West girls team rallies after slow start to win Cager Classic

By: Josh Rizzo
Saturday, April 5, 2025 | 9:16 PM

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Gia Richter hit the floor several times wrestling for loose balls during the 28th annual Alle-Kiski Cager Classic Saturday at Highlands High School. The St. Joseph’s senior guard wanted badly to lead the West team to a win.

The muggy conditions also necessitated effort for anyone who desired to hold onto the ball for any length of time to be forceful. The West team pulled away after a slow start to pick up a 66-60 victory

“The ball was really slippery,” said Richter, who was named MVP after scoring a team-high 12 points. “It looked like people were passing bad, but it’s really because of the ball.”

Richter also won the event’s 3-point shooting competition Friday night. During the all-star game itself, Richter and Fox Chapel’s Bella Urso sparked an important run in the second half.

Richter made two 3-pointers, and Urso scored seven of her nine points early in the second half. That helped the West team stretch a 39-32 halftime lead into double figures.

“Well, I was coming off the bench hot,” Richter said. “I didn’t do too well in the first five minutes I was playing. I was really eager to get out there and do something.”

The West team had to overcome a major size disadvantage. The East team had three players who were 6 feet or taller — Valley’s Janelle Norman, Franklin Regional’s Toryn Fulton and Riverview’s Lily Bauer.

Butler’s Amelia McMichael, who is listed at 5-11, was the West’s tallest player. West coach Dana Petruska said they were ready to run.

Mars’ Carmella McDole also contributed 10 points for the West team.

“We needed to take care of the ball, and we needed to push,” Petruska said. “We need to run them off the court. That’s what we started doing.”

The East also had guards capable of carrying the attack.

Franklin Regional’s Madison DeRiggi, who was named the East’s MVP, got her team out to a 6-0 lead with several early layups.

DeRiggi was one of three players from the East to score in double figures. Riverview’s Katerina Tsambis scored a team-high 11 points, and Burrell’s Julianna Fisher finished with 10.

“I think we started out amazing,” DeRiggi said. “If we could only bring that back for the second half, but we slowed down a little bit.”

McMichael, who finished with eight points, put the West ahead for good 19-16 near the midway point of the first half.

The East team had plenty of extra opportunities thanks to strong offensive rebounding. It also had a hard time finishing around the rim.

Kiski Area’s Madeline Joyce capped a 5-1 run in the second half that cut the West’s lead to 57-51. Springdale’s Ashlyn Ferderbar responded with a basket to stretch the lead back out to eight.

East coach Tonya Norman thought the team worked well together with only one practice.

“I think if we had a little bit more time with them, we could have worked on a few more things,” said Norman, who is Valley’s coach. “It’s hard when there are a few girls who don’t have teammates. When you don’t have your teammates that you’ve been playing with for four years, it’s like you are kind of an individual, but you are trying to be a team.”