McGuffey shoots past SF to secure state playoff win
McGuffey’s Sammie Weiss (22) pulls up to shoot a third-quarter jumper over South Fayette’s Jordan Cauto (22) Saturday.
Jim McNutt/Observer-Reporter McGuffey’s Rachel Czulewicz (12) drives through South Fayette’s Lauren Crites (21) for a basket in the 1st quarter. McGuffey High School girls basketball team advances to the 2nd round of the WPIAL playoffs after defeating South Fayette Saturday afternoon at Chartiers Valley High School.
Jim McNutt/Observer-Reporter South Fayette’s Sam Kosmacki (23) unsucessfully tries to block McGuffey’s Datei Demi (23) in the 2nd period. McGuffey High School girls basketball team advances to the 2nd round of the WPIAL playoffs after defeating South Fayette Saturday afternoon at Chartiers Valley High School.
McGuffey’s Sammie Weiss (22) drives through the defense of South Fayette’s Lauren Crites (21), Carlee Kilgus (2) and Mikayla Fetchet (1) in the third quarter Saturday.
BRIDGEVILLE – Routine is critical in basketball. Being able to practice the fundamentals or the simple motion of a jump shot can prepare a player for any situation during a game.
The spring sports season and a winter storm that cancelled class Thursday upset McGuffey’s routine drastically. Instead of five practices, the Highlanders had three, plus impromptu workouts in the hallways of the high school because of a scheduling confilict with spring sports.
For a team that relies on its ability to make free throws at critical times, a change in routine can mean the difference between winning and losing. It nearly led to a season-ending defeat in the PIAA Class AAA playoffs Saturday.
Instead, McGuffey fought through an early shooting slump with strong defense. Having seniors Sammie Weiss and Rachel Czulewicz, who have combined for more than 3,000 career points, also helps.
Weiss and Czulewicz combined for 46 points to help McGuffey complete a come-from-behind, 59-46, win over South Fayette in the first round of the PIAA playoffs at Chartiers Valley High School.
After losing in the first round of the Class AA playoffs the previous two seasons, the Highlanders (20-8) finally achieved a long-awaited state playoff win and advanced to the second round where they will face West Perry (24-3), the fourth-place team from District 3, Wednesday at a site and time to be determined.
Weiss scored a game-high 26 points and Czulewicz chipped in 20, including four three-pointers, to help McGuffey erase an 11-point second quarter deficit. Weiss also had 13 rebounds and four steals to lead a McGuffey defense that forced 18 turnovers.
The Highlanders, who shot 41 percent from the field, made just one of 14 shots in the first quarter as the Lions (19-8) jumped out to a 14-3 lead. McGuffey also missed an uncharacteristic nine attempts from the free throw line.
It did not stop the Highlanders from defeating their Section 5-AAA rival for the second time this season.
“We didn’t get to shoot much this week. We were in and out of the gym, but we didn’t want to lose. I didn’t want to lose to South Fayette,” Weiss said. “No one did. We just snapped out of it and we didn’t stop. We didn’t give up.”
Despite missing junior center Emily Anderson, who announced following South Fayette’s WPIAL title game loss that she would sit out the state playoffs with a knee injury, the Lions did not back away from their aggressive style on offense.
Freshman Sam Kosmacki scored eight points as South Fayette grabbed the 14-3 lead. The Highlanders responded by stopping South Fayette’s drives to the basket and forcing them to shoot from the outside, but Lions junior guard Autumn Mozick, who scored a team-high 17 points, made three three-pointers in the second quarter.
Her basket with 4:30 remaining until halftime gave South Fayette a seven-point lead, but McGuffey responded with a 13-0 run to end the half and took a 29-23 lead into the break.
The Lions made just 4 of 27 three-pointers and could not create second chances as they were outrebounded, 37-26.
“We switched our defense a little bit. We packed it inside since they were driving and we got into foul trouble early,” McGuffey head coach Amanda Burchett said. “We forced them to shoot outside, which creates rebounds for us and allowed us to get the ball out in transition.”
McGuffey increased its lead to 13 points on a three-pointer by Czulewicz with 4:21 remaining in the third quarter. But South Fayette went into a full-court trap on defense, which sparked a 10-0 run to pull the Lions to within five points.
Despite the momentum shift, a simple mistake cost the Lions dearly. After sophomore Carlee Kilgus, who had 13 points, cut McGuffey’s lead to five points with 2:04 left in the third quarter, Czulewicz was left open for a three-pointer on the left wing and sank the shot to send the Highlanders’ fans to their feet.
On the next possession, she hit another three-pointer in transition.
“We blew an assignment on a baseline out. It was just a simple screen,” South Fayette head coach Matt Bacco said. “We didn’t communicate and Czulewicz got a wide open look. That 6-0 run will counter your run pretty quickly. I felt we had something going there. I think that’s where you felt the game turn.”
The trap allowed South Fayette to grab the first seven points of the fourth quarter to narrow the deficit to six, but Weiss scored eight points in the final five minutes to help secure the win.
The PIAA playoff victory is believed to be the first in program history for McGuffey.
“When we play the way we are able to, our team feels like it can take on anybody,” Burchett said. “Whoever comes up next, we’ll just play our game, and that’s what we do really well.”