Trib HSSN girls basketball team of the week for March 23, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, March 23, 2025 | 9:17 PM

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Trib HSSN girls basketball team of the week – South Fayette Lions

Coach – Bryan Bennett (11th season)

Records – 12-0 and champions in Section 3-5A, 28-2 overall

#Earned – Following the WPIAL championship game loss to Peters Township in which they scored only 12 points in the second half and a three points in the fourth quarter, South Fayette regrouped as the district runner-up in the PIAA Class 5A girls basketball postseason. The Lions opened the first round with a 35-point victory over Lower Dauphin. In the second round, the Lions roared past West York by 29 points and ousted District 6 champion Hollidaysburg in the state quarterfinals by 18 points. That set the stage Saturday for a rematch of the WPIAL finals and a second showdown between district girls basketball powers. Leading by two points at the half, South Fayette flipped the script on Peters Township in the second half thanks to a 7-0 run to begin the third quarter and an 8-0 run to end the third and put the Lions in control for good. They got sweet revenge with victory to propel South Fayette to the state finals for the second time in three years, 50-36.

Scoring stars – One of the keys to success in the state playoffs for South Fayette has been its strong defense and balanced offensive attack with several players contributing. In the first round, junior guard Ryan Oldaker led the way with 24 points. In the second round, it was junior swing Juliette Leroux scoring 20 points. Against Hollidaysburg in the PIAA quarterfinals, Leroux led with 21 pints, but junior guard Haylie Lamonde contributed 15 points and sophomore point guard Lailah Wight added 11 points. In the rebound triumph over Peters Township, Wright had a game-high 14 points while Oldaker added 12 points for the Lions.

Last year – The trek toward a third straight district championship last winter was not an easy one with plenty of driving obstacles for South Fayette. The Lions finished the regular season in third place in Section 4-5A, two games behind section co-champs Lincoln Park and Trinity. As the No. 6 seed in the 5A playoffs, South Fayette first ousted Mars, 55-36, then upended No. 3 Trinity in the quarterfinals, 53-39, before stunning No. 2 McKeesport in semifinals, 49-41. In a surprise title game matchup, the Lions knocked off No. 5 Armstrong, 70-63. Juliette Leroux led SF with 18 points while Haylie Lamonde and Erica Hall each scored 17 points. In the PIAA playoffs, the District 7 winner eliminated Red Land, 48-20, and then the Lions lost to Oakland Catholic in the second round, 48-28. South Fayette finished 19-9 with a third straight district crown.

Remember when – The South Fayette girls basketball team is on a revenge tour. The tour only consists of two stops — the PIAA semifinals and the state championship game. The first leg of the tour was a success as South Fayette washed away the funk of a WPIAL Class 5A championship game loss to Peters Township with a PIAA semifinals victory over the Indians. Now, it’s a get even date with District 12 and state power Archbishop Wood. The Vikings have dominated the state playoffs for the last decade and a half with 13 trips to the finals in 16 years with nine state championships in that time frame, including the last four in a row. In 2023, South Fayette defeated Oakland Catholic, 64-49, to repeat as 5A WPIAL champions. The Lions then knocked off West York, Mechanicsburg, Cathedral Prep and Oakland Catholic in the state playoffs to reach their first PIAA title game. At the Giant Center in Hershey, the Vikings’ defense clamped down on Lions senior Maddie Webber, holding her to 11 points in repeating as state champs, 61-54, ending the Lions’ 22-game winning streak. Ava Renninger led the Vikings with 21 points while Erica Hall was the leading scorer for SF with 17 points.

2025 Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Teams of the Week

Week 11 – Upper St. Clair Panthers

Week 10 – Canon-McMillan Big Macs

Week 9 – Peters Township Indians

Week 8 – Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils

Week 7 – Mars Fightin’ Planets

Week 6 – South Fayette Lions

Week 5 – Oakland Catholic Eagles

Week 4 – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chargers

Week 3 – Penn-Trafford Warriors

Week 2 – Shady Side Academy Bulldogs

Week 1 – Shaler Titans

Tags: South Fayette