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Photo Credit: North Allegheny Sports Network

GIRLS BASKETBALL

6A GIRLS QUARTERFINALS

Mt. Lebanon 47, Chartiers Valley 46

Payton Collins hit a free throw with .4 seconds left in the game and 4^th-seeded Mt. Lebanon (17-6) came back from 16 down in the fourth quarter to defeat 5^th-seeded Chartiers Valley (12-10) 47-46 at Mt. Lebanon High School Thursday night.

Chartiers Valley started the game off great jumping out to a 21-13 lead. Mt. Lebanon committed 10 turnovers in the first half and shot 35% from the field. Mt. Lebanon made a run in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 30-24 but a response by Chartiers Valley got the score back to 43-27 with five minutes left in the game. This is when things got very interesting.

In the final four minutes of the game, Mt. Lebanon would outscore Chartiers Valley 20-3. Mt. Lebanon cut the deficit to six with just under a minute to play. Collins hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. She hit the free throw and it was a one possession game at 46-44 with 30 seconds left. After a stop, Collins once again played hero hitting a layup to tie the game at 46-46. After a wild sequence where both teams turned the ball over multiple times, Collins ended up with the ball in her hands and got fouled. She missed the first but made the second, and Mt. Lebanon stole a 47-46 victory in the quarterfinals.

Collins led Mt. Lebanon with 25 points. Lilah Turnbull and Emma Reynolds each had 15 points for Chartiers Valley.

Mt. Lebanon advances to the WPIAL 6A Girls Semifinals where they will take on top-seeded Upper St. Clair on Monday at 6pm at Bethel Park High School.

North Allegheny 69, Pine-Richland 56

By Jared Barton

The No. 2 North Allegheny girls’ basketball team earned a 69-56 win over No. 7 Pine-Richland in the opening round of the WPIAL 6A Tournament Thursday night from UPMC Court.

It was all Tigers early in the contest with the NA offense spreading the love in the first quarter. Six different players found the score sheet including seniors Jasmine Timmerson, Eva Prenatt and Cam Phillips along with Juniors Lydia Betz, Kellie McConnell and Caroline Henderson. Tigers led 23-8 at the end of one quarter.

Pine-Richland pulled some offense together in the second quarter, with senior Sarah Pifer hitting nine of her 23 points before the halftime break. Junior Madison Zavasky also paced the Rams with eight. Tigers led 38-25 after two quarters.

In the third, Betz and McConnell worked together to widen the lead, but PR’s freshman forward Cate Gentille pulled the Rams back into contention with key 3-point shots and ended the game with 14 points.

The Tigers cruised to the win in the fourth period. Timmerson led all Tigers with 20 points, while McConnell dropped 13 and earned Wright Automotive Player of the Game laurels for her efforts on both sides of the floor. Zavasky ended the contest with 13 points for the Rams.

North Allegheny advances to take on third-seeded Norwin on Monday night at 6 pm at Fox Chapel High School in the WPIAL 6A Girls Semifinals.

Norwin 57, Baldwin 26

3^rd-seeded Norwin (20-3) showed no sign of rust as they jumped out to a big lead on 6^th-seeded Baldwin (10-13) and coasted to a 57-26 quarterfinal victory.

Norwin wasted no time jumping all over Baldwin scoring the first 12 points of the game. Baldwin could never get their footing on the offensive end and 6As top defense flexed their muscles with Norwin leading 31-10 at the break. Norwin got the lead up to 30 in the second half envoking the running clock and rolled to a 57-26 win.

Kendall Berger had 21 points for Norwin. 15 of them came in the first half.

Norwin moves on the WPIAL 6A Girls Semifinals where they will take on North Allegheny on Monday at 6 pm at Fox Chapel High School. These two teams split the regular season series with both teams winning at home.

Upper St. Clair 60, Peters Township 43

After a tight first quarter, top-seeded Upper St. Clair (20-2) made their move in the second quarter and 8^th-seeded Peters Township (13-11) could never recover as Upper St. Clair pulled away for the 60-43 victory Thursday night at home.

After a quarter of play the score was tied 9-9 but a big second and third quarter gave Upper St. Clair a 13-point lead heading into the final frame. Upper St. Clair’s defense held Peters Township to eight points in the final quarter and they were able to advance to the semifinals with a 60-43 victory.

Rylee Kalocay had 27 points for Upper St. Clair. Samantha Prunzik added 12 points and Kate Robbins netted 10. Gemma Walker had 16 points for Peters Township while Bri Morreale had 11.

Upper St. Clair advance to the WPIAL 6A Girls Semifinals where they will take on Mt. Lebanon on Monday at 6 pm at Bethel Park High School.