Trib HSSN basketball team of the week – Fox Chapel Foxes girls

Coach – Marty Matvey (Seventh season)

Record – 15-8 overall, 9-3 and runner-up in Section 1-5A

#Earned – Near the end of December, special things started to happen with the Fox Chapel girls basketball program,

As the year was coming to a close, bonding and maturation started to blossom with the Foxes.

A young team with an outstanding senior leader came together as roles were accepted up and down the roster and, with that, victories started to become the norm.

A team that was 5-6 when December turned to January finished the regular season on a 9-2 run.

The season ended with Fox Chapel cruising past Section 1-5A champion Plum, 60-43, for the Foxes’ sixth consecutive win.

After missing the playoffs three straight years, the program qualified for the postseason with a second-place finish.

After losing in the first round to eventual Class 5A champion Peters Township a year ago, it was time for Fox Chapel to take the next step as it prepared to host Latrobe in the first round on Friday.

The start was slow for the hosts as the Foxes trailed the Wildcats, 10-5, after one quarter.

However, Fox Chapel fought back in the second to take a two-point lead by the half, which turned out to be the margin of victory in a close, hard fought 60-58 win.

The victory improved the streak to seven, the record to 15-8, and earned Fox Chapel a berth in the upcoming PIAA playoffs.

It also moved the Foxes into the quarterfinals where it will battle No. 2 Thomas Jefferson at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Mt. Lebanon.

Scoring stars – Fox Chapel has been led all season by Lyla Jablon. The senior guard has averaged over 16 points per game.

Another player averaging double digit points is junior Emily McKee. She is an All-American soccer player as well.

Those two were a big part of the win over Latrobe with Jablon leading the way with 24 points and McKee adding 14 points.

The Foxes had two others contribute to the secondary scoring — sophomore Nina Kulikowski and freshman Bella Geller had 10 points each.

2026 Trib HSSN Basketball Teams of the Week

Week 4 – Quaker Valley Quakers boys

Week 3 – Belle Vernon Leopards girls

Week 2 – Beaver Falls Tigers girls

Week 1 – Knoch Knights boys