Jeannette girls earn gritty double-OT win over Monessen

By: Adam Brewer
Friday, December 5, 2025 | 10:47 PM

Perseverance.

That is the main quality the Jeannette girls basketball team displayed Friday night against Monessen.

The game might not have been the prettiest, but it was a hard-fought victory, and the Jayhawks were able to keep their composure for 32-plus minutes.

Jeannette grabbed a late basket in regulation to send the game into overtime, and then the Jayhawks were able to outlast the Greyhounds for a 32-26 win in double overtime at the Major Corley Memorial Tipoff Tournament.

“It’s all about buying in and working hard in practice,” Jeannette coach Jenna Lusby said. “A lot of the drills we did over the last couple of weeks paid off when it mattered the most in this game tonight. We never quit, and these ladies showed their grit. I am beyond proud of their effort.”

Emotions boiled over for the Greyhounds (0-1) after the game, as there was a heated exchange of words between Monessen’s fans, players and coaches. The altercation got to the point where a pair of Monessen’s constables had to be called and mediate the situation.

Monessen’s coach Jason Schmidt was unavailable for comment after the game.

Leah Felice led the Jayhawks (3-1) with 12 points, and Navarah Smith garnered six of her nine points in the decisive, second overtime.

“Those two are like our yin-and-yang,” Lusby said. “They know where they are going to be on the court, and they come through in the crunch time. Those two were at their best late for us, and they both made some big-time shots. They bring the energy to the rest of the team.”

Madison Johnson was the lone player for the Greyhounds in double figures with 16 points.

“Our energy on defense in the second half really turned the tide for us,” Lusby said. “Effort and defense win games. Their guard (Johnson) is a phenomenal player, and we had to slow her down. We had to limit her touches and her shots. I thought we did that at times in the second half.”

Monessen carried a three-point lead into intermission, but Jeannette was able to seize the momentum right back in the third quarter by scoring all eight points in the frame.

Karmen Kistner starred the scoring with a 3-pointer for the visitors followed by a pair of inside hoops by Jayden Goodson and a free throw by Smith.

After the home team scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, a banked shot from beyond the arc by Jeannette’s Abby Shaw in the corner broke a 17-17 tie.

Johnson recorded a tying three moments later for the Greyhounds and then gave the home team a 22-20 lead with an inside drive with 1:20 left in regulation. Smith had a response for the Jayhawks, as an interior jumper deadlock the score at 22-22.

After both teams were limited to two points each in the first overtime, Jeannette started to break away in the second extra session.

DeFelice started the scoring with a hoop, but Monessen countered with free throws from Amirra Brewer and Johnson to make it 26-26. It was all Jeannette the rest of the way, as they got key stops, and Smith provided the scoring with the final six points of the contest.

“When you play with energy and intensity, you give yourself a shot to win games,” Lusby said. “We had some tough stretches tonight, but we overcame that together. If we approach and play every game like tonight, I think we are going to have a really good season.”

Monessen controlled the opening eight minutes by scoring all seven of the points.

Erriol Washington tallied a putback to break a scoreless tie three minutes into the contest, and then a trey from Johnson increased the Greyhounds’ lead to 5-0.

Na’Jaziah Carter added an interior hoop, and the home team carried a 7-0 advantage going into the second quarter.

After a 3-pointer by Johnson increased the Greyhounds’ lead to 10-0, the Jayhawks finally got on the scoreboard with a trey from DeFelice with 4:28 left in the first half.

DeFelice converted two more shots from beyond the arc for Jeannette in the first half, and Johnson grabbed the other two points in the second with free throws. Monessen led 12-9 at halftime in a defensive-minded opening 16 minutes.

The Major Corley Memorial Tipoff Tournament continues Saturday, as Monessen battles Charleroi at 3:30 p.m. and Jeannette takes on Derry in the first game at 2 p.m.

Charleroi 43, Derry Area 15 — After snapping a 26-game losing streak earlier this week with a triumph against Beth-Center, the Cougars kept their winning ways going with an explosive second half in the Major Corley Memorial Tipoff Tournament.

The teams battled to an 8-8 deadlock at halftime, before the Cougars (2-1) took firm control with a 20-3 scoring output in the third quarter. Charleroi cemented the nonsection triumph with a 15-4 scoring edge in the final eight minutes.

Eden Smith (15) and Ava Henderson (13) were in double figures for the Cougars, and Anna Kondratowicz added seven points. Kylee Metcalf led the Trojans (1-2) with five points.

Tags: Jeannette, Monessen