Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball leans on top scorers Morgan, Kuhns

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, February 2, 2022 | 12:01 AM

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Greensburg Central Catholic is charging down the floor on a break.

Sophomore guard Mya Morgan pulls the break just long enough for senior forward Bailey Kuhns to cut across the paint and get open.

Two points for Kuhns. Assist, Morgan. It’s like they’ve done this a million times.

A couple of possessions later, Kuhns returns the favor as she holds the ball high at the top of the key, ponders a 3-pointer, then lobs inside to Morgan for an easy two.

“If Bailey doesn’t get it inside, I know I get it on a kick-out and shoot,” Morgan said. “We’re really getting closer with our chemistry and how we play together.”

The harmony between Kuhns and Morgan is growing with each game, and the one-two punch makes Class 2A No. 3 GCC a tough matchup.

“We have been working on things with those two that we haven’t used in a game yet,” GCC coach Chris Skatell said. “Maybe we can use them down the line. With them, if there is a good ball screen and pick and roll, that’s hard to deal with.”

Skatell said one of his assistants, former GCC and IUP standout Carolyn Appleby, put it best watching Morgan and Kuhns work in unison: “She said it is beautiful basketball to watch,” Skatell said.

And don’t forget the duo’s contributions on the defensive end, Kuhns as a shot-altering post presence and Morgan poised to collect steals in the open court.

The 6-foot Kuhns also is a tenacious rebounder.

But the offensive end is where Kuhns and Morgan click best.

“Mya is such a fluid player,” Kuhns said. “There are times when she’ll give me a head nod, and I’ll know if she is going to go or give it up. I feel like if we play well together, we can be an unstoppable team.”

Kuhns, a Mercyhurst commit, talks about the 5-8 Morgan like she is discussing her little sister, someone she wants to take under her wing and nurture into an even better varsity player.

“I feel like I hold her to a higher standard, but then I think, she’s only a sophomore,” Kuhns said. “She is very mature for a sophomore. I know what she can do.”

When GCC (13-3, 7-0), poised to win its first outright section title since 2018-19, won a key Section 4-2A game at Apollo-Ridge, 53-37, Kuhns had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Morgan had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Morgan is a streaky 3-point shooter who can’t be left unguarded on the perimeter, whereas Kuhns’ strengths are revealed around the rim. She, too, has shown outside touch and the ability to handle the ball, traits Mercyhurst appreciates.

Kuhns was averaging 16 points and Morgan 12 as the Centurions prepared for to negotiate the back end of section play.

GCC swept Winchester Thurston, a team it had trouble with last year. Kuhns and Morgan matched team-high totals in each game, scoring 18 and 17 apiece.

The team has clinched its 22nd straight playoff appearance.

GCC returned five starters from a playoff team, but with Morgan coming off the bench last year, her starting role had to mesh with Kuhns and others.

“When we go five-out, we look for each other,” Morgan said of herself and Kuhns. “We work on it in practice.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Greensburg C.C.