The Plum girls basketball team did not lose a game in January, going 9-0 overall and 7-0 in Section 1-5A to take control at the top of the section standings.
The Mustangs clinched at least a tie for their first section title with a convincing 52-34 win over playoff-bound Penn Hills on Friday behind 18 points from senior Riley Stephans, 11 from junior Tamia West and nine off the bench from freshman Tori Glogowski.
Stephans’ performance came on the heels of a magical night two days earlier when she scored 31 points and surpassed 1,000 points for her career in helping lead Plum to a 54-52 win over Penn-Trafford in a nonsection battle of section leaders at Plum High School. The victory snapped the Warriors’ 12-game winning streak.
Stephans averaged 24.0 points in January.
Plum, 16-3 overall, can clinch the section outright Monday with a win over Gateway (2-15, 0-10).
The Mustangs close section play Friday at Fox Chapel (12-8, 7-3) in a rematch of a 65-49 Plum win Jan. 12.
The Foxes hope to keep pace and head into the finale against Plum with momentum. They travel to Shaler on Tuesday in hopes of completing a season sweep. Fox Chapel won the first meeting 49-31 on Jan. 9.
The Foxes went 7-2 in January and have won four in a row, taking down Franklin Regional, 54-35, on Thursday before topping Armstrong, 45-32, on Friday.
Senior Lyla Jablon, one of the area’s leading scorers, fronted the Fox Chapel attack against Franklin Regional with 23 points. Jablon and Emily McKee scored 12 and 11 points against Armstrong.
Riverview rallies around injured star
Senior Isabel Chaparro suffered a knee injury in a loss to St. Joseph on Jan. 20.
She was able to play two days later at Jeannette but injured her ankle midway through the game and didn’t return. But the rest of the Raiders rallied around Chaparro and each other to produce an important 55-50 win over the Jayhawks. Senior Lana Lynch and freshman Mia Murphy each scored 14, and junior Blake Huffman added 12.
Without Chaparro in the lineup, Riverview topped Frazier, 48-39, on Thursday behind eight points apiece from Murphy, freshman Gianna Brenza and junior Juliette Brun.
Riverview coach Andre Carter said Saturday that there is no indication of when Chaparro, who averaged 28 points heading into the Jeannette game, might return.
The Raiders (9-6, 5-2 in Section 4-2A) close section play Monday at Ellis, Tuesday at Apollo-Ridge (9-10, 3-4) and at home Thursday against Winchester Thurston (14-3, 7-0).
The Vikings hope to finish their push to the playoffs strong with three more section games. A-R saw its seven-game winning streak snapped with a loss to Winchester Thurston on Jan. 23 before Thursday’s five-point setback at Jeannette. Sophomore Madison Hughley scored 14 against the Jayhawks.
St. Joseph returns to action
The Spartans (11-6, 7-3 Section 1-A) last played Jan. 22 with a 61-24 home win over Eden Christian that helped clinch a spot in the WPIAL playoffs.
The heavy snowstorm last Sunday and the extreme cold that followed forced school officials to switch to remote learning all week. As a result, all after-school activities were canceled, including practices and games.
Coach Geoff Dutelle said the team was to return to practice Saturday to prepare for Monday’s game at Sewickley Academy (10-8, 7-4), a rematch of a six-point Panthers win Jan. 8.
St. Joseph, winner of five in a row, faces Union (9-2) on Tuesday, Springdale (2-8) on Thursday and Aquinas Academy (10-0) on Saturday.
Cavaliers help their cause
Kiski Area sits in fourth place in Section 2-5A at 4-5, ahead of McKeesport (3-8) and trailing third-place Latrobe (6-4) with three section games remaining this week.
The Cavaliers moved closer to the postseason Friday by claiming their second straight section win, 63-31 over West Mifflin. Kiski took control early, outscoring the Lady Titans, 21-4, in the first quarter. Senior Gianna DeVito and junior Jada Blanciak scored 15 points each to lead the way, with junior Olivia Strellec draining a trio of 3-pointers on the way to 11 points.
Kiski Area needs one more section win to secure its place in the playoffs. The Cavaliers conclude section play this week, starting Tuesday at Penn-Trafford (10-0). Kiski hosts McKeesport on Thursday and visits Latrobe on Friday.
Rivals go down to the wire
Freeport and Knoch finished the week tied for the fourth and final WPIAL playoff spot from Section 1-4A at 4-6.
The Yellowjackets (10-9 overall) battled Burrell on Thursday before falling to the Bucs, 55-39. The Knights (4-15) joined Freeport in the standings with Friday’s 46-18 win over Derry behind 19 points, including three 3-pointers, from senior leading scorer Neah Ewing. Knoch finished a season sweep of the Trojans.
Freeport will pick up a forfeit win Monday over Highlands to move to 5-6 and will clinch at least a tie for fourth in the section with a Knoch loss at home Monday to North Catholic (8-2).
Burrell (13-6, 7-3) clinched at least third place in the section with its win over Freeport
Deer Lakes clinches
The Lancers are back in the WPIAL playoffs for the second year in a row under coach Dana Petruska. They wrapped up a spot with a 50-42 win over Ligonier Valley on Saturday, which completed a Section 2-3A season sweep.
The victory also got Deer Lakes back in the win column after tough losses to section leaders Avonworth and Shady Side Academy.
The Lancers owned the first and fourth quarters against Ligonier Valley, outscoring the Rams by a combined 34-19 in both of those frames. Sophomore Delaney DeRose hit for a game-best 20 points which included a trio of 3-pointers. Junior Josie Farster added 15 points and also drained a shot from beyond the arc.
Deer Lakes (10-8, 7-5) hosts Steel Valley in section Monday evening before wrapping up section play Thursday at Greensburg Central Catholic.