High school basketball: Portage’s fast start stops Fort Cherry
The most successful boys basketball season at Fort Cherry in six decades came to an end Saturday afternoon at Norwin High School.
The Rangers fell victim to a hot start by District 6 champion Portage, and their own cold shooting during the first half, and suffered a 67-52 loss in the second round of the PIAA Class 2A playoffs.
Portage (28-1) advances to the quarterfinals. Fort Cherry ends the season with a 24-4 record. The 24 wins is the school single-season record.
Portage started hot, forging a 24-10 lead in the first quarter and stretched the gap to 40-16 at halftime.
The Mutangs were led in scoring by Kaden Claar’s 24 points. Andrew Miko had 16 and Jade Irvin scored 14.
“How many times does a team make eight out of nine three-pointers, which they did?” FC coach Eugene Briggs said. “I admire our guys because we played man-to-man in the second half, which we never play, and shut a good team down. They took it as a challenge.”
Fort Cherry outscored Portage in both the third and fourth quarters.
Dylan Rogers tossed in a team-high 20 points. Owen Norman had 13, all coming in the second half. Maddox Truschel finished with 10.
“I told our guys that they beat every team they were supposed to beat, which doesn’t always happen. Usually, you stumble,” Briggs said. “We were undefeated at home and the four teams we lost to, all are playoff teams that played beyond the first round.”
Girls result
Moon 46, South Fayette 45: Reilly Sunday scored nine of her 20 points in the fourth quarter and Moon knocked off WPIAL champion South Fayette 46-45 in a PIAA Class 5A second-round game at Peters Township.
South Fayette’s season ends with a 23-5 record.
The Lions led 13-6 after one quarter but made only two of 13 shots in the second quarter as Moon closed to within 20-17. The Tigers (21-5) took a 33-32 lead into the fourth quarter.
Moon’s Brianna Toal made a three-pointer that put the Tigers ahead 33-30 with 1:24 remaining in the third quarter. Moon did not trail again. The Tigers made five of nine free throws in the fourth quarter.
Mia Webber led South Fayette with 13 points and Erica Hall had 10.