Bella Geller
School: Fox Chapel
Class: Freshman
Sport: Basketball
Claim to fame: Geller finished with 10 points and scored the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:37 left in the fourth quarter to help No. 7-seeded Fox Chapel (15-8) to a 60-58 win over No. 10 Latrobe in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs Friday night. With the win, the Foxes travel to take on No. 2 Thomas Jefferson on Wednesday.
Were you nervous when it came to taking the go-ahead shot?
I wasn’t really nervous because I know my coaches trusted me to make that shot and I believed in myself. I’ve made that shot multiple times.
What was going through your mind afterward?
I didn’t realize it was the go-ahead shot until after the game. I thought it was just a normal shot. We got ahead at that point and kept going up from there.
You also broke the team’s five-minute scoreless drought to open the game. What did it feel like to get the first points of the game?
I was excited because I knew that once somebody scored, we would keep the momentum going and keep scoring after that. All it took was one shot.
What caused your team to go cold to start the game?
I don’t know what happened. We were rushing everything and a lot of people were nervous. We needed to keep pushing through.
Your team led at the half and it was back-and-forth the rest of the way. What was the feeling like to pull out the win?
Getting that win was a great thing. I know we were stressed out when it was 10-5 in the first quarter, but we knew that we could beat them. We practiced all season for this and all that hard work paid off.
It was the program’s first playoff win since 2021. How does it feel to be a part of the group that broke that streak?
Being a part of this group is an amazing thing. Leaders like Lyla Jablon have been showing us how to play and what a leader can do. She’s helped us through this season and we’ve just followed her, knowing we can get through tough games.
What was the week of practice and preparation like heading into the game?
This week was one of our toughest practices all season. We knew some of their plays and we prepared for them. They also had a girl who was 6-2 and was a problem for us to defend. We practiced on how to guard against that and another player of theirs who was bigger than us. Just going through how to defend both players, boxing them out and get through both players to score.
I know it’s hard to simulate that type of size in practice. Do you fell like you executed what you had practiced?
We were able to execute a lot of what we practiced.
You now move on to face No. 2 Thomas Jefferson on Wednesday night. What will you need to do to pull the upset?
It’s going to be another tough game, but beating them is doable. We have to come out very strong and have sharp defense. We will need to take our time on offense, run our plays, take good shots, don’t force anything.
How will you utilize the five days in between games?
I’m going to focus on working down low and sharpening my post moves. I’m also going to focus on my outside shots. My 3s helped us a lot in the game against Latrobe. I know that if everyone hits a couple 3s against Thomas Jefferson, it’s going to help us beat them.
After a rocky beginning of the season what did the team do to right the ship? After the New Year, the team has won 10 of 12.
I think we all believed in each other. Seeing everyone succeed is an amazing thing. Lyla believed in all of us, believed we could get through those tough times. What helped was getting section wins against Franklin Regional, Shaler and beating Plum at the end of the season helped us realize we can beat good teams and get through tough games.
What was it like playing on varsity as a freshman?
Playing on varsity is something I’ve always dreamed of. Coming into this season, I didn’t think I was going to play on varsity, just get a couple minutes. But it’s been amazing to play and start on varsity. Coach Marty Matvey always tells me how much he believes and trusts me to help the team.
How did you prepare yourself for the season?
I spent so much time working on getting better and it wasn’t just this offseason. I’ve spent my life trying to improve to make the varsity roster. Playing on varsity as a freshman is something a lot of people don’t get the chance to experience. I was just hoping all my hard work would pay off.
What were your goals at the start of the year?
Be a big part of this team, not let the team down. I wanted contribute by scoring in every game. I know that we need to score around 40 points to win each game and I knew that would be hard after we lost the seniors we did last year, so I knew I had to help out.
What’s been the highlight of your year to this point?
Beating Plum. That was a big game for us and everybody contributed in that game.
Favorite hobbies outside of basketball?
I play softball, that’s like my main thing. I play shortstop.
Where would you most like to go to get away from this cold weather?
Florida so I could go to a beach.
Favorite subject in school?
Math. I think math is really fun.
Evan Moore
School: Deer Lakes
Class: Junior
Sport: Basketball
Claim to fame: Moore dropped 22 points to help lead the No. 13-seeded Lancers (11-12) to a 57-46 Class 4A opening round upset win against No. 4 Derry. Moore was tasked with guarding 6-foot-7 junior Stanley Rajkovich and made him earn his 23 points. Deer Lakes will take on No. 5 Hopewell on Wednesday evening.
How did things go for you offensively, scoring just over your season average of 20 points a game?
I knew coming into the game that I needed to score at least 20 points and prevent Stan from scoring. I knew I needed to play my best.
How were you feeling going into the game, and when did you settle into a groove?
We felt really good going in. We beat them earlier in the season, and we knew we didn’t play our best in that game. As the season went on, we started to pick up momentum and knew we could beat them. I started to get into a groove at the end of the first quarter. After I hit that buzzer-beating 3, I knew I had the hot hand.
How crucial was it for the team to get out to a 17-12 lead after the first quarter?
It was amazing to go up by that much. Even though we had that lead, we were in the huddle after every quarter with the mindset that we were down 10 points and that we needed to keep pushing to win.
Were you able to play the transition style of offense that you guys favor?
We were, but not a lot because they didn’t press. When we had chances to get transitions points, we executed because that is a main part of our offense.
What was it like to face off against Rajkovich earlier this season?
He’s a really good player, probably a top 10 guy in the WPIAL. I know he’s good at shooting from mid-range, so I had to get up in his face. To get past him offensively, I had to make some difficult shots.
What did you learn from that first matchup that helped you in this meeting?
We didn’t let him get into the paint that much. When he posted up, I had to get in front and we had help coming from the back side. We wanted him to have the ball at the top of the key where we would force him to move the ball or shoot 3s and mid-range shots.
What did you do defensively as a team to shut down the rest of Derry’s offense?
We pressed and got in their faces, which made it hard for them to attack. We forced a lot of turnovers, which led to points for us.
Knowing how much of an up-and-down year you had, how did it feel to get a playoff win over a talented team like Derry?
It felt amazing. We knew our section was tough, a lot of those games were difficult. We knew they had a tough section as well, but it wasn’t as tough as ours, so we knew coming in that we could beat them.
How much do you know about Hopewell, and what will you need to do to advance?
We don’t know a lot about Hopewell, we haven’t seen anyone that’s played them and haven’t watched film on them yet. We’ll see on practice on Sunday, when we do watch the film and study their plays.
Were you a part of the program’s 2024 Class 3A title team, and do you see any similarities?
I was a freshman in 2024 and played on the bench, but I do see a lot of similarities. Back then, we started to play a lot faster at the end of the year with more physicality. That team also played as a group and we’ve started to play that way this year coming down the stretch. We look like a good team.
What were your goals at the start of the year?
Play really good defense and score around 15-20 points a game. I’m really happy to achieve both those goals this season.
Favorite hobbies outside of basketball?
Hanging out with my friends, playing video games and watching film.
Do you play any other sports at Deer Lakes?
Yeah, I play football. I’m a cornerback and wide receiver.
Favorite pre-game meal?
Mac and cheese that my mom makes.
Where would you most like to go to get away from this cold weather?
Orlando, Fla. Like Universal Studios. I went down there this summer and it was really nice.
What would you most like to do, if money was no object?
Travel the world. I would really like to go to Hawaii.
Do you have a favorite subject in school?
I don’t really have a favorite, but it would probably be gym.