Trib HSSN girls basketball team of the week – Penn-Trafford Warriors
Coach – John Giannikas (19th season)
Record – 15-0 overall, 7-0 in Section 2-5A
#Earned – Heading into the final three weeks of the regular season, Penn-Trafford is one of three WPIAL girls basketball teams that have yet to taste defeat this season. Key injuries a year ago forced some underclassmen to receive valuable playing time, thus setting the stage for great success this year. The Warriors entered the past week tied for first place with Indiana in Section 2-5A as the Warriors visited Indiana on Monday. P-T trailed by nine at halftime, but outscored Indiana, 22-7, in the third quarter to take control and win 50-37, taking over sole possession of first place. In a nonsection battle Wednesday against Class 6A Hempfield, Penn-Trafford kept building on an early lead and cruised to victory at home, 54-36. The Warriors began the second half of their section schedule on Friday with a trip to Greensburg Salem. Again a quick start got the ball rolling for the green and gold as P-T led by nine after one quarter and by 14 points by halftime in another double-digit victory, 57-34, continuing the best start in program history.
Scoring stars – If you are looking for a Warriors player among the district scoring leaders, you can save your time. While Penn-Trafford does not have a stud player who fills the basket with points on any given night, its balanced attack was on display last week with a different high scorer in each of the three victories. In the comeback win over Indiana, junior guard Hanna Weishaar and sophomore guard Izzy Fontana led the way with 11 points each while junior guard Torrie DeStefano added 10 points. Two days later, senior forward and Shippensburg commit Lauren Marton enjoyed a big game with 21 points and 12 rebounds and DeStefano scored 11 points. Finally in the win over Greensburg Salem, freshman guard Raya Johnson had 14 points, Marton scored 13 and senior Kamryn Pieper, a Point Park recruit, added 10 points.
Last year – As mentioned, injuries played a part in the up-and-down season the Warriors had last year. Penn-Trafford came out flying, winning seven of its first eight games, including a six-game winning streak. The team then lost Torrie DeStefano, who had been averaging 14 points per game, to a knee injury. The team dropped four straight games at the start of 2024, but bounced back to win six straight for a second time. The team would win only one more game once the calendar flipped to February as P-T lost three of its final four regular season games, and then lost a heartbreaker in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs to Lincoln Park, 43-42.
Remember when – It was 11 years ago when Giannikas led Penn-Trafford to its first and only WPIAL girls basketball championship. The Warriors finished the regular season as co-champs in Section 1-4A with rival Norwin as both teams finished 13-1. Despite the first-place finish, P-T was the No. 7 seed in the 2014 postseason, drawing Plum in the first round. Following a narrow 46-43 victory, Penn-Trafford pulled off a quarterfinals stunner when it upset No. 2 Mt. Lebanon, 32-24. Another tight game took place in the semifinals as the Warriors needed overtime to edge No. 3 Fox Chapel, 44-43. In the WPIAL championship game, it was a battle of surprise teams as Penn-Trafford faced section rival and No. 12-seeded Hempfield. For the third time that season, the Warriors defeated the Spartans as Maria Palarino had a game-high 21 points in the 56-45 victory.
2025 Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Teams of the Week
Week 2 – Shady Side Academy Bulldogs
Week 1 – Shaler Titans