Neshannock girls fall in PIAA basketball finals, plan return trip to Hershey
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Thursday, March 25, 2021 | 2:16 PM
Mt. Carmel’s Dani Rae Renno scores past Neshannock’s Mairan Haggerty during the PIAA Class 2A state championship game on Thursday, March 25, 2021, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Neshannock’s Megan Pallerino works against Mt. Carmel’s Dani Rae Renno during the PIAA Class 2A state championship game on Thursday, March 25, 2021, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Mt. Carmel’s Dani Rae Renno grabs a rebound next to Neshannock’s Marissa Austin during the PIAA Class 2A state championship game on Thursday, March 25, 2021, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Neshannock’s Neleh Nogay scores past Mt. Carmel’s Caroline Fletcher during the PIAA Class 2A state championship game on Thursday, March 25, 2021, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Neshannock’s Addilae Watts and Neleh Nogay accept the runner-up trophy after the PIAA Class 2A state championship game against Mt. Carmel on Thursday, March 25, 2021, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Neshannock’s Aaralyn Nogay pressures Mt. Carmel’s Caroline Fletcher during the PIAA Class 2A state championship game on Thursday, March 25, 2021, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Neshannock’s Megan Pallerino hugs Marissa Austin after their loss to Mt. Carmel in the PIAA Class 2A state championship game on Thursday, March 25, 2021, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Neshannock head coach Luann Grybowski reacts to a foul call during the PIAA Class 2A state championship game against Mt. Carmel on Thursday, March 25, 2021, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Mt. Carmel’s Dani Rae Renno blocks a shot by Neshannock’s Addilae Watts during the PIAA Class 2A state championship game on Thursday, March 25, 2021, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Neshannock’s Neleh Nogay celebrates a three-pointer during the PIAA Class 2A state championship game against Mt. Carmel on Thursday, March 25, 2021, at Giant Center in Hershey.
HERSHEY — Neshannock’s first visit to the state finals ended with silver medals and a runner-up trophy, but before the Lancers left Giant Center, they were already making plans for a return trip.
They have no seniors, so why not?
“We decided in the little room over there that we’ll definitely be back next year,” said sophomore Mairan Haggerty, pointing to a makeshift locker room. “We’ll be bigger, faster, stronger.”
Neshannock nearly rallied back in the fourth quarter Thursday, but defeating Mt. Carmel and a 6-foot-2 center proved too tall of a task. Mt. Carmel senior Dani Rae Renno had 24 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in a 54-43 victory over Neshannock in the PIAA Class 2A girls final.
Renno made 10 of her 13 shots on mostly layups and put-back baskets as District 4 champion Mt. Carmel (19-5) scored 30 points in the paint.
“It was really hard to box out, and get where you needed to be, in front and behind,” said Haggerty, who’s 5-11. “She’s just so tall that she can grab it and put it back up.”
Renno scored 16 points after halftime, including a put-back of a missed free throw with 50 seconds left that stalled the Lancers’ late rally. Neshannock had just used an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to six points, but Renno’s layup pushed the deficit back to nine.
Both teams were making their first state championship appearance. It also was the first state finals for Neshannock coach Luann Grybowski in her 41-year career. She called the season “magical.”
“I told them, I don’t want to see any tears,” Grybowski said. “You won games that you weren’t supposed to win all the way through here.”
Neshannock has no seniors on its roster, so coach Luann Grybowski and her players are already thinking about a return trip to Hershey next season. #HSSN pic.twitter.com/iez2tibTuh
— Chris Harlan (@CHarlan_Trib) March 25, 2021
Alyssa Reisinger, a 5-11 sophomore forward, added 12 points for Mt. Carmel. That size advantage let Mt. Carmel shoot layups while Neshannock took 3s, a tradeoff that didn’t work for the Lancers.
Neshannock went 5 for 35 from beyond the arc, and Mt. Carmel shot 48% (19 for 40) from the field. The Lancers trailed 11-8 after one quarter, 27-21 at half and 43-32 after three.
Haggery led Neshannock (19-3) with 12 points, junior Neleh Nogay had 11 and junior Addilae Watts had 10. The team’s 13-player roster has two juniors, seven sophomores and four freshmen.
“That’s the icing on the cake,” Grybowski said. “I didn’t expect to be here. I really thought this was a magical year for them and that we overachieved. Getting here was phenomenal as far as I was concerned.
“Hopefully next year and the years after, we make a better showing here.”
Neshannock doubled Renno in the first half and held the Elizabethtown recruit to eight points, but Reisinger had 11 by halftime. Neshannock’s top post player, 5-10 sophomore Megan Pallerino, had two first-quarter fouls, three in the first half and fouled out with 5 minutes left in the fourth.
“I was content to sit there all night with the double team on me and allow Alyssa (Reisinger) to keep scoring,” Renno said. “Because eventually they’re going to have to do something. She had a monster first half.”
On the defensive end, Renno guarded the rim. That took away Neshannock’s ability to drive the ball.
“You see a big girl,” Haggerty said, “and you’re like, ‘whoa!’”
In the fourth, Renno started the quarter with six consecutive points. But Neshannock then upped its pressure and forced nine turnovers, extra possessions that let the Lancers rally back. Mt. Carmel was held scoreless for 5 minutes.
The Lancers scored eight consecutive points, but the comeback stalled with Mt. Carmel still leading 49-43.
“We had to try to score in transition because we weren’t scoring in the half-court,” Grybowski said. “Create some easy baskets and make a couple runs. If we did that, we’d be OK.”
Listen to an archived broadcast of the PIAA Class 2A girls basketball championship on Trib HSSN.
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Neshannock
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