First Half Runs Lead South Park Past Elizabeth Forward for Girls WPIAL AAA Gold

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, March 2, 2013 | 5:53 PM

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Last year, South Park was the bridesmaid after losing to Hopewell in the WPIAL Class AAA championship. This year though, the Eagles are the golden bride after tossing aside Elizabeth Forward like a post-wedding bouquet by beating the Warriors 50-32 Saturday afternoon at the A.J. Palumbo Center.

South Park trailed 5-4 early when they went on an 11-0 run and grabbed a 15-7 lead after one quarter. Elizabeth Forward shot 56% in the first half of a Semifinals upset of Blackhawk, but that hot shooting was stifled by the Eagles defense time and time again.

After the Warriors scored in the opening seconds of the second quarter, the Eagles outscored them 15-2 the rest of the half to take a commanding 30-11 lead into the locker room.

The two teams played even the rest of the way as the Warriors came up short in their bid for the school’s first girl’s basketball championship since 1975.

Junior Halie Torris and freshman Allison McGrath led the way for the Eagles with 13 points each. Seniors Breanna Raymond chipped in with 11 points while leading scorer Shelby Lindsay was held to 9 points below her average as she scored 9 points.

The Warriors did not have a player reach double digit scoring as senior Dana Buck led the way with 9 points while sophomore Olivia Buck added 8 points.

South Park captures their third WPIAL girls basketball title to go with district AAA crowns they won in 1998 and in 2008. The Eagles are now 23-2 and will face the Hickory Hornets, the third-seed from District 10 next Saturday in the PIAA Class AAA First Round state playoffs.

Elizabeth Forward falls to 23-3 and will now face the Central Valley Warriors in the opening round of the state playoffs next Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

Tags: Elizabeth Forward