Thursday basketball rundown: Natalie Wetzel, Peters Township stifle Thomas Jefferson; Bethel Park, Baldwin stage big rallies to win

Thomas Jefferson entered play Thursday with an unbeaten record and the highest-scoring offense in the WPIAL.

The Jaguars exited with their first loss after being limited to just over half of their season average.

Natalie Wetzel scored 22 points and Peters Township was outstanding defensively on its way to a 52-39 win at Thomas Jefferson in a showdown of undefeated WPIAL Class 5A Section 4 foes.

Points were hard to come by for Thomas Jefferson (6-1, 1-1), which had no such problem its first six games, scoring 69 points per game with an average margin of victory of 43.5 points. But against a lengthy Peters Township team featuring the 6-3 Wetzel and 6-3 Daniela Radulovich, the Jaguars had little success.

Thomas Jefferson made only five field goals in the first three quarters, including just two in the second and third quarters when Peters Township (5-0, 1-0) ran its lead to 37-18. The lead grew to 24 points in the fourth quarter before the Jaguars closed the game on a 15-4 run. Maggie Spell, Thomas Jefferson’s top scorer at 19 points per game, finished with a team-best 10 points. Sharpshooting sophomore Kaylee DeAngelo came in averaging 15 points but did not score Thursday before leaving the game in the fourth quarter due to an apparent injury.

“I thought it was a five-girl effort defensively,” Peters Township coach Steve Limberiou said. “Bri Morreale defensively on Kaylee DeAngelo, I thought she was unbelievable. I think she took only two shots. And Natalie, she’s guarded [Upper St. Clair’s] Rylee Kalocay, [Greensburg Central Catholic’s] Erica Gribble and Maggie Spell the last few games, and they are probably shooting under 20% as a collective.”

Wetzel, a Miami recruit, was excellent offensively, as well. She was 12 of 14 from the free-throw line and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers. Wetzel scored 10 points in the second quarter when the Indians outscored Thomas Jefferson, 18-7, to take a 26-15 halftime lead. Wetzel is averaging 24.6 points on the season.

“I feel like I’m Mike Tomlin talking about T.J. Watt. I’m running out of good things to say about her,” Limberiou said.

Peters Township also got 12 points off the bench from Alina Sopko, while Morreale added 10. 

Other girls games

• Lauren Marton scored 14 points and Kamryn Pieper added 12 to help keep Penn-Trafford (7-0, 1-0) unbeaten with a 57-31 win against visiting Greensburg Salem (3-2, 0-1) in Class 5A Section 2. Blessing Gantt scored nine points to lead the Golden Lions.

• Chartiers Valley (4-2, 1-0) won its fourth straight, 57-33, at West Allegheny (3-1, 0-1) in Class 5A Section 3. Rachel Boehm scored 18 points for the Colts, who led, 11-2, after one quarter and 28-9 at the half.

• Addyson Kranak tallied 15 points and Montour (4-1, 1-0) produced another terrific defensive performance in a 50-29 win against visiting New Castle (4-2, 0-1) in Class 5A Section 3. Montour is allowing only 32.2 points per game. Rihanna Boice led New Castle with 18 points.

• Bethel Park (3-1, 1-0) rallied from 16 points down to beat visiting Trinity (4-1, 0-1), 54-52, in Class 5A Section 4. Bethel Park outscored Trinity, 20-6, in the fourth quarter. Ella Sabatos led the Black Hawks with 19 points, while Sadie Orie and freshman Fiona O’Neill each scored 15. Trinity was led by Sutton Williamson’s 19 points.

• Baldwin (3-3) stormed back from a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat visiting Canon-McMillan (3-3), 55-49, in a non-section game. Baldwin trailed, 26-11, at the half before outscoring the Big Macs, 44-23, in the second half. Julianne Ott led Baldwin with 17 points, while Lauren Borella and Sam Miller scored 15 apiece for Canon-McMillan.

• Aubree Hupp poured in a game-high 25 points to help Blackhawk (4-1, 1-0) rally for a 59-44 win at Beaver (3-2, 0-1) in Class 4A Section 2. Beaver held a 25-23 halftime lead before being outscored, 36-19, in the second half. Blackhawk also got 14 points from Andrea Kinger.

• South Park (2-1, 1-0) raced to an 11-point halftime lead before holding on for a 48-46 win against visiting Laurel Highlands (3-1, 0-1) in Class 4A Section 3. Hayley Bennett scored 24 points for South Park, while Sierra Jenkins paced Laurel Highlands with 13.

• Kylie Fruehstorfer scored a game-high 18 points, including the 1,000th of her career, to lead host Union (4-0, 1-0) to a 56-37 win against Aquinas Academy (2-3, 0-1) in Class 1A Section 1. Olivia Benedict had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Union. Carly Bezila led Aquinas Academy with 12 points.

• Iyanna Wade 42 points helped Clairton (3-1, 1-0) win, 69-56, at Serra Catholic (1-5, 0-1) in Class 1A Section 2. The score was tied at the half. Belle Dumbroski led Serra with 24 points. Wade is averaging 41 points and has 2,313 career points.

• Emma Larkin scored nine of her game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter to help Geibel Catholic (7-0, 1-0) stay unbeaten with a 46-27 win against visiting West Greene (4-1, 0-1) in Class 1A Section 2. Kendra Tharp paced West Greene with 13 points.

Boys games

• Playing its first-ever Class 6A section game, Imani Christian (3-0, 1-0) outpaced visiting Canon-McMillan (1-4, 0-1), 71-60, in overtime in Section 2. R.J. Sledge scored 28 points and Kieshaun Demus had 18 for the Saints, winners of the last two PIAA Class 1A titles who have elected to play up this season. Roman Koenemund led Canon-McMillan with 30 points.

• Courtney Wallace’s 26 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists helped Neighborhood Academy (6-0) capture a 66-60 non-section win at Allderdice (1-3). Syncer Nicholson added 16 points for the Bulldogs, while Lukas Stead led the Dragons with 15.

• Gavin Orosz’s 32 points helped South Fayette (3-0, 1-0) come from behind to notch a 63-48 win at Ringgold (2-2, 0-1) in Class 5A Section 3. South Fayette trailed by a point at the half. Braylen Lomax paced Ringgold with 15 points.

• Owen Dumbroski poured in a game-high 29 points to help Serra Catholic (6-0) remain unbeaten following a 74-48 non-section win at California (1-2). Serra led, 52-27, at the half. Caden Monticelli paced California with 12 points.

Three stars

*** — Natalie Hambly, Seneca Valley. Hambly knocked down eight 3-pointers among her 25 points to vault host Seneca Valley (2-3) to a 56-42 non-section win against Neshannock (4-1).

**— Sydney Strope, Avella. Strope’s 27 points propelled Avella (4-2, 1-0) to a 67-32 win at Mapletown (2-4, 0-1) in Class 1A Section 2.

* — Kya Cooley, Bishop Canevin. Cooley scored 22 points to help Bishop Canevin (4-1, 1-0) begin Class 1A Section 2 play with a 49-26 win at Monessen (2-1, 0-1).

Hot from deep

Players with 3 or more 3-pointers: Natalie Hambly, Seneca Valley, 8; Chatham Knight, Waynesburg, 6; Kylie Fruehstorfer, Union, 5; Carly Bezila, Aquinas Academy, 4; Sam Miller, Canon-McMillan, 4; Hannah Wallace, Eden Christian, 4; Addison Musto, Franklin Regional, 4; Emma Obersteiner, Avonworth, 3; Riley McCabe, Thomas Jefferson, 3.

Boys scores

WPIAL Class 6A

Section 2

Imani Christian 71, Canon-McMillan 60 (OT)

WPIAL Class 5A

Section 3

South Fayette 63, Ringgold 48

WPIAL Class 2A

Section 3

West Greene 54, Carmichaels 27

Non-section

Archbishop Hoban, Ohio 76, North Catholic 53

Neighborhood Academy 66, Allderdice 60

Serra Catholic 74, California 48

Steel Valley 64, Brashear 55

Girls scores

WPIAL Class 5A

Section 1

Franklin Regional 54, Plum 37

Shaler 56, Armstrong 28

Section 2

Latrobe 51, West Mifflin 27

Penn-Trafford 57, Greensburg Salem 31

Section 3

Chartiers Valley 57, West Allegheny 33

Montour 50, New Castle 29

South Fayette 70, Mars 25

Section 4

Bethel Park 54, Trinity 52

Peters Township 52, Thomas Jefferson 39

Uniontown 41, Albert Gallatin 38

WPIAL Class 4A

Section 1

Burrell 51, Highlands 25

Freeport 42, Derry 25

Knoch 56, Valley 30

Section 2

Blackhawk 59, Beaver 44

Hampton 60, Ambridge 31

Section 3

Belle Vernon 41, Ringgold 27

Elizabeth Forward 64, Southmoreland 21

South Park 48, Laurel Highlands 46

Yough 29, Mount Pleasant 27

WPIAL Class 3A

Section 1

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 49, Ellwood City 21

Beaver Falls 47, Quaker Valley 43 (OT)

Riverside 57, Mohawk 27

Section 2

Avonworth 72, Ligonier Valley 14

Deer Lakes 59, East Allegheny 13

Greensburg Central Catholic 75, Steel Valley 13

Shady Side Academy 77, South Allegheny 12

Section 3

Seton LaSalle 60, Keystone Oaks 57

Waynesburg 48, Brownsville 42

WPIAL Class 1A

Section 1

St. Joseph 67, Western Beaver 13

Sewickley Academy 32, Eden Christian 30

Springdale 54, Leechburg 31

Union 56, Aquinas Academy 37

Section 2

Avella 67, Mapletown 32

Bishop Canevin 49, Monessen 26

Clairton 69, Serra Catholic 56

Geibel Catholic 46, West Greene 27

Non-section

Aliquippa 44, Obama Academy 35

Baldwin 55, Canon-McMillan 49

Beaver County Christian 43, Shenango 37

Bentworth 45, Northgate 8

Ellis School 40, Westinghouse 9

Fort Cherry 34, Chartiers-Houston 28

Frazier 47, Carmichaels 31

Propel Braddock Hills 43, Nazareth Prep 14

Rochester 60, South Side 42