Monday basketball rundown: McKeesport girls pass road test; South Fayette rolls past Chartiers Valley; Penn-Trafford scores 92

The unbeaten McKeesport girls basketball team faced a sneaky-tough test Monday night.

Not only were the Tigers playing their first true road game of the season, but their opponent had just knocked off one of the WPIAL’s premier teams.

Consider this test passed.

McKeesport raced to a big first-quarter lead and cruised to a 60-51 non-section win at Bethel Park.

Rachel Manfredo scored a team-high 16 points for McKeesport (4-0), which jumped to a 24-8 lead after one quarter. Maddy Hertzler scored eight of her 12 points in that quarter for the Tigers, who also got 11 points from Brooke Evans.

“I think they responded well,” McKeesport coach Amy Gumbert said of her team, which reached the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals each of the past two seasons. “We could have done a little bit better in the second half, but I think we played great defense. Hats off to them because that’s a pretty gritty team.”

Bethel Park (2-3) was coming off a 56-54 home win against two-time defending WPIAL Class 5A champion South Fayette, the first loss of the season for the Lions. Monday, Sadie Orie led Bethel Park with 16 points and Ella Sabatos added 15.

Other girls games

• Norwin (4-1) led by eight points at the half and went on to capture a 59-36 home win against Latrobe (2-2) in a non-section game. Kendall Berger led the Knights with 20 points and Lauren Palangio added 15. Elle Snyder paced Latrobe with 12 points.

• Juliette Leroux’s 19 points paced a quartet of South Fayette players scoring in double-figures as the Lions (3-1) picked up a 67-49 non-section win at Chartiers Valley (3-1). Haylie Lamonde added 19 points, Erica Hall 12 and Lainey Yater 10.

• Katelyn Myers scored a game-high 18 points to lead host Highlands (3-1) to a 60-38 non-section win against Montour (2-2). Kalleigh Nerone added 14 points for the Golden Rams and Jocelyn Bielak had 12.

• Penn-Trafford (4-1) got offensive in a 92-47 non-section win against visiting Woodland Hills (0-3). The 92 points were the most scored by a WPIAL team this season. Torrie DeStefano led Penn-Trafford with 20 points, while Jhalynn Wilson poured in 35 for Woodland Hills.

• Violet Johnson scored 13 of her 14 points in the second half to help Aquinas Academy (6-0) remain unbeaten following a 54-45 non-section win at Rochester (2-2). Emily Fisher also scored 14 points for the Crusaders, while Tina Yellock paced Rochester with 16.

• Defending WPIAL Class 2A champion Avonworth (3-0) picked up a 47-44 non-section win at Class 6A Pine-Richland (0-4). Greta O’Brien scored 17 points and Rebecca Goetz added 15 for the Antelopes, whose other two victories were against Class 5A opponents.

• Seton LaSalle (2-2) coughed up a nine-point halftime lead in what turned into a 53-47 non-section home loss to Mercyhurst Prep (3-1). Seton LaSalle, which led, 28-19, at the half, got 18 points from Tiara Curry and 14 from Mallory Daly.

• Twins Riley and Payton Collins combined to make eight 3-pointers, but it wasn’t enough for Mt. Lebanon (2-2), which fell to host Cathedral Prep (2-1) in a non-section game. Riley Collins made five 3s among her 17 points and Payton connected on three 3s and scored 14 points. Cathedral Prep got 30 points from Addie Biel and 20 from Georgetown recruit Jayden McBride.

• McGuffey (4-0) remained perfect after picking up a 54-27 home non-section win against West Greene (1-4). Taylor Schumacher scored a game-high 22 points for the Highlanders, who outscored West Greene, 23-7, in the second quarter.

• Quaker Valley (0-4) got a strong performance from sophomore Mimi Thiero (game-high 26 points and 23 rebounds), but the Quakers dropped a 56-46 home decision to Freedom (1-3) in a non-conference game. Freedom held a 29-21 lead at the half.

• Adalyn Zanotto’s 19 points propelled host Leechburg (3-1) to a 37-36 win against Geibel (3-2) in non-section action. Leechburg outscored Geibel, 8-7, in overtime. Emma Larkin scored 23 points for Geibel.

• Amelia McMichael pumped in 31 points to spark host Butler (2-2) to a 53-45 non-section win against Hampton (1-4). Butler outscored Hampton, 13-4, in the final quarter. Kent State recruit Meghan Murray paced Hampton with 23 points.

• Nadia Davis scored 24 points and Madison Clair chipped in 19 to push Canon-McMillan (3-1) to a 71-68 non-section win at North Hills (3-2). The Big Macs held a 35-33 lead at the half. Gianna Sturdivant led North Hills with 17 points.

• After scoring only two points in the first quarter, Indiana (3-1) rallied for a 39-24 non-section win against visiting Knoch (2-3). Cassie Boyer led the Little Indians with 10 points. Adah Fuller paced Knoch with seven points.

Freedom’s Shaye Bailey looks to get the ball past Quaker Valley’s Anna Campbell during Monday’s game at Quaker Valley High School. Freedom won, 56-46. (Emily Matthews/Pittsburgh Union Progress)

Boys games

• Jamire Braxton poured in 29 points, Notorious Grooms added 15 and Calvin Winfrey 13 to pace host Uniontown (4-0) in a 79-63 non-section win against Beaver (2-2).

• Jayvin Hemer scored 14 of his game-high 26 points in the first quarter to propel Rochester (2-1) to a 58-25 non-section win at Freedom (0-6). The Rams also got 12 points from Nathan Bills and 10 from Xavier Rigby.

Three stars

*** — Bailey Rieg, Keystone Oaks. Rieg’s 24 points vaulted Keystone Oaks (5-1) to a 56-48 non-section win at Freeport (1-4). The Golden Eagles have won four games in a row.

** — Emma Ruperto, West Allegheny. A freshman, Ruperto poured in a game-high 21 points to vault host West Allegheny (2-3) to a 58-35 win against Fort Cherry (3-1) in non-section play.

* — Dane Woods, Waynesburg. Woods scored 23 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in leading Waynesburg (2-3) to an 81-77 non-section win against visiting Beth-Center (1-3).

Hot from deep

Players with 3 or more 3-pointers: Isaiah Riggle, Armstrong, 6; Morgan Croney, Freeport, 5; Riley Collins, Mt. Lebanon, 5; Emily Fisher, Aquinas Academy, 4; Amelia McMichael, Butler, 4; Samantha Miller, Canon-McMillan, 3; Meghan Murray, Hampton, 3; Payton Collins, Mt. Lebanon, 3; Delaney Amato, North Hills, 3; Olivia Waters, North Hills, 3.

Boys scores

Armstrong 64, Perry 19

Brownsville 60, California 50

Jefferson-Morgan 46, Charleroi 43

Penn-Trafford 72, Woodland Hills 49

Rochester 58, Freedom 25

Seton LaSalle 56, Carrick 38

South Side 74, Ambridge 59

Uniontown 79, Beaver 63

Waynesburg 81, Beth-Center 77

Girls scores

Aquinas Academy 54, Rochester 45