High school roundup for Feb. 4, 2020: Central Valley keeps playoff hopes alive

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, February 5, 2020 | 12:25 AM

Needing a win to keep its playoff hopes alive, Central Valley pulled off a comeback to remember Tuesday night.

Trailing by 12 points in the third quarter, the Warriors rallied for a 61-60 victory over No. 5 New Castle to stay in the wild Section 2-4A race. It was Central Valley’s first win over New Castle since 2011, snapping a 16-game winning streak for the Red Hurricane in the series.

Central Valley (11-7, 6-5) is in fifth place in the section, a game behind New Castle (12-7, 7-4) and a game and a half behind Ambridge (11-6, 7-3).

Isiah Warfield led Central Valley with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Brandon Graham had 11 points, all in the second half. Michael Wells led New Castle with 19 points.

Pine-Richland 54, Central Catholic 45 (OT) — Kyle Polce scored 14 points and Pine-Richland (14-6, 7-3) rallied from five points down after three quarters to win a matchup of Section 1-6A playoff teams. Anderson Cynkar led Central Catholic (12-10, 5-5) with 14 points.

Butler 78, Seneca Valley 54 — Ethan Morton and Devin Carney scored 24 points apiece to help No. 2 Butler (16-4, 10-0) to an undefeated season in Section 1-6A. Mason Bush led Seneca Valley (3-16, 1-9) with 16 points.

Upper St. Clair 53, Mt. Lebanon 48 — Luke Gensler scored 19 points and David Pantelis added 11 as No. 4 Upper St. Clair (18-3, 8-2) handed No. 3 Mt. Lebanon (15-5, 9-1) its first Section 2-6A loss of the year. Jake Hoffman led Mt. Lebanon with 15 points.

Peters Township 62, Canon-McMillan 43 — Colin Cote scored 25 points, hitting four 3-pointers, and Sam Petrarca added 12 to help Peters Township (11-9, 5-5) even its record in Section 2-6A with a win over Canon-McMillan (7-13, 2-8)

Fox Chapel 70, Connellsville 39 — The No. 1 Foxes remained undefeated after easing past Connellsville (7-13, 3-7) in Section 3-6A. Eli Yofan led Fox Chapel (20-0, 10-0) with 18 points, Jake DeMotte had 12 points on four 3-pointers and James Dockey dropped 10 assists.

Penn Hills 82, McKeesport 48 — Kyree Mitchell scored 25 points and Ed Daniels added 22 to lead No. 2 Penn Hills (16-4, 10-1) to a decisive victory in a matchup of the top two teams in Section 1-5A. Wes Kropp had 13 and Daemar Kelly 12 for Penn Hills. Deamontae Diggs led No. 4 McKeesport (11-9, 8-3) with 21 points.

Gateway 57, Albert Gallatin 55 — William Kromka scored 15 points and R.J. Stevenson contributed 14 to help Gateway (9-10, 5-6) to a Section 1-5A win. Dom Lewellin led Albert Gallatin (6-13, 4-7) with 17 points.

Greensburg Salem 65, Laurel Highlands 52 — Ryan Thomas scored 18 points and Dante Parsons added 15 as Greensburg Salem (4-16, 1-11) picked up its first Section 1-5A win of the season in convincing fashion, knocking off third-place Laurel Highlands (12-7, 6-5). Zach Galdo had 12 and Shamar McCoy 10 for Greensburg Salem. Rodney Gallagher led Laurel Highlands with 30.

Chartiers Valley 60, Montour 56 — Brayden Reynolds scored 19 points and Sean Banas and Marcello Legister chipped in 11 apiece to help No. 1 Chartiers Valley (16-4, 12-1) to a Section 2-5A win. Tyriq Elam and Isayah Mosley led Montour (9-12, 6-7) with 13 points each.

Thomas Jefferson 49, Moon 41 — Noah Pierce scored 15 points and James Martinis added 14 as Thomas Jefferson (13-7, 9-4) solidified its hold on second place in Section 2-5A. Logan Young led Moon (5-15, 3-10) with 15 points.

West Allegheny 71, Trinity 63 — Scott Bilvous scored 29 points and Jackson Faulk had 15 as West Allegheny (12-9, 7-6) moved into a tie with Trinity (12-8, 7-6) for fourth place in Section 2-5A. Michael Koroly led Trinity with 24 points.

South Fayette 85, West Mifflin 51 — Brandon Jakiela scored 19 points and Kade St. Ledger added 13 as South Fayette (12-7, 8-5) won in Section 2-5A. Braden Moore led West Mifflin (1-19, 0-13) with 19 points.

Franklin Regional 72, Shaler 62 — Logan Summerhill scored 30 points as Franklin Regional (10-11, 7-6) knocked off the top team in Section 3-5A. Luke Kimmich added 16 for the Panthers, who were tied with Kiski Area and Plum for third place in the section coming into the game. Mekhi Reynolds led No. 5 Shaler (13-8, 10-3).

Hampton 50, Armstrong 41 — Quinn Morrow scored 19 points, including 15 in the first half, and Colby Mignogna filled up the stat sheet with 13 points, nine rebounds, five assists, five blocks and four steals for Hampton (11-8, 9-4) in Section 3-5A. Gavin Szymanski led Armstrong (4-15, 2-10) with 17 points.

Indiana 66, Plum 55 — Connor Moss had a game-high 19 points, but Plum (6-13, 6-7) dropped a Section 3-5A game. Nick Flinko score 10 points for the Mustangs.

Mars 68, Kiski Area 38 — The Cavaliers fell behind 16-2 in the first quarter and couldn’t recover in a Section 3 loss to Class 5A No. 3 Mars. Kyrell Hutcherson led the Cavaliers (9-11, 6-7) with 14 points.

Knoch 90, Freeport 47 — The Class 4A No. 2 Knights (18-2, 9-1) clinched a share of the Section 1 title with Highlands with a win over Freeport (3-16, 1-9). Scott Fraser led four Knoch players in double figures with 21 points. Ryan Lang (17), Jared Schrecengost (16) and Brady McKee (13) also finished in double digits for the Knights. Matt Aulicino led the Yellowjackets with 15 points.

Highlands 80, Derry 38 — Four players were in double digits for the No. 1 Golden Rams (19-2, 9-1) in a Section 1-4A victory over Derry (7-13, 4-6). Jimmy Kunst led all scorers with 20 points. Korry Myers had 19, Johnny Crise 15 and Luke Cochran 13. Aidan Bushey led Derry with 17 points. Tanner Nicely had 10.

Yough 46, Mt. Pleasant 45 — Gamal Marballie hit five 3-pointers, including the game winner in the final seconds, to lead Yough (7-13, 2-8) to an upset win in Section 1-4A. Marballie finished with 27 points. Josh O’Bradovich added 11. Luke Bradner led Mt. Pleasant (11-10, 5-5) with 14 points. Jonas King had 12.

Hopewell 47, Beaver 46 — Rocco Scipione scored 18 points and Jacob McGovern added 12 to help Hopewell (8-13, 1-10) to its first Section 2-4A win of the season. Beckett Connelly led Beaver (6-14, 1-10) with 17 points.

Uniontown 71, Waynesburg Central 59 — Billy DeShields scored 25 points and Jahmere Richardson added 16 as No. 3 Uniontown (18-2) went undefeated in Section 3-4A play. Lucas Garber led Waynesburg (9-12, 2-8) with 31 points.

Ringgold 73, South Park 46 — Chris Peccon and Luke Wyvratt combined for 50 points — 29 for Peccon and 21 for Wyvratt — to lead Ringgold (12-8, 5-5) in Section 3-4A. Brandon Graham led South Park (6-14, 1-9) with 16 points.

Belle Vernon 74, Elizabeth Forward 64 — Cam Nusser and Devin Whitlock scored 20 points apiece to lead Belle Vernon (16-5, 8-2) to a Section 3-4A win. Hunter Ruokonen had 14 points and nine rebounds. Chase Vaughn led Elizabeth Forward (7-13, 4-6) with 17. Pat Filson had 16.

Aliquippa 55, New Brighton 47 — Zuriah Fisher scored 18 points and Michael Dawkins added 13 to lead Aliquippa (13-8, 7-4) to a Section 1-3A win. Jamison Ahmed had 15 for New Brighton (2-18, 0-12).

Neshannock 66, Ellwood City 51 — Russel Kwiat scored 26 points and Preston Turk added 15 to carry Neshannock (14-6, 7-4) to a Section 1-3A victory. Steve Antuono had 22 for Ellwood City (9-12, 4-7).

North Catholic 84, Keystone Oaks 49 — Jackson Paschall scored 22 points to help No. 2 North catholic (18-2, 11-0) to a Section 2-3A win. Connor Maddalon added 13 and Jake Tomer 11. Frank Stumpo led Keystone Oaks (7-13, 3-8) with 24.

Avonworth 75, Freedom 69 — Led by 18 points from Andrew Gannon, 14 from Deon Thomas and 11 each from Jonah Sommers and Jordan Kolenda, Avonworth (11-9, 6-5) picked up a Section 2-3A win. Tyler Mohrbacher led Freedom (6-14, 2-10) with 21 points.

Seton LaSalle 75, Carlynton 63 — Michael Bigley scored 17 points and Jake Verner added 15 to lead Seton LaSalle (13-6, 9-2) in a battle of playoff-bound Section 2-3A teams. Mark Phillips led Carlynton (13-7, 7-4) with 18 points.

Shady Side Academy 67, East Allegheny 55 — Grady Munroe scored 28 points to lead Shady Side Academy (9-10, 5-6) to a Section 3-3A victory. Nico Pugliano led East Allegheny (10-10, 5-6) with 16 points.

Steel Valley 77, Burrell 64 — The Ironmen had three players in double figures in a Section 3-3A win over Burrell (1-19, 1-10). Brandon Coury had 30 points for the Bucs, and Travis Bitar chipped in 15.

Washington 68, Beth-Center 37 — Led by 18 points from Tayshawn Levy, 14 from Ian Bredniak and 11 from Brandon Patterson, Washington (14-5, 9-1) picked up a Section 4-3A win. Kamden Studnicki led Beth-Center (7-13, 1-10) with 15 points.

Southmoreland 55, Brownsville 36 — Led by 21 points from Riley Comforti, 15 from Brandon Peterson and 12 from Zach Cernuto, Southmoreland (9-11, 6-4) picked up a Section 4-3A win. Nick Seto led Brownsville (7-12, 2-9) with 14.

Springdale 65, Summit Academy 53 — Demitri Fritch eclipsed 1,000 points for his career with a game-high 33 points for Class 2A No. 4 Springdale in a Section 1 win. Logan Dexter added 13 points for the Dynamos (18-3, 12-1).

Sto-Rox 66, Riverview 35 — Malik Smith led the No. 2-ranked Vikings to a Section 1-2A win over Riverview (9-12, 4-9) with a game-high 22 points. Riverview was led by Nate Black with 10 points.

Chartiers-Houston 80, Bentworth 48 — Austin Arnold scored 26 points and Alijah Vaden added 16 to lead Chartiers-Houston (10-10, 4-7) in Section 2-2A. Shawn Dziak had 15 for Bentworth (1-19, 0-11).

Jeannette 56, California 40 — Jackson Pruitt scored 18 points and Toby Cline and Keith Rockmore chipped in 11 apiece to lead Jeannette (14-7, 10-1) to a Section 2-2A victory. Malik Ramsey led California (10-9, 5-6) with 17 points.

OLSH 75, Mohawk 36 — Jake DiMichele scored 29 points and Dante Spadafora added 20 to lead No. 1 OLSH (19-1, 11-0) to another Section 3-2A win. Jackson Miller led Mohawk (4-18, 0-12) with 11 points.

Laurel 53, Sewickley Academy 42 — Marcus Haswell scored 18 points and Sam Haswell added 12 as Laurel (13-7, 7-4) overcame a slow start to pick up a Section 3-2A win. Sal Laure and Max belt had 15 for Sewickley Academy (7-11, 6-5). Laurel trailed 13-8 after one quarter.

Bishop Canevin 72, Geibel 67 — Dom Elliott scored 31 points and KeVaughn Price had 20 to lead No. 2 Bishop Canevin (16-4, 11-0) in Section 2-A. Enzo Fetsko had 29 and Ryan Anderson 21 for Geibel (13-7, 8-4).

Monessen 52, West Greene 48 — Marquell Smith scored 24 points and DaWayne Howell added 23 to help Monessen (9-12, 8-3) into second place by a half-game over Geibel in Section 2-A. Corey Wise had 20 for West Greene (7-12, 6-5).

Aquinas Academy 72, Propel Montour 47 — Vinnie Cugini had his customary big night, scoring 25 points, but Aquinas Academy (6-14, 3-1) got 15 from Gabe Vangura and 10 from Jonathan Bates to snag a Section 3-A win. Cortae Sidberry led Propel Montour (0-18, 0-13) with 17.

Leechburg 85, Clairton 40 — The Blue Devils (14-5, 9-4) tied the Bears (12-8, 9-4) for third place in Section 3-A with the victory. Dylan Cook poured in 36 points for Leechburg, and Jake Blumer went over 1,000 points with a 13-point effort.

Propel Andrew Street 56, St. Joseph 42 — The Panthers captured a Section 3-A victory over St. Joseph (6-15, 9-4) behind Cam Edmunds’ 18 points. The Spartans were led by Andrew Sullivan, who had a game-high 25 points.

Hempfield 65, North Hills 61 — Mikey Gaffney scored 23 points to lead Hempfield (11-9) to a nonsection win. Marcus McCarthy added 17 and Nick Suchko 11 for the Spartans, who outscored North Hills 24-12 in the second quarter. Logan Marshalek led North Hills (8-12) with 19 points. Alex Smith had 14.

Allderdice 74, Carrick 60 — Tony Henderson scored 25 and Rob Jones added 20 to lead Allderdice to a City League win. Amaru Caldwell led Carrick with 22 points.

Brashear 48, Obama Academy 45 — Cheron Collington scored 15 points and Ta’meere Robinson added 10 as Brashear won a City League game that was stopped early due to an altercation. Tariq Frances led Obama with 14 points.

Girls basketball

West Greene 65, Mapletown 22 — Jersey Wise scored 19 points to help No. 2 West Greene (21-0, 11-0) clinch its fourth straight Section 2-A title. Katie Lampe added 14 points and Anna Durbin had 11. Morgan Williamson led Mapletown (3-16, 2-9) with eight points.

Norwin 50, Shaler 37 — Olivia Gribble scored 14 points and Jayla Wehner added 13 as No. 3 Norwin (16-4, 12-1) bounced back from a loss to Penn-Trafford with a Section 1-6A win. Haley Kostorick led Shaler (8-12, 5-8) with 13 points.

Plum 51, Kiski Area 31 — The Mustangs victory sets up a winner-take-all game with Gateway for the Section 1-5A title. Kennedie Montue had a game-high 26 points for Plum.

Apollo-Ridge 57, Derry 52 — The Vikings overcame a first-half deficit to defeat Derry (13-8) behind Morgan Gamble’s 16 points. Apollo-Ridge (11-10) held the Trojans to just five points in the third quarter.

Tags: Central Valley