Penn-Trafford girls leave no doubt in rout of Indiana
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Thursday, February 6, 2025 | 10:55 PM
Penn-Trafford’s Lauren Marton scores two of her game-high 16 points over Indiana’s Addy Hutton on Thursday.
Penn-Trafford’s Isabella Fontana hits a 3-pointer over Indiana’s Addy Hutton on Thursday.
Indiana’s Addy Hutton blocks the shot of Penn-Trafford’s Isabella Fontana on Thursday.
Penn-Trafford’s Lauren Marton grabs a rebound over Indiana’s Stella Stossel on Thursday.
Penn-Trafford’s Kamryn Pieper blocks the shot of Indiana’s Addy Hutton on Thursday.
Indiana’s Addy Hutton grabs a rebound over Penn-Trafford’s Isabella Fontana on Thursday.
Penn-Trafford’s Torrie DeStefano scores past Indiana’s Emily Ferraro on Thursday.
Penn-Trafford’s Kamryn Pieper blocks the shot of Indiana’s Addy Hutton on Thursday.
Penn-Trafford’s Torrie DeStefano scores past Indiana’s Stella Stossel on Thursday.
Indiana’s Julia Antonacci steals the ball from Penn-Trafford’s Lauren Marton on Thursday.
Penn-Trafford’s Lauren Marton blocks the shot of Indiana’s Emily Ferraro on Thursday.
Penn-Trafford’s Olivia Weishaar defends on Indiana’s Addy Hutton on Thursday.
Senior forward Lauren Marton not only made the first 3-pointer for the undefeated Penn-Trafford girls basketball team in a ramped-up Section 2-5A girls basketball finale, but she also was the first to climb the ladder to cut off a piece of the net on a special Thursday night in Harrison City.
She twirled the small piece of twine in her fingers as she talked to the media.
Penn-Trafford delivered nine 3-pointers — from six players — and rode a late first-half flurry to a 63-34 rout of Indiana to move to 21-0 overall and put a cap on a 12-0 section record before the scissors and ladder came out for a net-cutting ceremony.
No. 3 ranked Penn-Trafford hadn’t had one of those since 2014-15.
“It’s surreal, something I have dreamed of,” said Marton, who scored a game-high 16 points. “We didn’t want to share it with Indiana. When I (climbed the ladder), I wasn’t sure what to do. I was so excited.”
The path to perfection continued for the Lady Warriors, who have one more game Saturday afternoon at Class 6A No. 2 Upper St. Clair to finish off an undefeated regular season.
“We’re going to do it,” Marton said.
Junior Torrie DeStefano added 14 points and joined freshman Raya Johnson and sophomore Isabella Fontana with two 3s apiece.
When Indiana (16-5, 10-2) was within striking distance — at 20-15 — senior Paige Temple keyed an 11-0 run to close out the first half, with junior Hannah Weishaar, Fontana and junior Olivia Weishaar making consecutive 3s in rhythm to give the Lady Warriors a 31-15 lead at the half.
The lead never dipped below double figures from there.
Penn-Trafford dictated a faster tempo against a team that likes to slow down the pace. A hounding defense howled.
“Their defense was elite tonight,” said Indiana coach Michael Franciscus, whose team had 22 turnovers. “Their length and intensity gave us trouble. P-T is a powerhouse, and they’re 21-0 for a reason.
“We talked about how we wanted to (defend), their inside or outside game. They beat us with both.”
Indiana won the section last year so was denied a repeat. Penn-Trafford played in a different section.
Threes from Fontana, DeStefano and Johnson helped Penn-Trafford stretch the margin to 20 after three quarters (46-26).
When the teams played earlier in the season, Indiana took a nine-point lead into halftime before Penn-Trafford rallied for a 50-37 win.
Indiana managed just 12 points in the second half in one of the rare instances when the Lady Warriors had to rally.
The rematch was on a different level.
“I wanted everyone to know we needed to start off strong,” Marton said. “Once someone makes a shot, we feed off each other.”
All but one of Penn-Trafford’s wins have been by a double-figure margin. The outlier is a 51-50 win over defending WPIAL 6A champion Norwin three games into the season.
The hot shooting and joint effort from multiple girls have become hallmarks for Penn-Trafford.
“Once someone gets going it’s like a chain reaction,” said Fontana, who scored eight. “We have worked so hard to get here. Now we have to keep it going.”
In the latest win, Penn-Trafford coach John Giannikas guided the team with one arm in a sling. He still paced in front of the bench in a backward cap but delegated play-calling duties to his assistants, Chuck Fontana, Pat O’Reilly and Bella Long, after having surgery Wednesday on a torn triceps muscle in his right arm.
Giannikas fell on the ice while walking from the parking lot to the high school on a snowy Martin Luther King Day morning. He will wear a soft cast and sling for a few weeks and hopes to be back to full health in six weeks.
“We shot the ball well from the beginning of the game,” Giannikas said. “All these girls are special. You look at spots (in games) when you want it. That (second quarter run) was a big spark for us. Our depth really showed. They have been doing this all year.
“We have girls who love to defend. Torrie and Kam (Pieper) set the tone. We were prepared for the sets they run.”
Indiana only managed five points in the first quarter, all from senior Emily Betsinger, who led the Lady Indians with 15 points.
Indiana had won 10 of 12 coming in and gave up a season high for points. It had been allowing only 32.7 points a game.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Indiana, Penn-Trafford
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