Uniontown has already beaten teams from four states and five Pennsylvania counties this season.
Its latest triumph came Friday against a team that last season did what the Red Raiders hope to do this season — win a WPIAL title and reach a PIAA final.
Notorious Grooms scored a game-high 16 points and Uniontown pulled away in the fourth quarter to claim a 53-42 win against Aliquippa in the Central Valley Roundball Classic at the Community College of Beaver County’s Golden Dome.
Uniontown improved to 9-0 a day after defeating Downingtown West on the same court. The latest victories came after the Red Raiders beat three out-of-state teams at a tournament last week in Florida.
“They play a physical brand of basketball, and they did a good job taking our guys out of going to the rim,” Uniontown coach Rob Kezmarsky said of Aliquippa. “We didn’t make all our shots that we normally do. This is our fifth game over Christmas. It wasn’t our best offensive game, but it was a gutsy win.”
Aliquippa, which last season was the WPIAL Class 2A champion and PIAA runner-up, fell to 4-3. The Quips trailed, 28-21, at the half, but used an 11-0 run to begin the third quarter to take a 32-28 lead. Uniontown didn’t score its first points of the second half until Grooms’ 3-pointer pulled the Red Raiders within 32-31 with 2:47 left in the third quarter.
After Cameron Lindsey sank two free throws to pull Aliquippa even with Uniontown at 36-36 just 24 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Red Raiders used a quick 6-0 surge to regain control. Calvin Winfrey knocked down a jumper to give the Red Raiders the lead, Grooms followed with a fast-break layup, and Jeremiah Hager added a bucket for his first points of the game. Aliquippa got no closer than four points the rest of the way.
Jamire Braxton scored 14 points for Uniontown and Winfrey added 13. Winfrey and Grooms, both junior guards, were especially good late. Winfrey (seven points) and Grooms (six points) combined to score 13 of Uniontown’s 17 points in the final quarter.
“They’re juniors, but they play like seniors,” Kezmarsky said. “At the end of the game, the way they handle the ball is just incredible.”
Uniontown is one of only four remaining unbeaten teams in the WPIAL (Shaler, Southmoreland and Burrell are the others). The Red Raiders return four starters from last season’s team that went 23-6 and reached the PIAA Class 4A semifinals.
DeMarkus Walker (10 points) was the only Aliquippa player in double figures.
Other boys games
• A day after coach Joe David picked up his 400th career win, Mt. Lebanon (8-1) dropped its first game of the season, 57-55, against Royal Palm Beach, Fla., in the Sunshine State Explosion. The Blue Devils held a 47-42 lead after three quarters before being outscored, 15-8, in the fourth. Brody Barber led Mt. Lebanon with 17 points and made three of the team’s 11 3-pointers.
• Mars (5-4) raced to a 20-point halftime lead before hanging on for a 65-62 win against Lawrence County, Tenn., in the championship game of the Pensacola Beach Tournament. Ryan Ceh paced Mars with 26 points, scoring 17 of those in the first half when the Planets built a 43-23 lead. Austin Campbell added 12 points and Drew Navetta 11.
• Christian Ito’s 17 points helped Upper St. Clair (6-3) capture a 63-52 win against visiting Peters Township (6-3). Tyler Robbins added 13 points, Brett Meinert 12 and Jake Foster 11 for the Panthers, who held a 35-31 lead at the half.
• Two days after hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send Allderdice to a win at PPG Paints Arena, Logan Golle pumped in a career-high 35 points to lead the Dragons (6-2) to a 79-47 win against Shady Side Academy (4-5) in the Peter Sauer Memorial Tournament. Golle added 6 assists, 6 steals and 5 rebounds.
• Teegan Finucan scored 26 points to propel Knoch (6-2) to a 62-48 win against defending WPIAL Class 3A champion Deer Lakes (7-2) in the Deer Lakes Tournament. Zane Pacek added 14 points for the Knights, while Aiden Fletcher and Collin Rodgers each scored 12 points for Deer Lakes.
• Cam Epps scored 18 points and Drew Cook added 16 to drive South Allegheny (8-1) to a 67-57 double-overtime win against Norwin (5-4) in the championship game of the South Allegheny Tournament. Mario Csukas and Noah Wilson each scored 16 points for Norwin.
• Vernon Settles scored 21 points to help Central Catholic (4-3) take down Pennsbury, 48-31, in the championship game of the Boardwalk Basketball Classic in Wildwood, N.J. The Vikings, who won their third consecutive game, outscored Pennsbury, 32-15, in the second half.
• Jude Coombs scored 17 points, sinking five 3-pointers, to lead Central Valley (6-2) to its sixth win in a row, 52-50, against Mohawk (3-6) in the Central Valley Roundball Classic. Isaiah Jeter chipped in 16 points for the Warriors, and Bobby Fadden led Mohawk with 18 points.
• Patrick Weldon knocked down five 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 25 points to propel Seton LaSalle (6-3) to a 61-48 win against Menifee County, Ky., in the Mountain Schoolboy Classic. The Rebels also got 13 points from Hayden Merchant.
• Wyatt Richter scored 17 points and Noah Felentzer added 12 to help Southmoreland (10-0) remain unbeaten following a 67-38 win against Ringgold (3-7) in the Charleroi Tournament. Southmoreland went 13-9 a season ago.
Girls games
• In a matchup of teams that played for PIAA titles a season ago, Alena Fusetti made five 3-pointers and scored 17 points to lead Class 4A Blackhawk (8-2) to a 43-35 win against Class 1A Union (5-5) in the Blackhawk Tournament. Aubree Hupp added 15 points for Blackhawk, while Kelly Cleaver had 16 points and 9 rebounds for Union.
• McKeesport (7-1) dominated in the fourth quarter to defeat Mt. Lebanon (4-5), 49-30, in the Pine-Richland Tournament. It was the fourth win over a Class 6A team this season for Class 5A McKeesport, which outscored Mt. Lebanon, 23-5, in the final quarter. Maddie Hertzler led McKeesport with 16 points and Rachel Manfredo chipped in 13.
• Peters Township (9-0) continued its perfect start courtesy of a 62-41 win against North Oconee, Ga., in the Carolina Lowcountry Invitational. Natalie Wetzel paced Peters Township with 22 points and Bri Morreale had 18.
• Also in the Carolina Lowcountry Invitational, Juliette Leroux scored a career-high 29 points for South Fayette (4-3), which dropped an 81-70 decision against Frederick Douglass, Ky. Haylie Lamonde added 17 points for the Lions, who were outscored, 28-16, in the fourth quarter.
• Kaley Rohanna scored 22 points and Addison Blair added 9 points and 10 rebounds to help Waynesburg (9-1) rebound from its first loss with a 43-30 win against North Royalton, Ohio, in the KSA Tournament.
• Ruby Morgan connected on six 3-pointers among her game-high 22 points to push Trinity (6-1) to a 67-46 win against Mountain Ridge, Md., in the Deep Creek Lake Classic. Maddy Roberts added 13 points and 10 rebounds for Trinity, which outscored Mountain Ridge, 25-3, in the first quarter.
• Rebecca Goetz (25 points) helped Avonworth (7-1) bounce back from its first loss by beating Butler (2-7), 56-49, in the Butler Tournament. Goetz was 11 of 12 from the free-throw line. Greta O’Brien added 16 points for the Antelopes, while Sydney Patterson and Jessica Chwalik each scored 11 for Butler.
• Jaedin Griggs scored 18 points to help Moon (7-1) hand Aliquippa (6-1) its first loss, 48-39, in the Central Valley Roundball Classic. The Tigers outscored Aliquippa, 31-24, in the second half. Leiana Rucker chipped in 12 points for the Tigers.
• Jeannette (5-3) stormed back from an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat Mapletown (3-6), 40-33, in the championship game of the Mapletown Tournament. Jeannette outscored Mapletown, 30-12, in the second half. Adriana Allison and Venicia Vignoli paced the Jayhawks with 13 points apiece.
Three stars
*** — Abbie Johns, Kiski Area. Johns poured in 23 points to help Kiski Area (4-6) snap a five-game losing streak by defeating Fox Chapel (3-7), 43-33, in the Shady Side Academy Tournament.
** — Cate Gentile, Pine-Richland. Gentile’s 24 points propelled Pine-Richland (1-6) to its first win, 61-56, against McDowell in the Pine-Richland tournament. Teammate Madison Zavasky added 23 points.
* — Max Butler, Latrobe. Butler scored 25 points in the first half and finished the game with 27, but Latrobe (3-5) fell to Elmira, N.Y., 69-62, in the Elmira Tournament.
Hot from deep
Players with 3 or more 3-pointers: Ruby Morgan, Trinity, 6; Alena Fusetti, Blackhawk, 5; Jude Coombs, Central Valley, 5; Patrick Weldon, Seton LaSalle, 5; Dominique Douglas, Central Valley, 4; Max Butler, Latrobe, 4; Shyan Tindall, Laurel, 4; Ryan Ceh, Mars, 4; Isaiah Jeter, Central Valley, 3; Drew Navetta, Mars, 3; Emma Paul, Armstrong, 3; Izzie Gamble, Grove City, 3; Caylee Sundy, Hopewell, 3; Darius Davis, Latrobe, 3; Tyler Pepin, Seneca Valley, 3.
Boys scores
Abington Heights 57, Chartiers Valley 53
Allderdice 79, Shady Side Academy 47
Aquinas Academy 88, Springdale 79
Baldwin 57, Kiski Area 49
Central Catholic 48, Pennsbury 31
Central Valley 52, Mohawk 50
Downingtown West 64, South Fayette 60 (OT)
Elmira, N.Y. 69, Latrobe 62
Frazier 81, California 72
Highlands 64, Sto-Rox 41
Indiana 68, St. Joseph 46
Keenan, S.C. 61, Imani Christian 46
Knoch 62, Deer Lakes 48
Mars 65, Lawrence City, Tenn. 62
New Castle 77, Meadville 69
Pine-Richland 66, Woodland Hills 49
Pittsburgh Christian 74, Trinity Christian 66
Rochester 55, Nazareth Prep 47
Royal Palm Beach, Fla. 57, Mt. Lebanon 54
Seton LaSalle 61, Menifee County, Ky. 48
Shaler 60, Avonworth 30
South Allegheny 67, Norwin 57 (2 OT)
South Side 65, Burgettstown 60
Southmoreland 67, Ringgold 38
Uniontown 53, Aliquippa 42
Upper St. Clair 63, Peters Township 55
Wheeling Central Catholic, W.Va. 75, Waynesburg 32
Girls scores
Altoona 59, Armstrong 45
Blackhawk 43, Union 35
Burrell 59, Valley 9
East Fairmont, W.Va. 59, South Park 39
East River, Fla. 58, Seneca Valley 43
Eden Christian 62, Laurel 29
Frederick Douglass, Ky. 81, South Fayette 70
Grove City 49, Hopewell 42
Hampton 71, Southwest El Centro, Calif. 14
Hempfield 50, Indiana 42
Jeannette 40, Mapletown 33
Kiski Area 43, Shady Side Academy 33
Lincoln Park 72, Allderdice 39
McKeesport 49, Mt. Lebanon 30
Moon 48, Aliquippa 39
Peters Township 62, North Oconee, Ga. 41
Pine-Richland 61, McDowell 56
Riverview 64, Deer Lakes 32
Rochester 66, Central Valley 51
Seneca Valley 62, Shady Side Academy 57
Trinity 67, Mountain Ridge, Md. 46
Waynesburg 43, North Royalton, Ohio 30
West Shamokin 58, Ligonier Valley 29
Wheeling Park, W.Va. 74, Woodland Hills 37
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.