Dec 28, 2022 7 min read

It was another close and down-to-the-wire finish, which was become a trademark for Fort Cherry girls basketball games.

However, it was McGuffey that pulled out a 33-32 win over the Rangers on Wednesday night to win the Highlanders’ tournament.

Taylor Schumacher poured in a game-high 17 points to lead McGuffey (9-2), which has won four in a row. Schumacher and teammate Lexi Ewig were named to the all-tournament team.

Rainey Staub led Fort Cherry (5-4) in scoring with 12 points.

Waynesburg 64, Brentwood 34: Kaley Rohanna scored 27 points, leading Waynesburg to a 64-34 rout of Brentwood in the championship game of the Carmichaels Lions Club tournament.

Rohanna scored from everywhere as she made three baskets from three-point range and converted 10 of 12 free throws to helps the Raiders to their eighth win in nine games.

Josie Horne also finished in double figures as she tossed in 15 for Waynesburg, which led 15-10 after one quarter and 35-18 at halftime.

Paige Boehm had 11 points for Brentwood (3-6).

Burgettstown 48, Keystone Oaks 44: Kaitlyn Nease filled up the statistics sheet with game highs of 22 points and 17 rebounds, powering Burgettstown to a 48-44 victory over Keystone Oaks in the opening round of the Blue Devils’ tournament.

Burgettstown (5-3) will play Quaker Valley, a 38-21 winner over Chartiers-Houston, in the championship game Thursday at 6 p.m.

The loss ended a six-game winning streak for Keystone Oaks (6-3).

Burgettstown led 15-9 after one quarter but KO fought back and took a 25-24 lead into halftime. Burgettstown led 38-37 after three quarters and held the Golden Eagles to only seven points in the pivotal fourth quarter.

Jillian Frazier also scored in double digits for the Blue Devils with 13 points.

KO’s Eriona Neal scored a game-high 21 points.

St. Thomas Aquinas (N.J.) 50, South Fayette 49: St. Thomas Aquinas, ranked No. 15 in New Jersey, erased a seven-point halftime deficit and rallied to beat South Fayette 50-49 in the Viking Invitational in Wilmington, Del.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak by South Fayette (7-2). The Lions led 25-18 at halftime but STA dominated the third quarter, outscoring South Fayette 24-10 to grab a 42-35 lead.

Ava Leroux led South Fayette in scoring with 19 points and Maddie Webber had 17.

Canon-McMillan 50, Thomas Jefferson 48: Canon-McMillan entered the week with only one win on the season but the Big Macs picked up their second win in as many days the Cal U Hoopfest by defeating Thomas Jefferson, 50-48.

The Big Macs (3-6), who defeated Southmoreland on Tuesday, wasted no time taking control against TJ (6-3), jumping out to a 19-5 lead after one quarter. The Jaguars closed to within 28-18 at halftime and then used a big third quarter to take a 37-36 lead. Canon-McMillan held a 14-11 scoring margin in the final period.

Kalsey Wandera and Lauren Borella led a balanced scoring attack for C-M by tossing in 14 points apiece.

TJ’s Laekyn Flynn scored a game-high 27 points.

Charleroi 61, Preston County (W.Va.) 51: McKenna DeUnger scored 20 points and Charleroi moved above the .500 mark for the season with a 61-51 victory over Preston County (W.Va.) in the Christmas at the Corral event hosted by Laurel Highlands.

Charleroi (3-2) broke open a close game by outscoring Preston 17-7 in the third quarter to open a 45-30 lead.

Ella Sypolt and Camryn Musser chipped in with 13 points each for Charleroi.

Belle Vernon 54, Aquinas Academy 42: Jenna Dawson scored 19 points and Belle Vernon used a strong first half to defeat previously unbeaten Aquinas Academy 54-42 in the Cal U Hoopfest.

Belle Vernon (4-5) led 10-9 after one quarter, then pulled out to a 33-18 halftime lead. Aquinas Academy (8-1) had exactly half of its point production come in the third quarter when it outscored BVA 21-10 to close to within 43-39. The Leopards, however, held Aquinas to only three points in the fourth quarter.

Lilly Kerns supported Dawson’s big game by scoring 11 points for Belle Vernon. Tessa Rodriguez had six assists and a team-high eight rebounds.

Ellie Junker scored 13 points for Aquinas.

Hundred (W.Va.) 59, Mapletown 50: Roxie Huggins scored a game-high 26 points, Ashlyn Peters had 20 and Hundred (W.Va.) rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Mapletown 59-50 in the championship game of the Maples’ tournament.

Mapletown (3-6) led 30-26 at halftime and 44-39 entering the fourth quarter. Hundred outscored the Maples 20-6 in the fourth quarter.

“We fell behind by a point and then had to start fouling and (Hundred) didn’t miss from the free-throw line,” said Mapletown coach Kaitlyn Craig.

Isabella Garnek and Krista Wilson each had a double-double for Mapletown. Garnek had a team-high 15 points and 12 rebounds. Wilson had 12 points to go with 10 rebounds. Bailey Rafferty scored 10 points and had six assists.

Carmichaels 53, Jefferson-Morgan 16: Sophia Zalar and Megan Voithofer combined for 37 points as Carmichaels rolled to a 53-16 win over Jefferson-Morgan in the consolation game of the Carmichaels Lions Club tournament.

Zalar scored 24 points and Voithofer followed with 13 as Carmichaels improved its record to 3-8. The Mikes led 18-2 after one quarter and 33-8 at halftime.

Propel Montour 45, Bentworth 32: Janai Green scored a game-high 25 points as Propel Montour defeated Bentworth 45-32 in the consolation game of the Bearcats’ tournament.

Propel Montour (2-7), which snapped a seven-game losing streak, held Bentworth (3-7) to only nine first-half points while forging a nine-point halftime lead.

Grace Skerbetz led Bentworth in scoring with 11 points.

Quaker Valley 38, Chartiers-Houston 21: Oumou Thiero scored 15 points and Quaker Valley’s defense held Chartiers-Houston to 11 points after the first period on the way to a 38-21 victory in the Burgettstown tournament.

Maria Helkowski chipped in with 12 points for QV (5-4), which led 14-10 at halftime.

Ella Richey and Ava Capazzoli both scored four points for the Bucs (6-3).

West Allegheny 63, Avella 33: Three players scored in double figures to lead West Allegheny to a 63-33 victory over Avella in the McGuffey tournament.

Alaina Holtz scored 16 points, Olivia Ginocchi tossed in 14 and Ella Smith contributed 12 for West Allegheny (3-5).

Katie Dryer scored 14 points and Hanna Brownlee tossed in 12 for Avella (5-4).

Quaker Valley 38, Chartiers-Houston 21: Oumou Thiero scored 15 points and Quaker Valley’s defense held Chartiers-Houston to 11 points after the first period on the way to a 38-21 victory in the Burgettstown tournament.

Maria Helkowski chipped in with 12 points for QV (5-4), which led 14-10 at halftime.

Ella Richey and Ava Capazzoli both scored four points for the Bucs (6-3).

West Allegheny 63, Avella 33: Three players scored in double figures to lead West Allegheny to a 63-33 victory over Avella in the McGuffey tournament.

Alaina Holtz scored 16 points, Olivia Ginocchi tossed in 14 and Ella Smith contributed 12 for West Allegheny (3-5).

Katie Dryer scored 14 points and Hanna Brownlee tossed in 12 for Avella (5-4).

In other games: Peters Township ran its winning streak to seven games with a 71-44 victory over McLean, Va., in the Latrobe tournament. Laurel Highlands defeated Beth-Center 59-17 in the Fillies’ tournament. Ringgold won the Bentworth tournament championship by edging Geibel Catholic, 35-34. No game details were reported.