Friday basketball rundown: Vinnie Cugini continues magical season with 55-point outburst for unbeaten Aquinas Academy

Another day, another unrelenting assault on the record books by Aquinas Academy star Vinnie Cugini.

Fresh off a 47-point effort Tuesday, Cugini raised the stakes in the Crusaders’ 81-77 home win against Neighborhood Academy with a season-high 55 points Friday, including five 3-pointers. Aquinas remained unbeaten at 11-0, 2-0.

Neighborhood Academy (8-2, 1-2) had four players finish in double figures, led by John Wilkins with 23 points. But alas, Cugini managed to matched the three highest-scoring players for Neighborhood Academy all by himself.

Cugini (44.9 ppg) is only 266 points away from Tom Pipkins’ all-time WPIAL scoring record.

Other boys games

• In a battle of Class 4A Section 2 rivals, Ty Butler scored a team-leading 21 points to go with 18 from Sawyer Butler, helping host Beaver (10-1, 3-1) withstand a 22-point effort from Zach Oliver to beat Blackhawk (6-4, 1-1) by a 62-56 margin.

• Elijah Hill finished with a game-high 29 points for visiting South Fayette (6-4, 0-2), but it came in a 60-53 loss to undefeated Chartiers Valley (12-0, 2-0). Julian Semplice scored a team-high 13 points to lead four players in double digits for the Colts.

• Another balanced attack for Penn Hills (6-2, 2-0) was the difference in a 49-41 victory against host Armstrong (8-3, 0-2). Cadin Olsen, a record-setting quarterback in football, scored 24 points for the River Hawks. Daemar Kelly paced three Penn Hills players in double figures with 15 points.

Girls games

• Pitt recruit Jasmine Timmerson led all scorers with 21 points for host North Allegheny, helping the Tigers (5-3, 1-1) bounce back from a disappointing loss in their section opener against Norwin with a 59-48 triumph over Pine-Richland (5-4, 1-1). Madison Zavasky led the Rams with 20 points to go along with 15 from Catherine Gentile.

• Alexa Washington is one of the top all-around players in the WPIAL, and she showed off her skills again with a game-high 19 points for Oakland Catholic (9-2, 4-0) as the Eagles rolled to a commanding 57-23 win at Thomas Jefferson (6-5, 1-2).

Three stars

*** — Landon Urcho scored a game-high 30 points to bolster Bentworth in a 66-55 home win against Carmichaels in a Class 2A Section 4 clash.

** — Junior big man Royce Parham joined the 1,000-point club for North Hills with a 25-point performance in a 66-60 win at Moon.

* — Rowan Carmichael made waves as a freshman when he helped lead Avonworth to the WPIAL Class 3A championship game, and he is taking his game to the next level as a sophomore. Carmichael poured in a game-high 39 points, among them five 3-pointers, in the Antelopes’ 85-53 home win against East Allegheny.

Hot from deep

Players with 3 or more 3-pointers: Rowan Carmichael, Avonworth, 5; Vinnie Cugini, Aquinas Academy, 5; Liam Lohr, Carmichaels, 5; Katite Luccarelli, Baldwin, 5; Ayden Adamson, Carmichaels, 4; Ryan Ceh, Mars, 4; Bryce Epps, South Allegheny, 4; Lucas Garofoli, Mt. Lebanon, 4; Nate Kolesar, Riverside, 4; Tasso Sfanos, Mars, 4; Brandon Bell, West Allegheny, 3; Ty Butler, Beaver, 3; Dom Colarusso, Carmichaels 3; Cam Epps, South Allegheny, 3.

Boys scores

Aliquippa 69, Sewickley Academy 32

Allderdice 75, Westinghouse 38

Ambridge 68, Central Valley 61

Aquinas Academy 81, Neighborhood Academy 77

Avonworth 85, East Allegheny 53

Baldwin 62, Canon-McMillan 37

Beaver 62, Blackhawk 56

Bentworth 66, Carmichaels 55

Bethel Park 76, Trinity 61

Bishop Canevin 53, Propel Montour 12

Brownsville 49, Mount Pleasant 37

Burgettstown 68, Beth-Center 50

Burrell 48, Deer Lakes 47

Carlynton 71, Western Beaver 45

Central Catholic 63, Seneca Valley 54

Chartiers-Houston 73, Frazier 53

Chartiers Valley 60, South Fayette 53

Clairton 64, Leechburg 44

Derry 67, Apollo-Ridge 50

Ellwood City 73, Freedom 39

Fox Chapel 62, Plum 21

Franklin Regional 43, Kiski Area 36

Gateway 62, Penn-Trafford 45

Greensburg Central Catholic 75, Jeannette 60

Hampton 77, Indiana 41

Highlands 74, Freeport 47

Laurel 60, South Side 51

Laurel Highlands 60, Albert Gallatin 33

Ligonier Valley 69, Valley 52

Lincoln Park 86, Canisius, N.Y., 75

Mapletown 71, California 54

Mars 82, West Allegheny 56

McGuffey 69, Charleroi 38

McKeesport 64, Latrobe 62

Mohawk 58, Beaver Falls 57

Monessen 61, Jefferson-Morgan 58

Mt. Lebanon 69, Hempfield 36

Neshannock 51, Riverside 42

New Castle 71, Butler 60

North Allegheny 57, Pine-Richland 40

North Hills 66, Moon 60

Obama Academy 66, Perry 53

Our Lady of Sacred Heart 71, Steel Valley 66

Penn Hills 49, Armstrong 41

Peters Township 77, Connellsville 25

Propel Braddock Hills 66, Winchester Thurston 55

Quaker Valley 59, West Mifflin 55

Rochester 60, Avella 41

Serra Catholic 78, Springdale 69

Seton LaSalle 66, Keystone Oaks 55

Shaler 59, Woodland Hills 42

South Allegheny 58, Montour 48

Southmoreland 73, Elizabeth Forward 66

South Park 42, Brentwood 33

Thomas Jeferson 86, Ringgold 35

Uniontown 79, Belle Vernon 64

Upper St. Clair 62, Norwin 56

Washington 56, Yough 37

Girls scores

Brashear 47, Carrick 28

Charleroi 54, Ringgold 34

Chartiers Valley 51, Baldwin 38

Hampton 57, Fox Chapel 54

Indiana 39, Gateway 30

Keystone Oaks 46, Seton LaSalle 42

North Allegheny 59, Pine-Richland 48

Oakland Catholic 57, Thomas Jefferson 23

Obama Academy 68, Perry 23

Shaler 68, New Castle 26

Westinghouse 49, Allderdice 38