West Greene falls short in WPIAL championship, again
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
West Greene’s Jersey Wise and Elizabeth Brudnock carry the WPIAL runner-up trophy back to their teammates after the Class A girls basketball championship game Friday against Rochester.
Observer-Reporter
West Greene head coach Jordan Watson talks with his team last season. The Pioneers promising season was put on hold for three weeks yesterday by Gov. Wolf.
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
West Greene’s Brooke Barner battles Rochester’s Jasmine Mack for a rebound in last year’s WPIAL Class A championship game. Teh teams play in the finals again this evening at Peters Township High School’s new gymnasium.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Tears flow on the West Greene bench from the game starters with seconds left in the game.
Holly Tonini/For the O-R
West Greene’s Jersey Wise makes a pass against Rochester last Friday.
West Greene’s Anna Durban takes a shot around Rochester’s Jasmine Mack
West Greene's Kaytlynn Walls finds herself surrounded by Rochester's Alexis Robison (3), Jasmine Mack (13) and Makenzie Robison
PITTSBURGH – Giving the obligatory clap to the champions and posing for the run-of-the-mill photo with the runner-up trophy, the West Greene girls basketball team has gotten accustomed to the heartbreaking feeling of finishing in second place.
That is followed by the mum, dejected press conference and the same message of “maybe next year” from Pioneers head coach Jordan Watson.
It’s become a routine West Greene has tried desperately to break.
Not even a fast start and outrebounding a much bigger opponent could break the cycle of silver medals Friday afternoon.
After a hot-shooting first quarter, second-seeded West Greene went ice cold the rest of the way in a 59-43 loss to top-seeded Rochester in the WPIAL Class A championship at the Petersen Events Center.
It was the third consecutive year – and loss – for West Greene (24-1) in the title game, and the second straight setback against Rochester.
“They are all hard,” Watson said of the losses. “We just absolutely detest losing. We hate it. We can’t stand it.”
The only comfort Watson could fall back on was the entire Pioneers team is returning next year. Still, a loss is a hard pill to swallow after scoring 18 points in the opening eight minutes and then just 25 over the final three quarters. Rochester (24-1) limited West Greene to just 15 points in the second half.
It was a scoring struggle the players noticed.
“We went dry,” Brooke Barner mumbled to Anna Durbin.
Durbin’s response was also monotone.
“Yeah, very dry,” Durbin said.
West Greene jumped all over Rochester in the opening 3 1/2 minutes. The Pioneers went on an eight-point run, including a three-pointer by Elizabeth Brudnock, to put them ahead 8-2.
Other three-pointers by Katie Lampe and Jersey Wise extended West Greene’s lead all the way to seven points, but it was cut to 18-15 when Rochester’s Corynne Hauser drained a three at the first-quarter buzzer.
The Pioneers then failed, despite countless attempts, to make a shot from behind the arc for the remainder of the game.
“We just went cold cold,” Watson said. “And I mean cold cold. Our outside shooting was about as bad as it has been in a long time. I think some of it has to do with a different environment. You are used to a hoop and then a wall. Here, you have a hoop and a big area behind it.”
The hoop on the other end caused no problems for Rochester in the second quarter. Trailing 26-21, the Rams went on a 13-2 run to end the half behind Alexis Robison. Robison scored six points in the final 3:45 as Rochester took a 34-26 lead into halftime.
“We wanted to close the gap to one possession by halftime, almost déjà vu from last year,” Rochester coach CJ Iannini said. “(Going on the 13-2 run) was huge for us to have mental confidence and something positive to talk about at halftime.”
Robison, who scored 10 points, was one of four players in double figures for Rochester. Hauser scored a game-high 17 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had four assists. Jasmine Mack finished with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. Makenzie Robison added 11 points.
Thirteen of Hauser’s 17 points came in the first half, including seven in the first quarter to keep Rochester’s deficit minimal.
“She dictates everything,” Watson said. “It’s hard to press her. She’s so good. I think when Rochester can play with a lead and can spread you out it becomes pick your poison.”
Despite failing to make many shots, West Greene remained down by just six points, 42-36, entering the fourth quarter. That’s when it went completely south for the Pioneers, who turned the ball over seven times in the opening four minutes of the fourth quarter, including two travels, a pair of charges, dribbling out of bounds and stepping out of bounds while driving the baseline. West Greene made just two baskets in the fourth.
“One thing we wanted to do defensively was take away the shooters and stop the outside shots,” Iannini said of the second-half adjustments. “We tightened things up and executed. I think it was a matter of settling in a bit and getting into a rhythm.”
Wise led West Greene with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals. Barner had a second straight game with a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
The Pioneers will play the District 10 champion, either Kennedy Catholic or Farrell, in the opening round of the state tournament next Saturday.
“Hopefully, next year we make it back,” Watson said of possibly a fourth straight finals appearance. “Overall, I think we just have to keep banging at it. We have no seniors. Everybody is coming back.”