Keystone Oaks girls take down Burrell, get rematch with No. 1 Avonworth

By: Michael Love
Saturday, February 17, 2024 | 3:00 PM

Keystone Oaks will get another shot at No. 1

The Eagles, runners-up to Avonworth in Section 2-3A, got a game-best 15 points from junior Alayna Wagner and 12 more from senior Bailey Rieg in a 49-34 WPIAL first-round victory over Burrell on Saturday at South Park.

Keystone Oaks, which improved to 16-6, advances to the quarterfinals and a matchup with the top-seeded Antelopes, who overwhelmed Apollo-Ridge on Saturday to advance.

“It was important for us to stay focused and work to get this win and not worry about playing Avonworth again,” said Wagner, who tallied eight points in the first half and seven more in a third quarter that saw the Eagles maintain a 13-point halftime lead before finishing off the win in the fourth. “We’re definitely excited about this next game. We’ll be ready.”

Avonworth swept Keystone Oaks in the regular season en route to a 10-0 mark in Section 2.

The win guaranteed the Eagles at least two more games. After the quarterfinals, KO will play in either the semifinals or in the consolation bracket with a chance to grab one of the seven PIAA berths owned by WPIAL Class 3A.

“We talked all week about taking it one game at a time and knowing that Burrell is a really good team that plays hard,” Keystone Oaks coach Jim Feeney said. “They played very good defense all year. I think they were second or third in the WPIAL (3A) in scoring defense. We talked about what we needed to do to match their intensity on the defensive end and help transition that into points.”

“We’re a team that basically has relied on the outside shot, taking the ball to the hoop, and getting fast breaks. We’re not a mid-range shooting team by any means. The girls did a nice job with our defense creating opportunities.”

Burrell, the runner-up to Shady Side Academy in Section 3, capped its season at 16-5. The Bucs were held 13 points under their season scoring average.

Freshman point guard McKenna Miller scored 13 points in her WPIAL playoff debut to lead the Bucs. She scored all 13 in the second half as Burrell tried to cut into the deficit.

But KO kept the Bucs at arm’s length in the third, holding an 11-10 advantage for a 37-23 lead heading into the fourth.

The 15-point margin of victory also was the Eagles’ largest lead of the game.

All but one of KO’s field goals were from inside 3-point range. The only 3 came from Wagner with 4 minutes, 36 seconds left in the third, and it answered a three-point play from Miller that had cut the Burrell deficit to 10.

“The hallmark of our team all year is never giving up and playing hard with energy in every moment of the game,” Burrell coach Shaun Reddick said. “We had some things not go our way early with turnovers and missed shots. We got a little tight on defense and allowed them to drive to the basket. It was some things we talked about. We just didn’t execute the way we needed to.

“When you start two sophomores and a freshman, you’re going to have some mistakes. Boy, it felt like they hit every shot they put up, too, especially in the first half. That didn’t help us. Then we were spending the rest of the game trying to catch up.”

Junior Anna Clark added nine points for Burrell, and sophomore Casey Brancato tallied six. Junior Jules Fisher was limited to four points, but she finished with 11 rebounds.

A scary moment late in the third quarter was Clark injured after taking a shot in the paint. She was down for several minutes before being helped to the bench.

She was, however, able to recover and return to the game with seven minutes left in the fourth.

Burrell is a youthful team with just one senior on the roster. That senior, Cassidy Ley, wasn’t able to play this year because of injury.

“At the beginning of the year, I expected us to be here (in the playoffs),” Reddick said. “We know we’re young. The girls were clearly upset with the loss, but to me, that is a great sign because it shows how much they care and how much they want to win.

“They will remember how this feels next year when they come back out and also when we’re here again. That is our goal every year, to keep coming back.”

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.

Tags: Burrell, Keystone Oaks