MERCER, Pa. – Building a 24-6 lead at the end of the first quarter, District 9 third-place finisher DuBois Central Catholic rolled past District 10 champion Jamestown, 58-34, in the opening round of the PIAA Class 1A playoffs at Mercer High School.
The Lady Cardinals (15-11) got scoring from nine different players, while Jamestown (8-16), which dressed only five players for the game, played the fourth quarter with only four players after one got hurt.
Lexi Berta led DCC with 14 points while hitting four 3-pointers while Emma Elensky had 11 points, Hope Jacob added eight tallies, and Kayley Risser seven.
Ivy Riley led Jamestown with 12 points, while Alayna Cadman added nine points.
DCC will face District 6 champion, Bishop Guilfoyle, in the second round on Wednesday, March 13, at a time and place to be announced.
FAIRVIEW 33, KNOCH 26
FAIRVIEW, Pa. – Trailing 24-17 going to the fourth quarter, District 10 champion Fairview outscored Knoch 16-2 in the fourth quarter to rally for a 33-26 win in the PIAA Class 4A first round.
Riley Sholes, Ella Garrity and Gabby Pizzo scored eight points each for Fairview (21-5).
The Lady Tigers have now won first games in the PIAA tournament in back-to-back seasons.
Sholes, Garrity and Pizzo knocked down two 3-pointers each in the win.
Bre Heidt added six points for Fairview.
Neah Ewing led Knoch (15-12) with 11 points.
With the win, Fairview advances to play Laurel Highlands, a 51-48 winner over Greater Johnstown in the second round on Wednesday, March 13 at a site and time to be determined.
CATHEDRAL PREP 53, TRINITY 29
ERIE, Pa. – Jayden McBride scored 18 points as Cathedral Prep rolled to a 51-28 PIAA Class 5A first round win over Trinity.
Cathedral Prep (20-3) led 20-18 at halftime and outscored Trinity (20-7) 33-11 in the second half.
Addie Biel tallied 17 points and Lena Walz 12 for the Ramblers.
Sutton Williamson led Trinity with 10 points.
Cathedral Prep advances to play Northern York, a 53-49 winner over Lincoln Park, in the second round on Wednesday at a site and time to be determined.
BERLIN BROTHERSVALLEY 52, CLARION 29
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Outscoring Clarion by 23 points in the middle two quarters, District 5 champion Berlin Brothersvalley rolled to a 52-29 win over the District 9 fourth-place finisher in the opening round of the PIAA Class 1A playoffs at Pitt-Johnstown.
Clarion (14-13) led 9-7 at the end of the first quarter but was outscored 14-3 in the second quarter and 24-12 in the third quarter to allow the Mountaineers (22-5) to take a 45-24 lead going to the fourth quarter.
Freshman Coral Prosser led the way for Berlin with a game-high 21 points while Regan Lauer added nine tallies.
Taylor Alston paced Clarion with nine points with Sophie Babington adding seven.
Berlin will face WPIAL runner-up St. Joseph in the second round on Wednesday.
NORTH CATHOLIC 47, CONNEAUT 29
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Brady Wehner scored 13 points and Alana Rocco 12 as North Catholic beat Conneaut, 47-29 in the PIAA Class 4A first round.
North Catholic (18-7) outscored Conneaut (16-10) 10-2 in the first quarter and led throughout.
Lainie Harrington had 14 points and Courtney Perrye 10 for CASH. Harrington also had six rebounds, five steals and two blocks.
North Catholic advances to play Warren, a 71-64 overtime winner over Elizabeth Forward, in the second round on Wednesday, March 13, at a site and time to be determined.
UNION (NEW CASTLE) 59, PORT ALLEGANY 18
NEW CASTLE, Pa. – Defending PIAA Class 1A champion Union (New Castle), the WPIAL champion, rolled past District 9 fifth-place finisher Port Allegany, 59-18.
Kylie Fruehstorfer and Kelly Cleaver combined to score 37 points for the Scoties (20-5).
Frueshstorfer led Union with 19 points while Cleaver added 18.
Port Allegany (19-8) got seven points and seven rebounds from Ella Moses and six points and five rebounds from Kayleigha Dowell. Brynn Evens also grabbed eight boards for the Lady Gators.
Union will face District 5 runner-up Northern Bedford in the second round on Wednesday.
BLACKHAWK 54, HARBOR CREEK 38
BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – Alena Fusetti and Aubree Hupp combined for 37 points as WPIAL runner-up Blackhawk ousted D10 third-place finisher Harbor Creek, 54-38 in the PIAA Class 4A first round.
Fusetti scored 19 points and Hupp 18 for Blackhawk (23-3), which led 26-20 at halftime and went on a 16-7 run in the third quarter to pull away.
Brooke Przybylski led Harbor Creek (14-11) with 15 points.
Blackhawk will play St. Marys in the second round on Wednesday at a site and time to be determined.
