Girls' Basketball: South Class AAAA Preview
There were many who thought some of the best girls basketball was being played in the WPIAL's Section 4-AAAA.
It's possible that the section which includes mostly schools from the South Hills and one Washington County school just got better.
After a couple of seasons competing in girls basketball's largest classification, Moon Area which won just four of 22 games last season, has joined Section 5-AAA, which features teams much closer in enrollment and in proximity to the Tigers' University Boulevard campus.
Taking Moon's place is Chartiers Valley, a bonafide WPIAL contender. As a Class AAA team a year ago, the Colts rolled to an overall record of 25-4 in Section 5-AAA and swept through the section with a 10-0 record.
Coach Spencer Stefko's team defeated several Class AAAA opponents, including new Section 4-AAAA foe Bethel Park (43-38) along with North Hills (53-28), Pine-Richland (42-38) and State College (59-32).
The Colts graduated five players from last year's team. But they return Mariah Wells, a 5-9 senior guard who averaged 11.7 points per game and Kassidy O'Keefe, a 5-7 junior guard, who averaged 9.5 points per game.
No one, though, is going to concede anything to the new team on the block.
Especially when it's Mt, Lebanon, which came through a 25-4 season with an overall section record of 12-0 and a WPIAL Class AAAA championship. The Blue Devils defeated Oakland Catholic, 58-49, on March 2 at the Palumbo Center. Exactly two weeks later, however, the Eagles gained a full measure of revenge with a 37-32 victory over the Blue Devils in the PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinals at Chartiers Valley High School.
The Blue Devils' top returnees include a pair of 6-1 forwards, senior Jordan Holmes and junior Christine Ehland.
Mt. Lebanon coach Dori Oldaker has two big holes to fill, though, as guards Emma Pellicano and Liz Tommasi both graduated.
The rest of the section figures to be competitive, particularly with Bethel Park and Upper St. Clair in the mix.
Megan Marecic, a 5-11 junior forward, is back for her junior season at Bethel Park. As a sophomore, she averaged 13.7 points per game and has been named an all-section player in her first two seasons.
Upper St. Clair had a season a year ago that most would have thought impossible.
After barely qualifying for the WPIAL Class AAAA tournament with a 5-7 section record, the Panthers went on a tear, defeating Section 2-AAAA champion Gateway, 55-53, in a WPIAL Class AAAA first-round game at Baldwin High. Next came a 44-42 victory over Section 1-AAAA runner-up Hempfield.
The Panthers' WPIAL journey came to an end with a 49-33 semifinal loss to Mt. Lebanon. But the Panthers bounced back with preliminary- and first-round victories over Obama Academy (54-26) and Erie McDowell (57-42) in the PIAA Class AAAA tournament before the season ended with a 67-30 second-round loss to Oakland Catholic.
Upper St. Clair lost just three players from last year's team. Their top returnee is Jordan Serio, a 5-5 senior guard.
Serio does a tremendous job slicing through defenses with plenty of speed and tremendous ballhandling skills.
Her younger sister Madison Serio, a 5-4 guard, is a sophomore.
Baldwin, Canon-McMillan and Peters Township will have their work cut out for them. The Highlanders, however, reached the semifinals of the WPIAL Class AAAA tournament. They were hit hard by graduation as was Peters Township. Canon-McMillan's top returning player is junior forward Olivia Lorusso, who averaged 12 points a game last season.
It's possible that the section which includes mostly schools from the South Hills and one Washington County school just got better.
After a couple of seasons competing in girls basketball's largest classification, Moon Area which won just four of 22 games last season, has joined Section 5-AAA, which features teams much closer in enrollment and in proximity to the Tigers' University Boulevard campus.
Taking Moon's place is Chartiers Valley, a bonafide WPIAL contender. As a Class AAA team a year ago, the Colts rolled to an overall record of 25-4 in Section 5-AAA and swept through the section with a 10-0 record.
Coach Spencer Stefko's team defeated several Class AAAA opponents, including new Section 4-AAAA foe Bethel Park (43-38) along with North Hills (53-28), Pine-Richland (42-38) and State College (59-32).
The Colts graduated five players from last year's team. But they return Mariah Wells, a 5-9 senior guard who averaged 11.7 points per game and Kassidy O'Keefe, a 5-7 junior guard, who averaged 9.5 points per game.
No one, though, is going to concede anything to the new team on the block.
Especially when it's Mt, Lebanon, which came through a 25-4 season with an overall section record of 12-0 and a WPIAL Class AAAA championship. The Blue Devils defeated Oakland Catholic, 58-49, on March 2 at the Palumbo Center. Exactly two weeks later, however, the Eagles gained a full measure of revenge with a 37-32 victory over the Blue Devils in the PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinals at Chartiers Valley High School.
The Blue Devils' top returnees include a pair of 6-1 forwards, senior Jordan Holmes and junior Christine Ehland.
Mt. Lebanon coach Dori Oldaker has two big holes to fill, though, as guards Emma Pellicano and Liz Tommasi both graduated.
The rest of the section figures to be competitive, particularly with Bethel Park and Upper St. Clair in the mix.
Megan Marecic, a 5-11 junior forward, is back for her junior season at Bethel Park. As a sophomore, she averaged 13.7 points per game and has been named an all-section player in her first two seasons.
Upper St. Clair had a season a year ago that most would have thought impossible.
After barely qualifying for the WPIAL Class AAAA tournament with a 5-7 section record, the Panthers went on a tear, defeating Section 2-AAAA champion Gateway, 55-53, in a WPIAL Class AAAA first-round game at Baldwin High. Next came a 44-42 victory over Section 1-AAAA runner-up Hempfield.
The Panthers' WPIAL journey came to an end with a 49-33 semifinal loss to Mt. Lebanon. But the Panthers bounced back with preliminary- and first-round victories over Obama Academy (54-26) and Erie McDowell (57-42) in the PIAA Class AAAA tournament before the season ended with a 67-30 second-round loss to Oakland Catholic.
Upper St. Clair lost just three players from last year's team. Their top returnee is Jordan Serio, a 5-5 senior guard.
Serio does a tremendous job slicing through defenses with plenty of speed and tremendous ballhandling skills.
Her younger sister Madison Serio, a 5-4 guard, is a sophomore.
Baldwin, Canon-McMillan and Peters Township will have their work cut out for them. The Highlanders, however, reached the semifinals of the WPIAL Class AAAA tournament. They were hit hard by graduation as was Peters Township. Canon-McMillan's top returning player is junior forward Olivia Lorusso, who averaged 12 points a game last season.
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