-12 lead after the first period, but the Lady Leopards outscored the home team, 7-2, in the second for a 19-15 halftime advantage.
Belle Vernon had a 12-10 edge in the third quarter for a 31-25 lead heading into the fourth period. The Lady Leopards outscored South Park, 11-7, in the final frame.
Belle Vernon’s Abby Russell scored a game-high nine points. Teammate Aubrey Brown put in eight points, five rebounds and four steals.
Hayley Bennett led the Lady Eagles in scoring with nine points.
Geibel Catholic 64, Bishop Canevin 30 — The Lady Gators continue to shine as they took care of business in a victory over the Lady Crusaders in a Section 2-1A game at “The Swamp” on the campus of Geibel Catholic Junior/Senior High School.
Geibel Catholic improved to 10-0 in section play and 17-0 overall.
The Lady Gators had a 19-2 lead after the first quarter and a 25-9 halftime advantage. Geibel put the game away in the third when it outscored the visitors, 23-7, in the frame. Bishop Canevin had a 14-7 edge in the fourth.
Mallory Clemmer led the Lady Gators and the game in scoring with 28 points. Teammate Emma Larkin added 17 points.
The Lady Crusaders’ Kya Cooley had a team-high 16 points.
Laurel Highlands 48, Southmoreland 26 — The Lady Mustangs held the Lady Scotties’ offense in check to earn a victory in Section 3-4A play at Southmoreland High School.
Laurel Highlands (4-6, 6-12) took control in the second quarter with a 10-0 advantage for a 26-10 lead at halftime. The Lady Mustangs outscored Southmoreland, 13-8, in the third quarter, and 9-8 in the fourth.
Laurel Highlands’ Taylor Schwertfeger scored a game-high 16 points. The Lady Mustangs’ Haven Harris added 14 and Chloe Price put in 11.
Laurel Highlands is at Mount Pleasant (4-6, 7-10) on Monday in a Section 3-4A battle at 7 p.m. The winner will have an advantage in qualifying for the WPIAL playoffs. The Lady Vikings won the first meeting, 43-37, on Dec. 22.
Waynesburg Central 68, Washington 62 — The Lady Raiders outscored the Lady Prexies by six in the fourth quarter to break a 25-25 tie and earn a Section 3-3A victory at Washington High School.
Waynesburg improved to 6-2 in section play and 14-2 overall.
The Lady Raiders had a 13-7 lead after the first quarter and a 22-15 halftime advantage. Washington outscored the visiting team, 10-3, in the third to tie the game before Waynesburg used a 13-7 edge in the fourth period.
The Lady Raiders’ Tess Pauley scored a game-high 11 points on four two-point field goals and was 8 for 11 at the foul line.
The Lady Prexis’ Shawnti Fuller and Faith Partozoli had eight points apiece.
Norwin 60, Connellsville 29 — The Lady Knights pulled away from the Lady Falcons in a Section 2-6A contest at Connellsville Area High School.
Norwin (5-1, 13-2) had leads of 15-11 after the first quarter and 35-19 at halftime. The visitors outscored Connellsville, 16-8, in the third quarter, and 9-2 in the fourth. The Lady Knights’ Giulianna Giannikis led the game with 14 points. Teammates Nia O’Barto and Elizabeth Yarosik had 12 apiece, and Aubrey Graney added 11.
Saige Mickens led the Lady Falcons (1-5, 5-12) in scoring with 12 points.
Seton LaSalle 57, Brownsville 21 — Ava Clark scored 14 points for the Lady Falcons, but the Lady Rebels were too strong in a Section 3-3A victory at Seton LaSalle.
Ava Maroney led the Lady Rebels (9-0, 12-6) in scoring with 17 points. Teammate Addy Dears added 10.
Thomas Jefferson 84, Albert Gallatin 19 — The section-leading Lady Jaguars were too much for the Lady Colonials in Section 4-5A play at Thomas Jefferson High School.
The Lady Jaguars (9-0, 16-2) spread the scoring around, as five players were in double figures, including the game’s leading scorer, Maggie Spell, who had 20 points.
Thomas Jefferson’s Riley McCabe added 12 points, and teammates Giuliana Mendel and Leah Lockhart had 11 points apiece. Emma Altavilla put in 10 points for the home team.
Mikayla Shea led Albert Gallatin in scoring with 10 points.
Bentworth 43, Jefferson-Morgan 38 — The Lady Bearcats rallied from a six-point halftime deficit to top the Lady Rockets in Section 3-2A action at Jefferson-Morgan High School.
The Lady Rockets (1-5, 8-10) had a 10-3 lead after the first quarter, but Bentworth (3-3, 8-9) cut into the home team’s advantage in winning the second period, 9-8, and the third, 13-9, to pull within two points (27-25) heading into the final period.
The Lady Bearcats had an 18-11 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Bentworth’s Bella Moyer scored a game-high 17 points. Teammate Jesse Lasky had 10 and Alexa Babirad put in seven. Nora Lindley had six points and 13 rebounds.
Bailey Cervone led Jefferson-Morgan in scoring with 13 points. Teammates Ava Wood (9) and Beautiful Medlen (8) also contributed offensively.
Chartiers-Houston 53, Beth-Center 32 — The Lady Buccaneers remain undefeated in Section 3-2A play following a victory over the Lady Bulldogs at Chartiers-Houston Junior/Senior High School.
Beth-Center (3-3, 7-9) played Chartiers-Houston (6-0, 14-2) tough in the first half, as the Lady Bucs had a 20-15 lead, but the home team pulled away in the second half with an advantage of 14-9 in the third and 19-8 in the fourth period.
Chartiers-Houston’s Ava Kolovich and McKenzie Walsh each scored 17 points, while Ali Wingard chipped in with 11.
Violet Trump led the Lady Bulldogs in scoring with 10 points.
Monessen 41, Mapletown 25 — The Lady Greyhounds came out of the gate strong and maintained their lead in a Section 2-1A victory over the Lady Mapletown at Monessen High School.
Monessen (5-5, 6-9) had an 18-4 advantage after the first quarter, but Mapletown (1-9, 2-16) cut into the deficit with a 10-8 edge in the second period for a 26-14 lead at the half for the home team.
The Lady Greyhounds extended their advantage to 36-21 after three quarters and had a 5-4 edge in the fourth period.
Monessen’s Madison Johnson led the game in scoring with 18 points. Teammate Jaidyn Rankin put in 12.
Chloe McLead led the Lady Maples in scoring with nine points.
Elizabeth Forward 54, Mount Pleasant 28 — Three Lady Warriors were in double figures, as the visitors pulled out a Section 3-4A victory.
Kaelynn Settles had a game-high 15 points. Mia Sostaric and Addison Wach had 11 points apiece.
Kristina Spallone led the Lady Vikings (4-6, 7-10) in scoring with eight points.
Elizabeth Forward improved to 9-1 in section play and 13-4 overall.
Boys basketball
Jefferson-Morgan 61, Waynesburg Central 44 — The Rockets used a 11-point advantage in the second quarter to pull away from the Raiders in non-section play at Waynesburg Central High School.
Jefferson-Morgan (8-1, 15-1) held a 9-8 lead after the first quarter, but outscored the home team, 16-5, in the second period for a 25-13 advantage at halftime. The Raiders (3-2, 5-10) had a 14-13 edge in the third before the Rockets won the fourth quarter, 23-17.
Jefferson-Morgan’s Jeremiah Robertson led all scores with 35 points.
Waynesburg Central’s Dane Woods had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Teammates Jackson Dean (13) and Austin Surber (11) were also in double figures.
Imani Christian 65, Connellsville 34 — The Saints moved over .500 in Section 2-6A play with a victory over the Falcons at CCAC-Allegheny.
Imani Christian (5-4, 5-11) had an 18-9 lead after the opening period and a 40-20 halftime advantage. The Saints won the third quarter, 14-10, and the fourth, 11-4.
Imani Christian’s Deston Hubbard scored a game-high 18 points. Teammates Keishaun Demus and Nahjir Norris had 11 points apiece.
Lucas Harwood led Connellsville (0-10, 4-12) in scoring with nine points.
Swimming
BOYS: Elizabeth Forward 109, Uniontown 77; GIRLS: Elizabeth Forward 119, Uniontown 57 — Chase King won two events for the Red Raiders, but the Warriors swept Uniontown in Section 5-2A action inside the natatorium on the campus of Uniontown Area High School.
The Red Raiders and Lady Red Raiders both dropped to 1-1 in section meets, but King had a solid day in topping the field in the 200 and 500-yard freestyle.
The junior’s time in the 200 freestyle of 1:59.01 was a WPIAL cut. He won the 500 freestyle in 5:37.75. King had already qualified for the district meet in both events.
Uniontown’s Hannah Foster was honored prior to the meet as a senior, and she was able to enjoy her night with a victory in the 50 freestyle with a time of 27.38.
The Lady Red Raiders’ Shelbie Covert won the 500 freestyle in 6:26.55.
BOYS: Ringgold 72, Belle Vernon 40; GIRLS: Ringgold 78, Belle Vernon 47 — Brady Malekovich swam a WPIAL-qualifying time in the 100 backstroke, but the Leopards were swept by the Rams in a Section 5-2A meet.
Belle Vernon’s Gaige Watson won the 500 freestyle. The Leopards won the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
Megan Shusteric swam to victory in the 50 freestyle for the Lady Leopards. Teammate Josie Nikolic topped the field in the 100 breaststroke.
Belle Vernon swept the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays.
BOYS: Indiana 93, Mount Pleasant 76; GIRLS: Indiana 97, Mount Pleasant 73 — The Little Indians swept a Section 4-2A meet at Mount Pleasant High School Pool.
Gunnar Probst won 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly for the Vikings. The senior joined Colby Emerick, Lucas Poole and Cody Fusco in winning the 200 freestyle relay in a WPIAL qualifying time of 1:34.94. The same quartet reached a WPIAL cut in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:30.90.
The Lady Vikings’ Riley Shinsky won the 100 freestyle and teamed with Lainey Brown, Sadie Poole and Bentley Mizikar in winning the 200 medley relay in a WPIAL cut of 1:55.12. Brown, Shinsky, Poole and Giada Bando won the 200 freestyle relay in a WPIAL qualifying time of 1:45.50.
Brown won the 200 IM (individual medley) and 100 breaststroke.
Mount Pleasant ninth grader Claire Keefer won the 100 backstroke to qualify for her first WPIAL event with a time of 1:06.20.
Boys wrestling
Laurel Highlands 54, Frazier 24 — The Commodores earned four falls, but the Mustangs came away with a non-section victory at Henry DiVirgilio Field House on the campus of Frazier High School.
The Commodores’ Emmett and Jonah Erdely won by fall in the 152 and 172-pound weight classes, while teammates Tanner Haller (160) and Derek Diamond (215) pinned their opponents.
Laurel Highlands’ Zoey Elsbury (107), Will Skowronski (114), Anthony DaSilva (121), Giada Richezza (127), Jordan Hilliard (133), Carson Miller (139), Joshua Reed (145), Mark Reed (189) and Talib Lovett (285) won by forfeit to earn its first win of the season.
Hempfield 46, Albert Gallatin 24 — The Spartans won five bouts by fall in earning a Section 8-3A victory on Wednesday at Hempfield Area High School.
Albert Gallatin’s Gavin Morris won by fall at 107. Teammate Julius Poole edged Murphy Sheridan, 3-0, at 139. The Colonials’ Nick Hillyard recorded a 7-4 decision over Dominic MaGill at 160.
Greyson Morris (114) and Colin Rockwell (285) won by forfeit for the visiting team.