Different approach gives PT win over Canon-McMillan
Peters Township’s Madison Kerr battles through Canon-McMillan defenders Taylor Waller, left, Tamara Mathis, right, and Kierra King Saturday. Kerr scored 16 points to help the Indians to victory over the Big Macs.
Canon-McMillan’s Kierra King attempts to drive through the defense of Peters Township’s Makenna Marisa, left, and Ally Zuccarini Saturday.
Canon-McMillan’s Cheyenne Trest battles for possession with Peters Township’s Isabella Mills Saturday.
Peters Township’s Lillian Young is defended Saturday by Canon-McMillan’s Rebecca Turney.
Peters Township’s Lauren Stahl fights through the defense Saturday of Canon-McMillan’s Tamara Mathis (1) and Rebecca Turney.
McMURRAY – Canon-McMillan’s girls basketball team might have a deep and talented roster, but it’s no secret the Big Macs’ offense runs through junior guard Cheyenne Trest and senior center Becca Turney.
Peters Township discovered that earlier this month, when the pair combined for 42 points to beat the Indians. So with first place in Section 4-AAAA on the line Saturday afternoon, the Indians devised a new game plan to stop the duo.
It worked brilliantly.
The two were held to a combined 10 points, and no field goals, and Peters Township used a 42-point second half to defeat Canon-McMillan, 70-43, forcing a first-place tie with only one section game to play.
The Indians (10-3, 17-3) can clinch at least a share of their first section title since 2000 with a win Monday night at Upper St. Clair, and the Big Macs (10-3, 13-6) need a victory at home over Bethel Park Tuesday.
“We learned a lesson from the last time we played them, in terms of how we wanted to guard them,” Peters Township head coach Bert Kendall said. “They have two very good players in Trest and Turney. We worked hard on trying to cover those two up and it seemed to work today.”
Peters Township has primarily used a variety of full-court press defenses throughout the season. But Kendall chose to change the approach to account for Canon-McMillan’s veteran guards, forcing the Big Macs into half-court sets.
The Indians used a box-and-one with freshman Makenna Marisa guarding Trest and simple double teams on Turney. Trest was held to nine points with no field goals and Turney had just one free throw before leaving with an injury in the third quarter.
Peters Township’s defense forced 19 turnovers, including 12 in the first half, but Canon-McMillan trailed by just 11 points at the break. Izzy Allen began the third quarter with an easy layup and Trest’s free throw less than a minute later cut the deficit to eight points, but the Indians’ offense thrived against the zone defense.
They made three consecutive three-pointers and never looked back. Junior guard Alyssa Konopka, who scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half, set up the third three by driving down the left side of the baseline and bouncing a pass to a wide open Ally Zuccarini on the right wing. Zuccarini drained the shot and the Indians forced six turnovers in a 19-point third quarter.
Senior guard Madison Kerr, an IUP recruit, had eight of her game-high 16 points in the fourth quarter and was a key to the offense’s success driving against the zone defense. Marisa chipped in with 14 points.
“We have three different guards who can penetrate and dribble penetration against the zone is what you want,” Kendall said. “They were playing some zone and if you are patient and move the ball, you’ll get an open shot. It doesn’t matter who is going to take it.”
Deciding who took open shots was a bit more difficult for Canon-McMillan, which did not have a field goal in the first quarter and was just 3 of 17 from the field in the first half.
The Big Macs trailed by 13 points at the end of the first quarter after Emily Konwick’s put-back started a 12-0 run for Peters Township. When they tried to pass the ball down low to Turney, an Eastern Michigan recruit, the Indians collapsed to force turnovers.
It continued for four quarters and the loss snapped Canon-McMillan’s six-game winning streak that put it in first place.
“For whatever reason, we just weren’t in synch. I told the girls in there that as a team, coaches, everyone, we just didn’t do what we’ve been practicing and what we’ve been working on,” C-M head coach Lou Waller said. “I didn’t coach well enough, we didn’t play well enough and we lost to a better team today.”
With the Big Macs in foul trouble during the fourth quarter, Peters Township made 13 of 14 free throws in the final eight minutes and scored 23 points.
A meaningful game in late January has been rare for the program, which won just two section games two seasons ago, and the Indians are enjoying every moment with one game separating them from the program’s seventh section title.
“It’s been a complete turnaround,” Kerr said. “A couple years ago, we were 3-19 or something like that and now we’re 17-3. It’s been great. Everyone is really flowing and it’s fun.