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Madison DeRiggi sparks Franklin Regional girls past Fox Chapel in defensive battle

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Thursday, January 2, 2025 | 10:13 PM

It wasn’t the prettiest of games for the Franklin Regional girls basketball team against Fox Chapel in a key Section 1-5A first-place matchup Thursday evening.

But Panthers coach Bernie Pucka and his players certainly will take it.

Senior point guard Madison DeRiggi scored a game-high 22 points, FR’s height produced an advantage on the boards and the Panthers held off a Foxes rally in the second half to close a 40-36 home victory.

“That win was really big for us,” said DeRiggi, who added five rebounds and four steals. “We knew we had to focus in practice to be ready for Fox Chapel. We knew they would come out strong and fast. We were prepared.”

Franklin Regional improved to 6-5 overall and 4-0 in section play. The Panthers return to action Monday with a nonsection contest at Greensburg Salem.

The Panthers had lost back-to-back games to Canon- McMillan and Upper St. Clair at the Cal (Pa.) holiday tournament after winning five of six.

“In all my time coaching, I can’t remember having a schedule that has prepared us as much as this one has this year,” Pucka said.

“Our nonsection opponents have been outstanding, with the likes of Upper St. Clair and Canon-McMillan and also Mars and Penn-Trafford. It has helped us learn, practice and rep, and then come back and get a good section win like we did (Thursday) against a really talented Fox Chapel team.”

Fox Chapel (7-4, 2-1) will attempt to rebound Tuesday when it hosts section foe Armstrong.

“It was a game between two teams who play really good defense,” Foxes coach Marty Matvey said.

“They definitely use their height to their advantage. That certainly adjusted us a little bit. We didn’t play our best game, for sure. We missed at least 15 layups and turned it over a good bit. We also needed to do a better job limiting their second and third chances. But there were several times where I thought we could’ve taken that game. I am pleased that we can play with these guys, and if we continue to get better, I think it could be a different story the next time around.”

Fox Chapel and Franklin Regional will play again Jan. 28 at Fox Chapel.

Shaler, 2-0 in the section, will hope to keep pace with FR at the top of the section when it faces Penn Hills on Friday.

Toryn Fulton added six points and nine rebounds for the Panthers in Thursday’s victory, and Alyssa Bridges came off the bench to record 11 rebounds.

“For the first time in a long time, we have a size advantage on teams, and we’re preaching crashing the offensive boards to create second-chance opportunities and also the defensive boards to limit second opportunities,” Pucka said. “We did a really good job with both.”

Ahead by eight at halftime and also at the end of the third quarter, FR extended to its largest lead of the game — 10 points — on a DeRiggi layup with 7 minutes, 4 seconds left in regulation.

Franklin Regional then went without a point for the next five minutes. But the Foxes were only able to trim the deficit to six on a pair of layups from Natalia Schaffer.

Schaffer finished with a team-best 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The Panthers didn’t help themselves from the free-throw line as they went 1 for 8 in the fourth. But key rebounds from Bridges and Fulton after a pair of empty trips to the line in the final minute helped FR maintain possession.

“We were hoping to pull away after going up 10, but that didn’t happen, and give all the credit to Fox Chapel,” Pucka said.

“Marty does a fantastic job schematically, and their girls fight the entire time. They never gave up and cut into that lead. We have to polish some things up on the offensive end, for sure. Right now, we’re hanging our hat on defense and the grittiness that comes with that.”

Bella Urso finished with seven points — five coming in the fourth — and six rebounds for the Foxes.

Fox Chapel led 7-2 midway through the first quarter, but missed opportunities on offense and a couple of turnovers prevented the Foxes from increasing their advantage.

Franklin Regional rallied to tie the score with two free throws and a field goal from DeRiggi and another free throw from Addison Musto.

But Lyla Jablon sank a pair of foul shots with 5 seconds left in the stanza to give the visitors the lead back 9-7.

Both teams continued attempts to find their offensive rhythm in the second quarter. A layup from Anna Novelli 5 minutes, 47 seconds before halftime gave the Panthers the lead for the first time at 13-11.

DeRiggi scored eight of FR’s 16 second-quarter points and had 14 at the break.

Fox Chapel hit just one field goal in the second quarter — a layup from Urso at the 3:53 mark — as the other three points came from Shaffer at the free-throw line.

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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