Jan 30, 2024 7 min read

Jack Dunbar scored a game-high 19 points, including his 1,000th career point, and Peters Township rolled to a 79-23 road win over Connellsville in a Class 5A Section 1 boys basketball game Tuesday night.

Dunbar, last year’s Observer-Reporter Boys Basketball Player of the Year, entered the game 19 points shy of 1,000 and hit the needed total on the nose. The Indians (5-2, 13-5) had no trouble scoring in the first half, rolling to a 55-16 halftime lead.

Mickey Vaccarello followed Dunbar in the scoring column with 16 points and Dylan Donovan tossed in 15.

Connellsville is 1-6 in section and 2-16 overall.

Yough 43, Washington 35

Terek Crosby, the leading scorer in the WPIAL, pumped in 11 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to help Yough defeat visiting Washington 43-35 and move into a tie for first place with the Prexies in Class 3A Section 4.

Yough (8-1, 15-4) shut down Washington in the first half and led 25-12 at intermission. The Prexies (8-1, 11-7) got back into the game in the third quarter when De’Ondre Daugherty tossed in 11 of his team-high 14 points and Wash High sent the game into the final period tied at 30-30.

Crosby, who had only four points in the first three quarters, then sparked the Cougars’ final surge over the pivotal final eight minutes. He scored 11 of Yough’s 13 points in the period.

Zander Aird was the only other Yough player in double figures with 11 points.

Zxavian Willis had 10 points for Wash High.

Burgettstown 65, Beth-Center 32

Playoff-bound Burgettstown, behind a 26-point performance by Zack Schrockman, cruised to a 65-32 victory at Beth-Center in Class 2A Section 4.

The win keeps the Blue Devils’ section title hopes alive. They are 7-2 in section and 14-5 overall.

Burgettstown led 13-12 after one quarter and then took charge by outscoring Beth-Center 40-15 over the next two quarters.

James Leuice contributed 17 points for Burgettstown and Carson Tkalcevic had 10.

Brody Tharp and Jonah Susson each scored nine points for the Bulldogs (3-6, 5-13).

West Greene 70, Geibel Catholic 53

The Pioneers trailed by two points after the first quarter, but took control in the second and cruised to a 70-53 victory over the Gators in Class A Section 2 play at Geibel.

West Greene (6-1, 11-5) will play a non-section game at Waynesburg tonight before hosting Monessen (6-1, 14-3) on Friday in a game that could decide the section championship. The Pioneers beat the Greyhounds, 46-43, on Jan. 24.

West Greene outscored Geibel, 25-14, in the second quarter for a 33-24 halftime lead. The Pioneers had a 19-12 advantage in the third period and an 18-17 edge in the fourth.

Lane Allison scored 25 points for West Greene. Teammate Parker Burns put in 22.

Gary Tarbuk led the Gators in scoring with 19 and Evan Jellots added 14.

Rochester 61, Avella 54

The Eagles had a 10-point advantage in the fourth quarter but fell behind too far early in a 61-54 setback in Class A Section 1 play at Avella.

The Eagles (4-3, 9-10) were led in scoring by Bryce Wright’s 22 points. Westley Burchianti scored 17.

Rochester’s Xavier Rigby scored a game-high 24 points. Teammate Brady Gorman added 17.

Belle Vernon 69, Uniontown 65

The Leopards handed the Red Raiders their first Class 4A Section 3 loss in a 69-65 victory at Belle Vernon.

Belle Vernon took the lead in the third quarter with a 15-14 advantage for a 50-49 lead heading into the fourth. The Leopards (5-2, 10-5) outscored Uniontown, 19-16, in the final period.

The Leopards’ Zion Moore scored a game-high 25 points. Trevor Kovatch put in 19 and Tommy Davis added 11.

Uniontown (6-1, 15-3) was led in scoring by Jeremiah Hager’s 21 points. Jamire Braxton dropped 17 and Notorious Grooms 12.

Baldwin 67, Canon-McMillan 57

The Highlanders took control in the second quarter and hung on for a 67-57 win over the Big Macs in Class 6A Section 2 play at Canon-McMillan.

Baldwin’s Nate Wesling scored a game-high 18 points. Matt Schenk had 15 and Nathan Richards 14.

Canon-McMillan’s Roman Koenemund and Evan Morris scored 15 points apiece.

Bethel Park 70, Trinity 63

The Hillers outscored the Black Hawks by nine in the second half, but Bethel Park had built up too big of a lead and earned a 70-63 victory in Class 5A Section 1 play.

Trinity (3-4, 8-10) was led in scoring by Jacob Dunkle’s 22 points. The Hillers’ Jonah Williamson added 14 and Dante DeRubbo put in 12.

Shawn Davis led the Black Hawks (5-2, 10-8) and the game in scoring with 24 points. Mike Mathias added 13 and Tanner Pfeuffer 12.

Thomas Jefferson 95, Ringgold 69

Evan Berger led five players in double figures for Thomas Jefferson and the Class 5A Section1-leading Jaguars pulled away in the second half for a 95-69 win over visiting Ringgold.

TJ (7-0, 15-3) led by only 46-32 at halftime but then exploded for 34 points in the third quarter to open an 80-47 advantage.

TJ’s Noah Prosser scored 18 points, Brody Evans had 13 and Joe Mendyk and Nick Trklja added 10 each.

Darryl Tolliver paced Ringgold (0-7, 3-15) with 19 points. Szyair Dungee had 16 and Demetri Lowe scored 12.

Monessen 58, Jefferson-Morgan 55

Lorenzo Gardner poured in a game-high 32 points and Monessen held off Jefferson-Morgan 58-55 in a Class A Section 2 game played on the Rockets’ home court.

The win keeps Monessen (6-1, 14-3) tied for first place in the section with West Greene and sets up a showdown Friday night with the Pioneers in Rogersville.

The game against J-M (4-3, 12-7) was close throughout. Monessen led 28-27 at halftime and pulled out to a 48-42 edge at the end of the third quarter.

Jase Bedillion led four Rockets in double figures, scoring 15 points. Deyton Marion added 12, Houston Guesman had 11 and John Woodward tallied 10.

McGuffey 53, Charleroi 41

McGuffey got defensive, holding Charleroi to two points in the first quarter and 11 in the first half, en route to a 53-41 road win in a Class 3A Section 4 contest.

McGuffey (3-5, 12-6) currently holds the final playoff position out of the section.

Chris Ealy led the Highlanders with 15 points and Ryan Keith checked in with 10. McGuffey led 16-11 at halftime and 29-24 after three quarters. The Highlanders outscored Charleroi 24-17 in the fourth quarter.

Bryce Large scored 14 points and Jackson Keranko 13 for Charleroi.

California 77, Mapletown 66

Vinny Manzella scored 21 of his game-high 31 points in the second quarter, sparking California to a 77-66 home-court victory over Mapletown in Class A Section 2.

After Manzella’s big quarter, Noah Neil tallied 16 of his 20 points in the third quarter, helping California (4-3, 5-13) clinched a playoff berth.

Jacob Ziolecki added 11 points to the Trojans’ cause.

Braden McIntire led Mapletown (1-5, 2-13) in scoring with 21 points, including five three-point field goals. Roger Gradek followed with 20 points.

Carmichaels 47, Bentworth 37

Dom Colarusso scored 17 points and Carmichaels pulled away in the second half for a 47-37 road win over Bentworth in Class 2A Section 4.

The Mikes led 19-17 at halftime and used a 15-6 scoring edge in the third quarter to take control.

Ben Hays led Bentworth with a game-high 19 points.

Girls results

Bethel Park 57, Canon-McMillan 47

The Black Hawks used a strong first quarter to take control and held on for a 57-47 victory in Class 6A Section 2 play.

Bethel Park (3-7, 6-12) had a 16-7 lead after the first and increased its advantage at halftime to 30-18 after outscoring the Big Macs, 14-11.

After a 16-16 third quarter, Canon-McMillan (3-6, 10-8) had a 13-11 edge in the fourth period.

The Big Macs’ Nadia Davis scored a game-high 23 points. Teammates Madison Clair and Samantha Miller added 11

Carmichaels 40, Bentworth 36

Megan Voithofer scored 13 points and Carmichaels overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat host Bentworth 40-36 in a Class 2A Section 4 game Monday.

Carmichaels trailed 23-16 at halftime but moved in front 30-29 after three quarters and held a 10-7 scoring edge in the pivotal final period.

Aubrie Logan and Amber Salle combined for 31 of Bentworth’s 31 points and seven three-point field goals. Logan led with 16 points and four three-pointers. Sallee had 15 points.