For Plum coach Rich Mull, it’s still too early to tell how his team will stack up against the rugged competition in Class 5A Section 1, but he certainly likes what he sees from the Mustangs so far.
Thanks to a 31-point performance from senior guard Megan Marston, Plum (3-0) surged out to an early lead against visiting Beaver (2-1), then pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 62-38 nonsection win in a battle of unbeaten teams on Monday. Sophomore Riley Stephans also contributed 10 points for the Mustangs on the night.
“I just thought we moved the ball pretty well,” Mull said. “[Marston] was able to put the ball on the floor, she was able to drive a little. The jump shot was there. … A little mix of everything. It was pretty balanced tonight, for her.”
Sami Springman led the way for the Bobcats with 12 points in the defeat, while Annsley Baker finished with 11.
“They play hard,” Mull said. “We just hit some shots and made some free throws. I said to be patient and run the offense.”
Plum jumped out to a 20-9 lead after the opening quarter, but Beaver hung around until late in the second half, keeping the Mustangs’ advantage at single digits going into the final quarter while trailing, 41-33. It was all Plum in the fourth quarter, though, as the Mustangs outscored the Bobcats, 21-5, to polish off an impressive victory.
“We had a good weekend. It was nice to keep it going tonight,” Mull said. “I told them that last year, we had some positives at the beginning of the season, and as the season went on, we kind of lost our focus a little bit. We just weren’t as consistent as the year went on. So hopefully our execution and some consistency can be there for us, night in and night out.”
Plum has seen steady improvement in its first two-plus seasons under Mull, rising from 5-10 overall in the 2021-22 season to 12-11 overall last season. Now, with an impressive 3-0 start on the Mustangs’ resume, Mull believes his team could be ready to take the next step toward title contention — but first things first, taking care of business in a loaded section.
“I’ve told them from day one, our expectations are high and we expect to get more competitive each year, and I think we’ve done that,” Mull said. “I think we need to be more consistent this year. … They’re not satisfied, but they were obviously happy. We don’t play for several days, so it will give us a chance to work on some things.
“We have a tough schedule. There’s nobody who is not competitive, and the section is really tough. It’s going to be a journey.”
Other girls games
• Violet Johnson scored a team-high 20 points, Emily Fisher added 19 and Ellie Junker chipped in 15 for returning WPIAL Class 1A finalist Aquinas Academy in an exciting 77-67 road win at Mohawk in double overtime.
• Kent State recruit Meghan Murray led the way for Hampton (1-2) in a 61-21 road win at Deer Lakes (1-2), scoring a game-high 24 points to go with 17 from Kat Milon in the Talbots’ first win of the season.
• Star senior Emma Paul poured in a game-high 21 points and Kyla Fitzgerald tacked on 13 for Armstrong (3-0) in a 48-29 win against visiting Pine-Richland (0-3). Madison Zavasky led the Rams with 17 points in the defeat.
• Nadia Davis registered a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds for Canon-McMillan (2-1), and Lauren Borella added 14 points along with a dozen from Samantha Miller in a 53-23 home win against Albert Gallatin (0-1). Mya Glisan led the Colonials with 10 points on the night.
• Caylee Sundy scored a game-high 22 points for Hopewell (1-2), but it wasn’t enough to take down Beaver Falls on the road in a 46-39 win for the Tigers. Taylor Pullen led the way for Beaver Falls (3-0) with 16 points to go with 13 from Cali Legzdin and 12 from Avina Norman.
• Jeannette (1-2) picked up its first win of the season against visiting Springdale (1-2), with the trio of Venicia Vignoli (16 points), Mary Jones (16 points) and Adriana Allison (15 points) combining to score all but one of the Jayhawks’ points in a 48-37 triumph. Ashlyn Federbar finished with 14 points to lead the Dynamos.
• Angelina Jones led a trio of double-digit scorers for Ellis School (2-1) with 16 points in a 62-16 win against visiting Hillel Academy (0-1). Kallie Kristian added 14 points, and Taelor Spencer chipped in 11 for Ellis.
Three stars
*** — Liam Gallagher, Greensburg Central Catholic. Gallagher tied for the team lead with 20 points and drained four 3-pointers for the preseason WPIAL Class 2A title favorites in an 82-37 blowout win at Ligonier Valley.
** — Casey Brancato, Burrell. Brancato brought her A-game in a 66-4 win against visiting Valley, scoring a game-high 30 points in the lopsided victory for the Buccaneers.
* — Kaley Rohanna, Waynesburg. Rohanna was a one-woman machine on Monday, outscoring Carmichaels by herself while tallying 28 points in a 72-25 victory for the Raiders.
Hot from deep
Players with 3 or more 3-pointers: Liam Gallagher, Greensburg C.C., 4; Geelece Ingram, Uniontown, 4; Kaley Rohanna, Waynesburg, 4; Lauren Borella, Canon-McMillan, 3; Cali Legzdin, Beaver Falls, 3; Alayna Simon, Carmichaels, 3.
Boys scores
Greensburg C.C. 82, Ligonier Valley 37
Hopewell 74, New Brighton 54
Southmoreland 76, Frazier 50
Uniontown 97, Washington 40
West Shamokin 58, Apollo-Ridge 36
Girls scores
Allderdice 54, Ambridge 18
Armstrong 48, Pine-Richland 29
Aquinas Academy 77, Mohawk 67 (2OT)
Beaver Falls 46, Hopewell 39
Beth-Center 45, Mapletown 25
Burgettstown 47, Apollo-Ridge 25
Burrell 66, Valley 4
Canon-McMillan 53, Albert Gallatin 23
Connellsville 42, Uniontown 37
Ellis School 62, Hillel Academy 16
Frazier 72, Sto-Rox 32
Hampton 61, Deer Lakes 21
Jeannette 48, Springdale 37
Keystone Oaks 50, West Mifflin 33
Laurel Highlands 57, Brownsville 33
Plum 62, Beaver 38
Riverside 28, New Brighton 20
Thomas Jefferson 57, Southmoreland 10
Waynesburg 72, Carmichaels 25
West Allegheny 50, New Castle 14
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
