Mohawk girls keep historic season going with win over Carlynton
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Tuesday, March 10, 2020 | 10:04 PM
Mohawk’s Hannah McDanel drives to the basket against Carlynton’s Jada Lee during their PIAA Class 3A second round state playoff game Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2020, at North Allegheny High School.
Mohawk’s Paige Julian scores past Carlynton’s Chloe Williams during their PIAA Class 3A second round state playoff game Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2020, at North Allegheny High School.
Mohawk’s Nadia Lape (24) celebrates with teammates as time expires in their PIAA Class 3A second round state playoff game against Calynton Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2020, at North Allegheny High School.
Mohawk’s Hannah McDanel shoots a three-pointer during a PIAA Class 3A second round state playoff game against Carlynton Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2020, at North Allegheny High School.
Mohawk’s Paige Julian scores past Carlynton’s Naima Turner during their PIAA Class 3A second round state playoff game Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2020, at North Allegheny High School.
Mohawk’s Paige Julian scores next to Carlynton’s Naima Turner during their PIAA Class 3A second round state playoff game Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2020, at North Allegheny High School.
Mohawk’s Paige Julian drives to the basket against Carlynton’s Angelicah Diallo during their PIAA Class 3A second round state playoff game Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2020, at North Allegheny High School.
Mohawk’s Karly McCutcheon scores during a PIAA Class 3A second round state playoff game against Carlynton Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2020, at North Allegheny High School.
Mohawk’s Paige Julian drives to the basket to score past Carlynton’s Angelicah Diallo during their PIAA Class 3A second round state playoff game Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2020, at North Allegheny High School.
The Mohawk girls basketball team continues to write new chapters in its historic season.
The Warriors, coming off their first WPIAL title win and first PIAA win, notched a second-round victory Tuesday night, 61-44, over Carlynton at North Allegheny High School.
Mohawk (24-3) led the entire way, building up a double-digit lead by halftime.
Junior Hannah McDanel, the team’s fourth-leading scorer, paced the Warriors attack with 21 points, including five 3-pointers. Paige Julian added 18 points, nine rebounds and was 8 of 9 from the foul line.
“I feel we jumped on them a little bit right out of the gate,” said Mohawk coach Mike O’ Lare. “I knew the last time we played them (in the WPIAL semifinals), we had a big halftime lead and they came back, and Hannah was due for a big game.”
Mohawk will now play Cambria Heights in the quarterfinal round Friday at a site and time to be determined.
Carlynton, seeking a quarterfinal berth for the first time in four seasons, instead concluded with a 16-10 record.
The Cougars were down just 15-12 at the end of the first period, but three Carlynton turnovers on its first three possessions of the second quarter led directly to Warriors baskets and a 22-12 lead.
Meanwhile, two 3-point attempts by the Cougars rattled the rim and fell back out.
“I kept telling the girls these shots would go in in the second half,” said Carlynton coach Darian Robins. “When we’d get hot this year in the first (half), we’d get cold in the second. If we’re cold in the first, we’d get hot in the second. I figured it would play out the same way, but it didn’t”
Mohawk wasn’t done. A 3-pointer by Karly McCutcheon extended the lead to 25-12.
Early in the third period, Carlynton cut the lead to 10, but three attempts to slice the deficit to single digits came up short. A 3-pointer by McCutcheon put Mohawk in front, 42-26.
Carlynton was in a position where it needed to foul, but Mohawk was solid from the line, too, hitting 9 of 11 free throws in the fourth period.
McCutcheon finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.
“It’s been quite an experience,” O’ Lare said. “There’s a lot of support around the community. Everywhere you go, people are talking about us. It’s been a combination all 25 girls on the roster.”
Sophomore Kendall Kline had 14 points to lead the Cougars. Lee had 12 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Carlynton closed the deficit to single digits with 5 minutes, 11 seconds to go, 46-37, but the Cougars couldn’t get any closer and Mohawk ended the night on a 15-6 surge.
Said Robins: “Once we had it down to nine, I thought we had more fire underneath us. But some mental errors here and there opened the game back up to 15 points. We just needed to make a few more plays and our threes weren’t hitting today.”
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