Monday basketball rundown: Avonworth girls top OLSH, take over first place and end Chargers’ long home section win streak

A season ago, Avonworth and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart captured section titles in not only different sections, but different classes. But the two are now together in the same section, and Avonworth’s win against OLSH on Monday put the Antelopes in prime position to be the only one of the two to claim a section title this season.

Becca Goetz scored 24 points to lead Avonworth to a 50-39 win at OLSH in a key game in WPIAL Class 3A Section 2.

With the win, its second of the season against OLSH, Avonworth (12-5, 6-1) took over first place, while OLSH (12-6, 5-2) fell to second. Both teams have three remaining section games. Avonworth grabbed a 50-43 home win against the Chargers on Jan. 5.

OLSH saw its long section winning streak come to an end at 42 games. The Chargers had not lost a section home game since Dec. 19, 2016.

Greta O’Brien added 15 points and Mia Velisaris had 10 for Avonworth, which won its fifth game in a row and outscored OLSH, 13-2, in the first quarter. OLSH’s lone points in the opening quarter came on a Mia Grisafi basket.

Avonworth was outstanding at the free-throw line, finishing 20 of 25. Goetz was 10 of 11 and Velisaris 7 of 8. OLSH was 13 of 19 from the line.

Kyleigh Nagy and Kara Bridge led OLSH with 8 points apiece. Grisafi added 7. 

Other girls games

• Rylee Kalocay scored a game-high 20 points and Upper St. Clair (15-2, 8-0) raced to a 16-point halftime lead before holding on to win at Mt. Lebanon (13-6, 7-3), 52-44, in Class 6A Section 2. Mia Brown chipped in 12 points for the Panthers, who led 30-14 at the half. Payton Collins paced Mt. Lebanon with 15 points and Tori Pettko added 14.

• Serra Catholic (13-2, 8-1) handed visiting Greensburg Central Catholic (16-4, 9-1) its first section loss, 40-35, in Class 2A Section 3. Cate Clarke led Serra with 15 points and Abby Genes added 13. Freshman Erica Gribble led the Centurions with 15 points.

• Armstrong (16-3, 7-3) avenged a home loss earlier this month by winning at section leader Mars (13-4, 7-2), 37-28, in Class 5A Section 2. Emma Paul scored 12 points and Kyla Fitzgerald added 11 for Armstrong, which outscored Mars, 23-11, in the second half. Alexis Cashdollar scored 10 points for Mars, which won at Armstrong, 55-36, on Jan. 5.

• North Allegheny (12-4, 6-1) used a fourth-quarter surge to win at Pine-Richland (8-9, 2-5), 51-46, in Class 6A Section 1. Jasmine Timmerson scored 24 points for the Tigers, who outscored Pine-Richland, 18-13, in the final quarter. Madison Zavasky led Pine-Richland with 23 points.

• On senior night, seniors Maddie Webber (16 points) and Ava Leroux (15) guided host South Fayette (17-2, 7-0) to a 76-40 win against Lincoln Park (15-3, 4-3) in Class 5A Section 4. Lainey Yater added 13 points and freshman Juliette Leroux 10 for South Fayette, which has won 10 games in a row.

• Maria Helkowski’s 13 points helped host Quaker Valley (13-6, 6-1) edge Beaver (11-6, 4-3), 29-21, in Class 4A Section 2. The two teams combined for just 6 points in the fourth quarter, with Quaker Valley outscoring Beaver, 4-2. It’s the fifth time this season the Quakers have limited an opponent to 24 or fewer points. Chloe List paced Beaver with 9 points.

• Sophia Nath made one of two free throws with 3.6 seconds remaining to help Bethel Park (6-10, 3-5) snap a four-game losing streak with a 61-60 home win against Peters Township (9-9, 3-6) in Class 6A Section 2. Mary Boff led Bethel Park with 16 points and Nathan added 13. Gemma Walker led Peters Township with 23 points.

• Jenna Yee knocked down a 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds remaining to give Brentwood (10-8, 6-1) a 43-42 win at Fort Cherry (12-7, 4-3) in Class 2A Section 2. Mia March led Brentwood with 12 points. Raney Staub scored 13 points for Fort Cherry, which had won five in a row.

• Kaley Rohanna scored 19 points and Josie Horne had a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds to lift Waynesburg (15-2, 6-1) to a 57-33 win against visiting McGuffey (12-7, 2-5) in Class 3A Section 4. Lexi Ewig led McGuffey with 11 points.

• Iyanna Wade had yet another huge scoring performance for Clairton (9-6, 7-3), tallying 37 points while leading the Bears to a 49-39 win at Springdale (4-13, 1-8) in Class 2A Section 3. Wade, the leading scorer in the WPIAL, upped her average to 34.1 points a game. Ashlyn Ferderbar led Springdale with 15 points.

• Kelly Cleaver’s 22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks and 3 steals helped Union (12-6, 4-1) jump into first place in Class 1A Section 1 after a 55-26 win against visiting Bishop Canevin (7-7, 3-1). Julianna Umalin paced the Crusaders with 13 points.

Three stars

*** — Julz Mohrbacher, Freedom. Mohrbacher’s triple-double of 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists propelled Freedom to a 65-32 win at Rochester.

** — Kalleigh Nerone, Highlands. Nerone scored a game-high 21 points to help Highlands clinch a playoff spot with a 65-35 win against visiting Freeport in Class 4A Section 1.

* — Gabe Carbonara, Derry. A senior, Carbonara celebrated Senior Night in a big way, leading all scorers with 24 points and adding 12 rebounds in a 64-35 win against Apollo-Ridge.

Hot from deep

Players with 3 or more 3-pointers: Delaney Moore, Ambridge, 4; Alena Fusetti, Blackhawk, 4; Avi DeLillo, Neshannock, 4; Izzy Miller, Central Valley, 3; Bella Antonacci, Indiana, 3; Emma Ficorilli, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 3.

Girls scores

Aquinas Academy 35, Eden Christian 28

Armstrong 37, Mars 28

Avella 58, Mapletown 34

Avonworth 50, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 39

Bethel Park 61, Peters Township 60

Blackhawk 43, Hopewell 31

Brentwood 43, Fort Cherry 42

Carlynton 37, Northgate 18

Carmichaels 54, Bentworth 40

Central Valley 76, Ambridge 30

Chartiers Valley 59, Baldwin 51

Clairton 49, Springdale 39

Freedom 65, Rochester 32

Highlands 65, Freeport 35

Indiana 61, Gateway 34

Latrobe 76, Connellsville 44

Leechburg 36, Grace Christian 21

Knoch 58, Derry 30

Montour 53, West Allegheny 42

Mount Pleasant 55, Deer Lakes 25

Neshannock 72, Laurel 55

North Allegheny 51, Pine-Richland 46

North Catholic 45, Greensburg Salem 28

Norwin 60, Butler 22

Oakland Catholic 65, Thomas Jefferson 47

Quaker Valley 29, Beaver 21

Serra Catholic 40, Greensburg Central Catholic 35

Shady Side Academy 67, Burrell 26

South Allegheny 46, East Allegheny 32

South Fayette 76, Lincoln Park 40

Trinity 68, Moon 38

Union 55, Bishop Canevin 26

Upper St. Clair 52, Mt. Lebanon 44

Waynesburg 57, McGuffey 33

Boys score

Derry 64, Apollo-Ridge 35