High school roundup for Feb. 10, 2023: Rowan Carmichael’s heroics send Avonworth to playoffs with dramatic win

By: Tribune-Review
Saturday, February 11, 2023 | 12:02 AM

Rowan Carmichael nailed a buzzer-beater to send the game to overtime and finished with 46 points as Avonworth clinched a playoff spot with a 67-60 overtime win over West Mifflin in Section 4-4A.

Carmichael hit four 3-pointers and was 14 of 15 from the free-throw line. The Antelopes (8-13, 4-6) also needed a Montour win over first-place Quaker Valley to get in. The Spartans beat the Quakers, 47-37.

Joseph Fleming and Shai Newby each scored 15 points while Brandon Battles added 10 for West Mifflin (9-11, 4-6).

Ambridge 77, Brentwood 56 – Adam Fernandez scored 14, Jared Astorino followed with 12 and Giovanni Cassarino and Karmelo Green scored 11 points apiece to lead Ambridge (7-15, 3-9) in a nonsection win. Carter Betz scored 14 and Aidan Barker contributed 11 for Brentwood (5-16, 2-10).

Aquinas Academy 68, St. Joseph 47 – Vinnie Cugini scored 38 points and Jake Guillen added 11 to lead Aquinas Academy (18-4, 6-4) to a Section 3-A win. Jimmy Giannetta scored 25 points, hitting 1,000 for his career, for St. Joseph (8-14, 2-8). Quinn Stefaniak added 10.

Armstrong 48, Plum 37 – Cadin Olsen and Isaiah Riggle scored 11 points apiece and Ian Olsen added 10 for Armstrong (12-9, 3-7) in a Section 2-5A win. Adam Kotvas scored 14 for Plum (6-16, 1-9).

Bishop Canevin 93, Winchester Thurston 52 – Shea Champine dropped 31 while Dante Berrien and Jason Cross each scored 14 as Bishop Canevin (18-4, 9-1) clinched the Section 2-2A title outright. Henry McComb scored 18 and Charlie Tea added 11 for Winchester Thurston (3-15, 2-8).

Brownsville 69, California 35 – Demarion Brown dropped 33 points, including 29 in the first half, and Elijah Brown contributed 11 to lead Brownsville (12-8) to a nonsection win. Caden Powell led California (6-16) with eight points.

Burrell 61, Valley 55 – Macky Bennis scored 21 and Tucker Bitar put up 15 to lead Burrell (13-9, 9-3) past Valley (3-19, 2-10) in Section 3-3A.

Central Catholic 59, North Allegheny 42 – Randy Wilkerson led all scorers with 21 points as Central Catholic (13-8, 7-3) defeated North Allegheny (8-12, 3-7) in Section 1-6A. Anthony Sciote and Joey Dopirak scored 11 points apiece for the Tigers.

Central Valley 51, Hopewell 37 – Andre Vacich scored 15 points and Bret Fitzsimmons and Jayvin Thompson added 13 points apiece for Central Valley (7-14, 4-8) in a Section 2-4A win. Mason Showrank scored 12 points for Hopewell (3-19, 0-12).

Eden Christian 73, Propel Braddock Hills 53 – Ryan Merrick led Eden Christian (15-5, 8-2) with 30 points and David Ryan added 11 in a Section 2-2A win. Giontae Clemmons led Propel Braddock Hills (10-12, 5-5) with 20 points. Benjamin Mayhew scored 19 to hit the 1,000 mark for his career.

Elizabeth Forward 72, Belle Vernon 70 – Andrew Cook put up 25 points and sank six 3-pointers, Isaiah Turner contributed 15 and Zach Boyd added 12 as Elizabeth Forward (8-13, 4-6) knocked Southmoreland out of the playoffs with a Section 3-4A win. Quinton Martin dropped 25 points and Zion Moore scored 16 for Belle Vernon (10-11, 5-5).

Ellwood City 56, Riverside 41 – Joe Roth dropped 24 points and Will Nardone followed with 21 points and five 3-pointers as Ellwood City (15-7, 7-5) was victorious in a winner-take-all battle for the fourth and final playoff spot in Section 1-3A. Drake Fox scored 14 and Sam Hughes finished with 11 points for Riverside (8-14, 5-7).

Fort Cherry 75, Burgettstown 63 – Shane Cornali and Derek Lucas scored 17 points apiece and Owen Norman added 16 as Section 4-22A champ Fort Cherry (20-2, 12-0) beat Burgettstown (12-9, 8-4). Caleb Russell scored a career high 25 points for the Blue Devils.

Frazier 68, Beth-Center 57 – Keyshaun Thompson led all scorers with 33 points, Brennan Stewart added 14 and Lucas Roebuck finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds for Frazier (3-19, 2-10) in a Section 4-2A win. Brody Tharp put up 22 points and Jason Zeli had 11 for Beth-Center (1-21, 0-12).

Freeport 69, Indiana 49 – Brady Stivenson scored 16, Ben Lane followed with 14 and Gavon Glista finished with 12 as Freeport (13-8, 5-5) won a Section 1-4A contest. Gavin Homer and Jaden Petrovich scored 10 points apiece for Indiana (6-15, 1-9).

Greensburg Central Catholic 71, Springdale 58 – Tyree Turner scored 23 points, Samir Crosby added 18 and Franco Alvarez had 16 to lead Section 3-2A champ Greensburg Central Catholic (15-5, 11-1) past Springdale (9-13, 3-9). Mason Gent scored 23 and John Hughes added 17 for the Dynamos.

Hampton 91, Greensburg Salem 55 – Peter Kramer scored 22 points, hitting the 1,000 mark for his career, to lead Section 1-4A champ Hampton (19-2, 10-0). Liam Mignogna had 16 and Eric Weeks added 14 for the Talbots. Cody Rubrecht led Greensburg Salem (5-17, 1-9) with 16 points and Markeece Walker had 13.

Highlands 75, Knoch 60 –Bradyn Foster led Highlands (18-3, 8-2) with 24 points, Jimmy Kunst had 19 and Cam Reigard added 15 in a Section 1-4A win. Teagan Finucan scored 19 points and Koden Spencer had 11 for Knoch (7-14, 5-5).

Jeannette 75, Riverview 70 – Kymone Brown scored 19 points, Giovanni Merola added 16 and Jalen Bass had 15 to lead Jeannette (13-7, 7-5) to a Section 3-2A win. Ben Hower led Riverview (12-10, 4-8) with 24 points. Jack Betler and Amberson Bauer each had 17 and Nate Sprajcar added 16.

Ligonier Valley 72, Derry 66 – Jimmy Pleskovitch scored 19 points, Parker Hollick and Hayden Sierocky each had 16 and Chet Dillaman added 13 to lead Ligonier Valley (6-16, 5-7) past Derry (11-9, 6-6) in Section 3-3A.

Lincoln Park 90, Blackhawk 57 – Brandin Cummings dropped 31 points and drained eight 3-pointers, Meleek Thomas put up 25 and DeAndre Moye added 18 to lead Section 2-4A champ Lincoln Park (21-1, 12-0). Zach Oliver scored 20, Tyler Heckathorn followed with 18 and Jacob Patton had 10 for Blackhawk (11-11, 5-7).

McKeesport 61, Franklin Regional 57 – Travarese Rowe scored 24 points and Aemond Knight added 11 as McKeesport (9-10, 6-4) eliminated Franklin Regional from the playoffs in Section 3-5A. Cooper Rankin led the Panthers (9-12, 3-7) with 18 points and Fin Hutchinson had 15.

Montour 47, Quaker Valley 37 – Ama Tening Sow scored 13 and Ryan Gamble followed with 10 points to lead Montour (9-13, 5-5) to a Section 4-4A win. Joey Coyle paced Quaker Valley (14-6, 8-2) with 21 points. With the loss, the Quakers will share the section title with South Allegheny.

Moon 63, Mars 60 – Elijah Guillory scored 23 points to lead Moon (12-9, 6-4) in a matchup of Section 4-5A playoff teams. Luca Michnowicz added 12 and Michael Santicola had 10. Tasso Sfanos scored 24 and Ryan Ceh had 17 for Mars (14-7, 6-4).

Mt. Lebanon 58, Canon-McMillan 38 – Lucas Garofoli scored 16, Nathaniel Girod added 14 and Brody Barber contributed 13 to give Mt. Lebanon (14-7, 8-2) a Section 2-6A win. Eamon O’Donoghue scored a game-high 20 points for Canon-McMillan (3-19, 0-10).

Nazareth Prep 50, Propel Montour 23 – Will Evans dropped 16 points and Jai’Noah Martin finished with 14 as Nazareth Prep (9-8, 6-4) won in Section 2-2A. Danny Roberts scored 18 points for Propel Montour (0-20, 0-10).

Neshannock 67, Mohawk 57 – Jack Glies scored 38 points and Lucian DeLillo added 12 as Neshannock (15-5, 10-2) claimed a share of the Section 1-3A title with Mohawk (19-2, 10-2). Bobby Fadden led the Warriors with 20 points and Jay Wrona had 16.

New Brighton 69, Freedom 58 – Isaiah Hayhurst led with 17 points, Bobby Budacki followed with 16 and Marquis White added 15 to lead New Brighton (4-15, 2-10) to a Section 1-3A win. Dakota Roberts scored 18 points for Freedom (1-20, 0-12).

New Castle 65, Seneca Valley 60 – Jonathan Anderson scored 20 points and Nick Wallace contributed 11 for Section 1-6A champ New Castle (19-2, 9-1). Luke Lawson led all scorers with 28 points, Aiden Lyczek added 11 and Connor Oros finished with 10 for Seneca Valley (9-11, 4-6).

North Catholic 60, Beaver 59 – Max Hurray scored 25 points and made five 3-pointers, Matt Ellery had 15 points and also drained five 3s while Andrew Maddalon finished with 10 points as North Catholic (15-6, 10-2) won the battle for second place in Section 2-4A. Brady Mayo put up 22 points and Sawyer Butler netted 13 for Beaver (16-4, 8-4).

North Hills 76, Chartiers Valley 70 – Royce Parham scored 35 points, Jayden Thomas had 14 and Michael Hoskey added 11 to lead North Hills (17-5, 8-2) to the outright Section 4-5A title. Jayden Davis led Chartiers Valley (15-7, 4-6) with 40 points and Julian Semplice had 10. The loss, coupled with a South Fayette win, eliminated Chartiers Valley from playoff contention.

Northgate 67, Laurel 43 – Josh Williams scored 18 points and Landon Lockett added 12 to lead Northgate (16-6, 7-3) past Laurel (6-15, 3-7) in a Section 1-2A win. Laban Barker led the Spartans with 19 points.

OLSH 59, Keystone Oaks 52 – BJ Vaughn scored 13 points and Bryson Kirschner added 10 for OLSH (16-5, 9-3) in a Section 2-3A win against Keystone Oaks (9-12, 6-6). Tulio Watts scored a game-high 19 points, Nick Buckley put up 17 and Erond Jakupi had 11 for the Golden Eagles.

Peters Township 72, Bethel Park 45 – Jack Dunbar scored 25 points and Brendan McCullough added 13 as Peters Township (18-3, 9-1) clinched the Section 1-5A title. Shawn Davis and Michael Mathias scored 15 each for Bethel Park.

Pine-Richland 76, Butler 72 – Emery Moye scored 21 points, Andrew Lamendola had 20 and Josh Gimbel added 17 to push Pine-Richland (6-15, 2-8) past Butler (14-7, 5-5) in a Section 1-6A win. Braydon Littlejohn led the Golden Tornado with 22 points and Donovan Carney had 21.

Rochester 53, Western Beaver 44 – Brady Gorman scored 15 points and Jerome Mullins added 13 to lead Rochester (10-12, 7-3) to a Section 1-A win. Levi Gray led Western Beaver (10-12, 3-7) with 17 points and Carson Nachman had 10. Because Avella lost to Union, Western Beaver qualified for the playoffs anyway.

Serra Catholic 81, Leechburg 51 – Elijah Wood put up 23 points, Owen Dumbroski followed with 20 and Joey DeMoss added 15 as Serra Catholic (13-9, 9-3) defeated Leechburg (7-14, 3-9) in Section 3-2A. Connor McDermott dropped 36 points for the Blue Devils.

Seton LaSalle 69, Sto-Rox 47 – Connor Spratt led with 33 points and seven 3-pointers and Hayden Merchant added 10 for Seton LaSalle (11-9, 8-4) in a Section 2-3A win. Josh Jenkins scored 21 points and Jaymont Green-Miller had 10 for Sto-Rox (7-14, 4-8).

Shaler 60, Fox Chapel 50 – Keegan Smetanka and Kaden Orga each scored 11 points while Joe DeSabato and Brandon London scored 10 points apiece as Shaler (16-6, 7-3) beat Fox Chapel (13-8, 5-5) in Section 2-5A. Jefferson Moorefield-Brown scored 12 and Kam Greil added 10 for the Foxes.

South Allegheny 61, East Allegheny 31 – Bryce Epps led all scorers with 27 points and Michael Michalski recorded a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds to lead South Allegheny (17-4, 8-2), grabbing a share of the Section 4-4A title with Quaker Valley. Ethan Anderson scored 18 points for East Allegheny (3-15, 1-9).

South Fayette 60, West Allegheny 38 – Elijah Hill scored 19 points and Michael Plasko added 17 as South Fayette (12-9, 5-5) claimed the fourth and final playoff spot in Section 4-5A. Gavin Orosz had 11. Roman Police led West Allegheny (8-14, 1-9) with 11.

South Side 44, Sewickley Academy 43 – Coupled with a Laurel loss to Northgate, South Side (7-14, 3-7) clinched a playoff spot with a win over Sewickley Academy (3-18, 0-10) in Section 1-2A.

Southmoreland 74, Albert Gallatin 70 – Ty Keffer scored 27 points, Elijah Myers had 21 points and five 3-pointers and Noah Felentzer added 11 for Southmoreland (13-9, 3-7) in a Section 3-4A win over Albert Gallatin (3-15, 0-10). Kam Pratt and Isaac Ellsworth each scored 16 points for the Colonials. Southmoreland was eliminated from playoff contention when Elizabeth Forward upset Belle Vernon.

Steel Valley 78, South Park 56 – Makhai Valentine dropped 33 points, Cruce Brookins finished with 15, Nate Yuhas added 14 and Nahjir Norris had 11 as Steel Valley (12-9, 10-2) clinched the Section 2-3A title outright. Harper Conroy put up 21 points, Tyler Lemansky finished with 11 and Luke Scarff followed with 10 for South Park (7-13, 3-9).

Trinity 74, Ringgold 50 – Owen Wayman scored 16 points, Andrew Collins added 13, Jacob Dunkle contributed 12 and Tim Hodges finished with 11 as Trinity (9-12, 4-6) eliminated the Rams from playoff contention in Section 1-5A. Remington Lessman put up 12 and Lorenzo Glasser had 10 for Ringgold (4-18, 2-8).

Upper St. Clair 66, Baldwin 64 – Devin Hall scored 22 points, Nick Sukernek added 15 and Matthew Gaither had 14 as Upper St. Clair (14-8, 9-1) beat Baldwin (12-9, 5-5) to clinch the Section 2-6A title outright.

West Greene 76, Mapletown 58 – Lane Allison exploded for 43 points and Kaden Shields dropped 20 as West Greene (5-17, 2-8) defeated Mapletown (7-13, 3-7) in Section 2-A. Landan Stevenson scored 17 and Cohen Stout added 12 for the Maples.

Woodland Hills 55, Penn Hills 40 – Chaz Cobbs dropped 32 points to lift Woodland Hills (14-8, 5-5) to a Section 2-5A win. Daemar Kelly scored 16 and Noah Barren added 10 for Penn Hills (16-3, 9-1).

Yough 69, Charleroi 17 – Terek Crosby led with 20 points, Austin Matthews followed with 17 and Parker Rost added 15 to lead Yough (15-7, 10-2) to a share of the Section 4-3A title with Washington. Jackson Keranko led Charleroi (9-13, 4-8) with 11 points.

Girls basketball

Lincoln Park 69, Ambridge 24 – Aizlyn Thompson scored 16 points and Mikayla Newsome followed with 15 to lead Lincoln Park (18-4) to a nonsection win. Alivea Bupp had 14 for Ambridge (1-21).

Penn-Trafford 51, Latrobe 45 – Olivia Pepple led Penn-Trafford (14-6, 7-5) with 26 points and four 3-pointers in a Section 3-5A win over Latrobe (14-8, 6-6). Camille Dominick and Elle Snyder scored 12 points apiece and Josie Stragis had 10 for the Wildcats.

Peters Township 59, Canon-McMillan 31 – Natalie Wetzel scored 22 points and Gemma Walker added 13 as Peters Township (11-10, 5-7) claimed a playoff spot with a Section 2-6A victory. Lauren Borella scored 12 for Canon-McMillan (5-15, 1-11).

Shaler 40, Fox Chapel 36 – Bayleigh Perez and Haley Kostorick scored 10 points apiece as Shaler (16-6, 7-5) won a winner-take-all battle for the fourth and final playoff spot in Section 2-5A. Bella Urso led Fox Chapel (12-9, 6-6) with 10 points.

Trinity 62, Albert Gallatin 53 – Ruby Morgan scored a game-high 24 points and Eden Williamson finished with 18 as Trinity (15-6) beat Albert Gallatin (10-12) in nonsection play. Courtlyn Turner put up 21 points, Mya Glisan added 15 and Gianna Michaux had 12 for the Colonials.

Wrestling

Belle Vernon 31, Ringgold 30 – Giovanni Weightman (138) and Kole Doppelhauer (145) each won a major decision while Austin Hoffman (172) and Coulton Manown (189) recorded pins as Belle Vernon (3-4) won six straight matches to beat Ringgold (5-12) in a nonsection meet. Dominick Skibicki (152) and Perry Riggle (285) won by decision and Elijah Brown (160) won by tech fall for the Leopards. Danny Verscharen (120) and Braydon Campbell (126) won by decision and Jake Conroy (215) had a pin for the Rams.

Shaler 38, Knoch 24 – Malik Maughan (160) and Ethan Gross (189) recorded pins while Nevio DeLeonibus (120) won by decision and Jake Cable (145) won by tech fall as Shaler (2-7) beat Knoch (9-12) in a nonsection meet. Braden Plugh (172) and Cameron Elliott (138) had pins and Owen Layhew (152) and Brayden McGowan won by decision for the Knights.