After 3 key section wins, Plum girls look ahead toward WPIAL playoffs

By: Michael Love
Saturday, February 8, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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The Plum girls basketball team is in playoff mode as the regular season has come to a close, and coach Rich Mull and his players are looking forward to what lies ahead.

The Mustangs solidified their place in the postseason with a trio of Section 1-5A victories — over Armstrong, 47-32; Penn Hills, 33-20; and Gateway, 48-17 — in the stretch run of section play.

The WPIAL on Monday was to release the playoff brackets. Mull said everyone was eager to find out where they landed and who they would face in the first round.

“It gives us some extra practices to work on some things,” Mull said about the leadup to the first postseason contest.

“It also gives us an opportunity to play at least one more game against one of the top teams. It will be valuable for the younger kids to get a taste of what it is like when the playoffs ramp things up. It’s a whole new season for them and for everybody.”

Plum’s Jan. 30 win against Penn Hills, a victory that completed a season sweep of its neighboring rival, officially clinched its place in the playoffs.

Junior Riley Stephans led the Mustangs with 15 points, which included a trio of 3-pointers.

Senior Serena Carnahan and sophomore Tamia West added eight points each.

“We all talked about what we needed to do to make the playoffs and that included getting our games right,” Stephans said. “Everyone stepped up and contributed. We’ve grown so much closer as a team since the start of the season.

“We lost some really talented players from last year’s team, and it took some time to develop what this team has become.”

In the victory over Armstrong, West led the way with 16 points, and Carnahan added 15.

Plum hoped to forge a tie for third place in the section standings with Fox Chapel. The Mustangs and Foxes met last Thursday in the section finale for both teams. Fox Chapel won the first meeting, 41-23.

Mull said his young team was confident going into the games against Penn Hills, Armstrong and Gateway.

“We were competitive outside of a few games here and there,” he said.

“The second time we played (section champion) Franklin Regional, we were a lot more consistent. We had a double-digit lead. Then a couple mistakes here and there, and they increased the pressure on us, and that cost us the game. But we did a lot of good things in that game which shows the ability these girls have.”

Franklin Regional was undefeated in the section and had won 10 in a row heading into its section finale last Thursday against Shaler.

Carnahan, who had a team-best 19 points in the second meeting with the Panthers, said she and her teammates took a lot away from that game.

West and Stephans added 15 and 10 points, respectively, in the 60-51 loss from Jan. 17.

“Franklin started pressing us a little bit further into the game, and that hurt us a little bit,” Carnahan said. “But we were all encouraged by some of the things we were able to do. It showed what this team can be.

“A number of younger girls have gained so much experience in some big games. They have progressed, and it means so much for this team moving forward and even into next year.”

Mull said he appreciates what he sees as a good group of girls which has really grown together throughout the season.

“One of the big things has been getting the sophomores that varsity time and getting used to the speed of the game,” Mull said. “If you look at our schedule, you will see that there have been very few easy games. You look at Fox Chapel who has a couple of seniors with a ton of experience. Shaler and Franklin Regional also have that senior experience.

“Out-of-section games with the likes of Seneca Valley, Pine-Richland and Hempfield; those games, too, have really helped us in giving those girls the quality varsity minutes.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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