Mar 20, 2017 4 min read

The playoff situation is improving for Trinity High School’s girls basketball team.

Unlike the last round – a 44-39 victory over Archbishop Carroll in the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals – the Hillers don’t need to make a six-hour round trip to Chambersburg or work the cell phone to get information on their opponent.

This time, the opponent is a familiar one – South Fayette – and the trip won’t be long – 15 minutes one way to Peters Township High School for today’s 7 p.m. tipoff. The stakes are high, a trip to the Giant Center in Hershey to play in the PIAA 5A championship game.

The Lions, meawnhile, haven’t left the Pittsburgh area in the postseason. This will be their second game at Peters Township. They’ve also played at Canon-McMillan, Allderdice, Ambridge and North Allegheny.

“Isn’t it the dream of everyone to win a state title?” said Bob Miles, Trinity’s head coach.

It’s difficult to figure this encounter out.

Does Trinity (22-3) have an emotional advantage from a 50-43 victory over the Lions in a non-section, regular-season game Feb. 11? Or do the Lions have the advantage from winning six of the last eight games from these former section rivals?

“I think it (the previous games) doesn’t matter,” said Miles. “We’re just going to go out and play. There is a mutual respect between the teams. We know their players and they know ours. … I think this is going to be an exciting game.”

In the last meeting, Trinity saw a 10-point lead dissolve but won the game with a 7-0 run before the final buzzer. Trinity’s game-winning run was made up of a three-point field goal and two free throws by Sierra Kotchman and two free throws by Alayna Cappelli.

“I don’t know if that game means more than the previous meetings,” said South Fayette head coach Matt Bacco. “That was a good test for us on the road. At the time, we were learning how to play without one of our starters. It gave us some valuable information about ourselves.”

Maura Castelluci, a 5-7 sophomore, missed the game for the Lions while recovering from a hairline fracture of her leg suffered in a midseason game against Moon. She is now back, giving South Fayette a lift.

“At the end of the day, you’re going to be talking about the Xs and Os and how it affected the game,” Bacco said. “But in the end, it going to be about the kids making plays, winning one-on-one battles and making shots that win this game.”

Castelluci scored 10 points and ran the floor well in a 68-65 win over Hampton in the quarterfinals.

“She was playing well at the beginning of the season,” Miles said. “Now, they have her back.”

Castelluci brings a gritty attitude to the Lions offense, which runs the court well and utilizes a front line of Jordyn Caputo, a 5-10 junior forward; and Samantha Kosmacki, a 5-11, junior post player. They have helped make up for the loss to graduation last year of 6-4 center Emily Anderson.

Trinity, meanwhile, relies on the explosive scoring of Kotchman, a 5-7 senior guard who broke the school’s all-time scoring record, and now has 1,669 for her career. She averages 19 points per game. Rachel Lemons, a 5-9 senior forward, has played well, scoring 13 points in a win over Chartiers Valley in the second round. Senior point guard Alayna Cappelli is coming off a 14-point game against Archbishop Carroll and freshman Riley DeRubbo has brought a defensive presence to each game.

This is unchartered territory for both teams. Only one will have the opportunity to play for a state title.

“Winning a state championship would be huge for the school and the kids,” said Miles. “It would be a big momentum-builder for the program. It would bring in more girls and that’s important.”