Thursday basketball rundown: Avella girls snap West Greene’s 76-game section winning streak

They say all good things must come to an end, and West Greene learned that lesson the hard way Thursday night at Avella.

The Pioneers had gone nearly seven full years without losing a game to a section opponent until traveling to Avella, where the Eagles handed their longtime rivals a 64-49 loss to snap West Greene’s 76-game section winning streak. The Pioneers’ previous section defeat came Feb. 2, 2016 against Jefferson-Morgan.

“The rivalry goes back years and years,” Avella coach Mike Drazich said. “I’ve been an assistant or involved with the program back when we used to beat them all the time. … We believed that we could do it and the team really pulled together and played as a team. They were very hungry for this win.

“I think this group of seniors, when they were junior high players, they went undefeated as eighth-graders. That was the last time this group beat a West Greene team. It was pretty special.”

Katie Dryer led all players with 18 points for the Eagles (8-9, 3-3), but she was joined in double figures by three of her teammates in this historic win. Syd Strope scored 16, Hanna Brownlee finished with 12 and Ava Frank added 10. Kasie Meek finished with 13 points to lead the way for West Greene (9-7, 5-1).

“We were in control the whole game from the opening tip. It just seemed like we did things very well, and the whole key to the game was keeping them off the offensive boards,” Drazich said. “I like where we are as a team right now.”

Other girls games

• Avenging a lopsided loss Jan. 3 at section rival Norwin, North Allegheny (11-4, 5-1) moved into a tie for first place in Class 6A Section 1 with a 52-45 home win against the Knights (14-3, 5-1). Lydia Betz led the way for the Tigers with a game-high 18 points to go with 17 from Jasmine Timmerson. Kendall Berger finished with 16 points for Norwin.

• Mairan Haggerty scored 28 points, while hitting four 3-pointers, and pulled in 14 rebounds for defending WPIAL and PIAA champion Neshannock, leading the Lancers (11-6, 5-1) to a 62-34 victory at Ellwood City (6-10, 1-5).

• Egypt Coleman scored a game-high 23 points and Hannah Pugliese finished with 20 for Penn Hills (7-9, 4-5), combining for nearly all of the Indians’ points in a 44-42 win at Franklin Regional. Sarah Penrod had a team-leading 14 points for the Panthers (5-11, 4-5).

Three stars

*** — Emma Paul led all scorers with 15 points for Armstrong, and the junior guard surpassed 1,000 career points in the process while helping the River Hawks defeat New Castle, 61-24.

** — Elijah Guillory scored a game-high 20 points and banked in a tying 3-pointer with five seconds left in regulation as Moon went on to defeat South Fayette in double overtime, 53-51.

* — Clairton sophomore standout Iyanna Wade set a career high with 50 points to lead the Bears to a 70-32 victory against visiting Steel Valley.

Hot from deep

Players with 3 or more 3-pointers: Mairan Haggerty, Neshannock, 4; Lilah Turnbull, Chartiers Valley, 4; Bailey Rieg, Keystone Oaks, 3.

Boys scores

Moon 53, South Fayette 51 (2OT)

Propel Andrew Street 57, Northside Urban Pathways 33

Seton LaSalle 61, Carrick 30

Girls scores

Armstrong 61, New Castle 24

Avella 64, West Greene 49

Avonworth 47, South Allegheny 19

Beaver 38, Hopewell 27

Beaver County Christian 51, Propel Montour 41

Beaver Falls 44, Riverside 25

Belle Vernon 47, Uniontown 10

Blackhawk 66, Central Valley 16

Burgettstown 55, Northgate 7

Carmichaels 43, Beth-Center 25

Chartiers-Houston 48, Bentworth 17

Chartiers Valley 58, Bethel Park 41

Clairton 70, Steel Valley 32

Elizabeth Forward 75, Southmoreland 30

Fort Cherry 49, Carlynton 17

Freedom 71, Sewickley Academy 14

Greensburg Central Catholic 83, Springdale 16

Greensburg Salem 53, Valley 22

Hempfield 48, Pine-Richland 47

Knoch 53, Freeport 30

Laurel 59, Mohawk 39

Lincoln Park 63, West Allegheny 31

Mapletown 33, Jefferson-Morgan 19

McKeesport 70, Connellsville 19

Mount Pleasant 39, Burrell 24

Neshannock 62, Ellwood City 34

North Allegheny 52, Norwin 45

North Catholic 63, Derry 17

Oakland Catholic 68, Albert Gallatin 40

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 53, Keystone Oaks 41

Penn Hills 44, Franklin Regional 42

Penn-Trafford 61, Thomas Jefferson 45

Quaker Valley 64, Ambridge 20

Redeemer Lutheran 49, Propel Braddock Hills 43

Riverview 44, Leechburg 26

Seton LaSalle 59, East Allegheny 23

Shady Side Academy 47, Apollo-Ridge 40

Shaler 39, North Hills 27

Shenango 59, Aliquippa 37

South Fayette 62, Moon 20

South Park 39, McGuffey 31

South Side 56, New Brighton 5

St. Joseph 68, Hillel Academy 6

Union 44, Aquinas Academy 33

Upper St. Clair 61, Peters Township 47

Washington 50, Frazier 34

Waynesburg 64, Charleroi 55

West Mifflin 49, Ringgold 23

Winchester Thurston 65, Ellis School 26

Woodland Hills 70, Plum 59

Yough 35, Brownsville 28