Franklin Regional girls hold off Fox Chapel to remain unbeaten in section

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Tuesday, January 28, 2025 | 8:50 PM


The Franklin Regional girls basketball team moved one game closer to its goal of a Section 1-5A championship Tuesday evening.

The Panthers held off a challenge from playoff-bound section foe Fox Chapel and completed a season sweep of the Foxes with a 59-43 victory.

FR moved to 13-5 overall and 10-0 in the section. The win was its eighth in a row. The Panthers are undefeated in 2025.

“There was some pressure coming in here. It kind of was the elephant in the room,” Panthers coach Bernie Pucka said. “Knowing that we had three section games left, including this one, the girls wanted to keep everything where they could control their own destiny.

“Their focus preparing for this game was razor sharp, from the scouting report to the practice huddle to staying after practice and getting shots up and working on their own. It was incredible to see them work.”

Franklin Regional will step away from section play Thursday and host Hampton.

The Panthers wrap up section games at home against Armstrong on Feb. 3 and at Shaler on Feb. 7.

FR will clinch at least a tie for the section title with a win over the River Hawks.

“The girls understand to not look too far ahead,” Pucka said. “They know what’s at stake. Right now, it’s game by game. There’s a meme out there that says, ‘Finish the Race.’ The finish line is in sight.”

Shaler kept pace atop the section standings Tuesday, improving to 7-1 with a 57-30 win over Penn Hills.

Fox Chapel saw a three-game section win streak come to an end.

“We could tell that (the Panthers) were anxious,” Fox Chapel coach Marty Matvey said. “It’s always hard when you are in first place, and everyone is gunning for you. I told the girls that there was no pressure on us and to just go out and play our best game. We are grateful to be in the position we’re in. Hat’s off to Bernie and his team. Who knows? Maybe we will see them again in the playoffs.”

The Foxes, 11-6 overall and 6-3 in the section, will look to bounce back Thursday at Armstrong before hosting Shaler on Feb. 4 and finishing the section slate Feb. 6 at Plum.

“Armstrong is a rivalry game for us, so we have to be ready,” Matvey said. “Shaler is a going to be a tough matchup. Now, we want to do what we can to improve and prepare for the playoffs.”

Pucka said Toryn Fulton took advantage of her physicality at both ends of the court.

The 6-foot senior forward finished with a game-best 21 points to go with 10 rebounds. Fourteen of her points came in the second half.

Fulton scored her season best of 23 in a win over Plum on Jan. 17.

“She was so strong on the offensive and defense boards, and she was our go-to scorer,” Pucka said. “I think Fox Chapel was prepared for (senior guard) Maddie DeRiggi after she took off and scored 22 the last game. Toryn is just playing incredible basketball right now.”

DeRiggi finished with 10 points. Senior Addison Musto tallied 14, 12 on a quartet of 3-pointers.

Freshman forward Alyssa Bridges came off the bench to score six points in her first game since the win against Shaler on Jan. 13.

Junior guard Lyla Jablon led the Foxes with 18 points, 12 in the second half.

Senior forward Natalia Schaffer and senior guard Bella Urso added 11 points apiece.

The Panthers and Foxes played close in the first quarter with FR ahead 12-11 after the first eight minutes.

FR opened an eight-point lead at the break and entered the fourth quarter up 11 at 46-35.

“It wasn’t until about two minutes left when I could finally take a breath because the pace of the game was so up and down,” Pucka said. “Marty is such a good coach. Fox Chapel is so talented, and their players can score at a snap of a finger. They can go post to post so quickly.

“Every second of that clock felt like an eternity. It was a really good battle, like we expected. Credit to Fox Chapel. Best of luck to them in the playoffs.”

Matvey said the final score was not indicative of how the game went and how his players kept the pressure on the Panthers into the fourth quarter.

“We had to kind of switch up our defense to keep Bella and Lyla out of foul trouble,” Matvey said. “We were hanging around 10 for a majority of the second half, and, at one point, we cut it to eight. We just couldn’t get that fourth scorer there.

“We took some good shots in the paint. But the margin is so thin when you play a good team like that, which does everything so well at both ends.”

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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