No. 5 Latrobe girls score season high in points, turn back Woodland Hills
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Thursday, January 20, 2022 | 11:03 PM
Latrobe’s Camille Dominick smiles as time winds down against Woodland Hills on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Latrobe’s Elle Snyder (10) celebrates with Camille Dominick after defeating Woodland Hills, 76-65, on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Latrobe’s Camille Dominick shoots a three-pointer over Woodland Hills’ London Creach during their game on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Latrobe’s Camille Dominick shoots a three-pointer against Woodland Hills on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Latrobe’s Elle Snyder shoots a three-pointer over Woodland Hills’ Jhalynn Wilson during their game on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Latrobe’s Emma Blair battles Woodland Hills’ Hope Hawkins for a loose ball during their game on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Latrobe’s Elle Snyder scores past Woodland Hills’ Jazmine Dunn during their game on Thursday at Latrobe.
Latrobe’s Emma Blair drives past Woodland Hills’ Carmen Vasquez during their game on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Latrobe’s Anna Rafferty works against Woodland Hills’ London Creach during their game on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Latrobe’s Bailey Watson drives against Woodland Hills’ Jazmine Dunn during their game on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Latrobe’s Bailey Watson (20) celebrates with Camille Dominick after scoring against Woodland Hills on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Latrobe’s Emma Blair works to the basket past Woodland Hills’ Hope Hawkins during their game on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Latrobe’s Elle Snyder shoots a three-pointer over Woodland Hills’ Jhalynn Wilson during their game on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Latrobe’s Camille Dominick (25) celebrates with Elle Snyder during their game against Woodland Hills on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Latrobe’s Camille Dominick smiles after defeating Woodland Hills, 76-65, on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Greater Latrobe High School.
Camille Dominick played three positions Thursday night, working the wings as a small forward before moving to the post as a power forward and then playing some center.
The 6-foot junior helped the Wildcats build a commanding lead with her 3-point shooting, then filled in around the rim when senior center Anna Rafferty went down with an injury in the third quarter.
No. 5 Latrobe needed the versatility — and the double-digit cushion — to hold back fast-charging Woodland Hills, 76-65, in a Section 4-5A girls basketball game at Latrobe.
Dominick finished with 18 points, making 5 of 6 3-pointers, as Latrobe escaped with its fifth win in a row. The 76 points are a season high and more than the Wildcats scored in any game last season on the way to the WPIAL semifinals.
“I worked on playing different positions so I could be more versatile,” Dominick said. “Anna (Rafferty) and Emma (Blair) are our leaders in the post, so I knew I could help the team in other ways.”
First-place Latrobe (9-2, 5-0) had to stay composed as Woodland Hills (6-5, 4-2) cut a 22-point fourth quarter lead to seven with 1 minute, 22 seconds remaining.
The Wolverines erupted for 30 points in the fourth.
Upstart sophomore guard Elle Snyder also was solid down the stretch for the Wildcats, scoring a game-high 20 points. She made all 11 of her free throws, all in the second half.
Latrobe made 25 of 30 free throws for the game, 11 of 12 in the fourth.
The Wildcats also looked surprisingly poised after losing the 6-foot-2 Rafferty, who injured her right knee with 4:55 to play in the third and did not return.
The IUP commit’s status was unclear after the game.
“It was a hard blow losing Anna, but we had to pick it up on the boards,” Dominick said.
Latrobe went on a 19-8 run after Rafferty’s injury to take a 53-35 lead to the fourth.
Dominick hit two 3s in the third, and she and Snyder combined to outscore the Wolverines, 14-12, in the frame.
“They didn’t get panicked or excited in there,” Latrobe coach Mark Burkhardt said. “There was a time when we would. But we stayed the course.”
Junior 6-1 forward Emma Blair added a quiet 16 points to go with 24 rebounds for Latrobe.
Freshman sensation London Creach poured in 22 to lead Woodland Hills, which trailed 60-38 after a bank shot by Latrobe senior Bailey Watson with 5:25 remaining.
But Woodland Hills chipped away, rattling off a 14-2 run to trim the margin to 62-52. The Wolverines’ pressure bothered the Wildcats some in the amplified fourth when the teams combined for 53 points (they put up 19 in a sluggish first quarter).
Sophomore Jhalyn Wilson made a wild scoop shot, and Creach connected on her second 3 of the fourth to get Woodland Hills within 66-57.
“We got a little too comfortable,” Dominick said. “They wanted to play a faster game. When it came down to it, we handled the pressure.”
Free throws and some tough putbacks by Blair kept Latrobe in front. Senior Jazmine Dunn’s three-point play — on another circus-like shot attempt and free throw — cut it to 72-65 with 22 seconds to go.
Snyder sealed it from there, though, with four free throws.
“Latrobe played a great game,” Woodland Hills coach Von Pitts said. “They won the rebounding war. You can’t win a game in the first half, but you can lose it. I have to say, it’s tough when they shoot 30 foul shots and we shoot 14.”
Dominick’s tone-setting shooting impressed Burkhardt. She made three 3s in the first half as Latrobe built a 30-23 lead by halftime.
“How about the resiliency of Camille?” Burkhardt said. “She played the 3, 4 and 5. I wanted to move her back (outside) because she was shooting it so well. But we needed her (inside). This was her best varsity performance.”
Wilson finished with 12 points, and Dunn had 11 for the Wolverines.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Latrobe, Woodland Hills
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