High school basketball: Burgettstown outlasts United, wins in OT
Kaitly Nease scored 18 points, Eden Rush triggered a fourth-quarter surge with some long-range shooting and Burgettstown battled back from an early double-digit deficit to beat United 57-52 in overtime in a PIAA Class 2A girls basketball first-round playoff game Friday night at Central Cambia High School.
It is believed to be Burgettstown’s first win in PIAA tournament play in school history.
Burgettstown (21-6) advances to the second round Tuesday night against District 10 champion Kennedy Catholic, which routed Brentwood, 77-20.
The Blue Devils advanced in dramtic fashion. A hot-shooting start by Lauren Donelson, making four early three-pointers, staked United (17-9), the District 6 runner-up, to a an quick 14-2 lead. Donelson scored a game-high 24 points.
“We typically play a zone defense but we practiced our man-to-man all week, expecting that at some point we might have to get out of the zone because they have some good outside shooters,” Burgettstown coach Megan Zitner explained. “Wouldn’t you know it, (Donelson) makes four threes in the first quarter and we had to get out of the zone.”
The change in defenses helped change the game. Burgettstown regrouped and closed to within 16-9 after the opening quarter. A 9-2 spurt by the Blue Devils tied the score at 18-18 before United took a 29-26 lead at halftime.
The third quarter ended tied 35-35 and Burgettstown surged ahead for the first time at 37-36 on a basket by Nease.
After a Donelson field goal gave United a one-point lead, Burgettstown made three consecutive three-pointers to jump out to a 46-38 lead with 4:15 left in regulation. Rush, who finished with 15 points, made the first two three-pointers and Jillian Frazier tossed in the third.
“Eden can shoot the three but she usually isn’t brave enough to shoot two in a row like that,” Zitner said. “She must have been feeling it tonight to shoot two in a row.”
United battled back and closed to within 49-46. A Burgettstown turnover with 41 seconds remaining in regulation set up Donelson’s fifth three-pointer of the game, tying the score at 49-49. The Blue Devils missed a shot in the closing seconds.
Nease gave Burgettstown the lead for good at 54-52 with a spin move and basket. One free throw by Addie Cairns and two by Frazier, who scored 11 points, closed the scoring. The Blue Devils outscored United 8-3 in the overtime.
Delaney Perrone scored 12 points for United.
Mercyhurst Prep 73, Waynesburg 35: District 10 champion Mercyhurst Prep used its long-range shooting to defeat Waynesburg 73-35 in a Class 3A girls first-roundf at the Hagerty Family Events Center in Erie.
Mercyhurst Prep (20-5) made 14 three-point field goals. The Lakers took control of the game in the first half as they forged leads of 21-10 after one quarter and 30-13 at halftime.
Josie Horne and Kaley Rohanna each scored 10 points for Waynesburg.
The Raiders, who do not have a senior in their starting lineup, finish the season with a 21-6 record and a section championship.
Homer Center 43, Chartiers-Houston 20: Molly Kosmek scored a game-high 15 points, Ashlyn Kerr added 10 and District 6 champion Homer Center, playing on its home court, defeated Chartiers-Houston 43-20 in a PIAA Class 2A girls playoff game.
Chartiers-Houston (16-11) played well in the first half and trailed by only 17-11 at halftime despite missing some makeable shots. The Bucs, however, got into foul trouble in the third quarter and the result was Homer Center (21-7) outscoring C-H 9-0 in the quarter to open a 26-11 lead.
Kaydan Buckingham and Ava Capazzoli each scored six points for the Bucs.