BROCKWAY, Pa. – Cambridge Springs got its offense back in a big way with a 54-36 win at Brockway in the first round of the PIAA Class 2A girls basketball playoffs.
The Blue Devils (19-6), after shooting just 25 percent in their District 10 third-place win over Cochranton on Saturday, opened the game with a 10-2 run. The Rovers (16-8) cut the lead to four, 13-9, late in the first quarter but Cambridge Springs responded with a 7-0 run to push the lead back to 11 and never led by less than six the rest of the way.
“We were no longer playing for third place, that was the biggest factor,” Cambridge Springs coach Ryan McKissock said of the difference in offense from Saturday. “We just had to get them focused and get them ready. They came out to play tonight.”
McKissock’s full postgame interview:
It took three-plus quarters before the Blue Devils got a 2-point basket on Saturday. Tuesday, it took just two possessions.
Already leading 2-0 thanks to a pair of Finley Rauscher free throws, Cambridge Springs got to work in the transition game as Maddie Yanc picked off a pass near midcourt and fired to Rauscher who laid it in and drew a foul to complete the traditional 3-point play.
“Personally, I feel like on Saturday we weren’t ready to play,” Yanc said. “I feel like today I was a lot more confident in myself and in my teammates.”
See Yanc’s full interview here:
Down 13-4, Danielle Wood hit a jumper and completed a 3-point play to bring the Rovers to within four at 13-9.
Hailee Rodgers answered with a three, then Yanc had a steal and layup, and an offensive putback to push the lead back to 20-9.
“We saw on film a few times that we thought we had some better athletes,” McKissock said. “We thought we could take advantage inside just with our athleticism.”
A Wood 3-pointer late in the second quarter brought Brockway back within six at 22-16, but the Rovers would get no closer.
Cambridge Springs methodically built upon the lead until another 10-2 run midway through the fourth quarter put the game out of reach.
Wood led the Rovers with 18 points. Selena Buttery added eight.
Yanc had 27 points, 10 in the fourth quarter alone. Mackenzie Yanc had 10 points and Rauscher was a perfect 7-7 from the line on her way to a 9-point effort.
Cambridge Springs advances to the second round and a matchup with WPIAL champion Neshannock. a 46-23 winner over District 6 fourth-place finisher Penns Manor, on Friday at a time and location to be announced.
WEST MIDDLESEX 68, APOLLO-RIDGE 44
WEST MIDDLESEX, Pa. – Carlie Beatty and Caitlin Stephens put together a dominating performance as D10 champion West Middlesex powered past Apollo-Ridge, 68-44 in the first round of the PIAA Class 2A playoffs.
Beatty poured in 22 points and Stephens 19, with the duo also combining to go 13-of-14 from the free-throw line.
The Big Reds (21-3), who rallied from a 16-point deficit against Maplewood in the D10 title game, needed no such comeback against Apollo-Ridge, taking an early 14-8 lead and a 31-17 advantage at halftime.
Kennedy Beatty and Emma Mild added eight points each for the Big Reds, while Emily Anthony had seven, including the lone three of the game for WM.
Sophia Yard and Brinley Toland combined for 34 of A-R’s (the WPIAL sixth-place finisher) 44 points, scoring 19 and 15 points, respectively.
West Middlesex advances to play Bellwood-Antis, a 44-35 winner over WPIAL runner-up OLSH, in the Round of 16 on Friday at a site and time to be announced. It is a rematch of the 2019 PIAA title game won by Bellwood-Antis.
LAKEVIEW 34, AVONWORTH 27
STONEBORO, Pa. – Lakeview’s Reese Gadsby was once again at her best in the biggest moment, draining four free throws in a 35-second span to help Lakeview hold off Avonworth in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A playoffs.
Gadsby, the D10 runner-up Sailors’ (22-4) senior 1,000-point scorer, was limited to just seven points over the first three quarters but went 8-of-8 from the charity stripe in the fourth as the Sailors preserved the 24-21 lead they had going into the final stanza.
Kelsey Seddon, who finished with six points, also had a big fourth-quarter bucket for Lakeview, holding off an Avonworth team that had the lead to two, 28-26, with 1:40 to play.
Lakeview led 18-15 at halftime, with Amber Sefton scoring five points in the opening 16 minutes.
Rebecca Goetz led Avonworth (19-4), the WPIAL fourth-place finisher, with 11 points while Greta O’Brien added eight.
With the win, Lakeview advances to play WPIAL champion North Catholic, a 52-36 winner over Penn Cambria, the D6 fourth-place finisher, on Friday at a site and time to be announced.
GREENVILLE 41, KEYSTONE OAKS 37
GREENVILLE, Pa. – Greenville continued riding the momentum from its first-ever D10 title, earning a 41-37 win over WPIAL sixth-place finisher Keystone Oaks in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A playoffs.
The Trojans (20-5) led wire-to-wire, jumping out to a 16-6 lead in the first quarter, holding off a furious Keystone Oaks comeback attempt.
Keystone Oaks (13-11, the sixth-place team from the WPIAL) cut the lead to three at halftime, 24-21, but Greenville started the second half on a 9-0 run thanks to a pair of Anna Harpst threes.
The lead got trimmed to as little as four in the fourth quarter, but no closer.
Harpst, who has had a strong postseason, led the Trojans with a game-high 17 points, while Grace Cano netted 13 and Josie Lewis seven.
Eriona Neal led Keystone Oaks with 15 points, while Janya Scott added 11.
Greenville advances to play WPIAL runner-up Freedom, a 44-31 winner over District 6 third-place finisher Westmont Hilltop, on Friday at a site and time to be announced.
LAUREL 49, REDBANK VALLEY 44
NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Visiting Laurel knocked Redbank Valley out of the Class 3A girls’ postseason with a 49-44 win.
The WPIAL fifth seed forced 23 Redbank Valley turnovers and held the Lady Bulldogs to 33 percent shooting, holding the D9 champions off down the stretch to get the win.
Redbank Valley (22-5) tied the score at 29-29 24 seconds into the fourth quarter on Caylen Rearick’s 3-pointer, but could never grab the lead as Laurel extended it to a 37-31 advantage before the Lady Bulldogs got within 38-37 and 40-39 but couldn’t get any further.
Danielle Pontius led Laurel (14-11), who until midseason was coached by former Moniteau coach and Otto-Eldred graduate Matt Stebbins (Stebbins resigned in midseason) with 19 points, 14 of those coming in the second half while Johnna Hill finished with 12 points. Pontius and Lucia Lombardo, who added eight points with a key steal and layup to seal the win in the closing seconds, did a good job on Laurel’s perimeter man-to-man defense to keep Redbank Valley off-balance most of the night.
Alivia Huffman scored 21 points with 14 rebounds while Claire Clouse scored 11 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Madison Foringer added nine points and 11 rebounds. Mylee Harmon, the team’s second-leading scorer for the season, did not score on 0-for-4 shooting.
Laurel meets District 6 runner-up Forest Hills in Friday’s second round at a time and place to be announced. Forest Hills beat District 10 third-place finishers Mercyhurst Prep, 72-60.
SERRA CATHOLIC 52, CLARION-LIMESTONE 37
MCKEESPORT, Pa. – Outscoring visiting Clarion-Limestone by 14 points in the middle two quarters, WPIAL third-place finishers Serra Catholic topped District 9 runner-up Clarion-Limestone, 52-37, in the opening round of the PIAA Class 2A girls basketball playoffs at Serra Catholic.
C-L (12-11) was right in the thick of things after a quarter of play trailing by just two, 14-12, despite a 10-point quarter from Serra Catholic’s Cate Clarke.
But the Eagles (21-2) outscored the Lady Lions 14-4 in the second quarter to open up a 28-16 halftime lead and then put the game away in the third quarter when they outscored C-L 13-9.
Clarke finished with a game-high 17 points with Brianna Battles adding 16 points and Caitlin Cooley nine.
Kendall Dunn and Alex Leadbetter each had 13 points to pace C-L with Frances Milliron adding eight.
Serra Catholic will face District 6 champion Homer-Center, a 50-18 winner over WPIAL seventh-place finishers Burgettstown, in the second round Friday at a time and place to be announced.
SETON-LASALLE 54, MAPLEWOOD 51
GUYS MILLS, Pa. – Maplewood, the District 10 runner-up, put up a valiant effort in the first round of the PIAA Class 2A playoffs against WPIAL fourth-place finisher Seton LaSalle but was unable to slow down Rebels’ sophomore guard Mallory Daly.
All Daly did was pour in 37 points to lead her team to a 54-51 victory.
In the game, Maplewood junior Sadie Thomas scored her 1,000th career point in the second quarter, joining senior teammate Izzy Eimer in the 1,000-point club.
Maplewood’s Sadie Thomas celebrates scoring her 1,000th point. Photo submitted.
The two teams were tied, 37-37 going into the fourth quarter, but Daly helped Seton LaSalle take the lead for good at the free-throw line, where she went 14-of-19 in the game
The Rebels (18-7) built a four-point lead, 50-46, with 1:23 to play, and were able to hold off Maplewood’s comeback attempt.
Eimer led Maplewood (21-5) with 18 points, while Thomas had 16 and Lilianne Moorhead 14.
In addition to Daly’s 37, Ava Dursi added eight points for the Rebels, who advance to play WPIAL fifth-place finisher Shenango, a 49-45 winner over D5 champion Northern Bedford, as a site and time to be announced Friday.
FOREST HILLS 72, MERCYHURST PREP 60
SIDMAN, Pa. – Remi Smith and Lexi Henderson combined for 45 points as D-6 runner-up Forest Hills beat D10 third-place finisher Mercyhurst Prep, 72-60 in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A playoffs.
Smith did a good bit of her damage from the free-throw line, connecting on 14-of-15 attempts.
The Rangers (20-7) led by five, 32-27 at halftime, extending that lead to 51-40 after the third quarter. Of Henderson’s 21 points, 15 came on threes.
Joce Ollinger knocked down five threes in defeat for the Lakers (17-9), part of a team-high 23 points. Olivia Kulyk was also in double figures for Mercyhurst Prep with 14 points.
With the win, Forest Hills advances to play WPIAL fifth-place finisher Laurel, a 49-44 winner over Redbank Valley, on Friday at a site and time to be determined.
*Brian Hagberg contributed to this report
