Lady Trojans upend fifth-seeded GCC, 36-35
Darnell Graham
California鈥檚 Sydney Smichnick (11) dribbles around Greensburg Central Catholic鈥檚 Sam Nemeth (33) during Tuesday night鈥檚 WPIAL Class 1A first-round playoff game at Peters Township High School.
Darnell Graham
California鈥檚 Makayla Boda (3) scores two of her team-high 12 points during Tuesday night鈥檚 WPIAL Class 1A first-round playoff game at Peters Township High School.
Darnell Graham
California鈥檚 Charlee Petrucci (24) secures a rebound despite being surrounded by Greensburg Central Catholic鈥檚 Goa Scala (30), Sam Nemeth (33) and Laura Kondas (52) during Tuesday night鈥檚 WPIAL Class 1A first-round playoff game at Peters Township High School.
McMURRAY 鈥� The two things you have to like about California鈥檚 Jordyn Cruse is her sense of timing and ability to adjust on the fly.
Cruse gave California the lead with a layup 鈥� her only basket of the game 鈥� with 14 seconds remaining and clinched the Lady Trojans鈥� 36-35 win over fifth-seeded Greensburg Central Catholic by making a steal with 2.8 seconds left in a WPIAL Class 1A girls basketball first-round playoff game at Peters Township High School.
California (13-10) will play Clairton (19-3) in the quarterfinals 6:30 p.m. Friday at Charleroi High School.
The 12th-seeded Lady Trojans overcame a 20-15 halftime deficit by scoring the first 11 points of the second half.
GCC (14-8) regrouped and closed to within 28-25 after three quarters. The Lady Centurions forged a 35-32 advantage when California made its final move in the last 90 seconds. Charlee Petrucci worked inside for a basket, her third of the second half, that cut GCC鈥檚 lead to 35-34.
The Lady Centurions then held the ball before Natalie Ward was fouled, but she missed the front end of a one-and-one with 36 seconds remaining. GCC went 1-for-8 at the free-throw line in the second half.
California then called a timeout with 21 seconds left but the Lady Trojans didn鈥檛 exactly run what coach Chris Niemiec drew up as the final play. And nobody was complaining about the result.
California inbounded the ball against GCC鈥檚 2-3 zone to Ca鈥橫ari Walden at the side of the lane. With a defender behind her, Walden turned and saw Cruse cutting unguarded down the middle of the lane. Her pass led Cruse for an easy layup that gave the Lady Trojans the lead.
鈥淚 was supposed to go to the corner,鈥� Cruse explained. 鈥淐oach always says to read the court. If the defense is pushing to the corner, then cut to the basket. 鈥� We鈥檝e run that play before but I鈥檝e never cut to the basket. The person who was supposed to guard me either went to the low block or the corner.鈥�
Niemec said California got the ball inbounds to the right person in Walden.
鈥淪he鈥檚 one of the best passers in the high post I鈥檝e seen,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am just so proud of this team that I just don鈥檛 know what to say. They really battled.
鈥淲e were down five at halftime and weren鈥檛 making shots. We came out in the second half and made some shots and that got us into a rhythm.鈥�
Makayla Boda was the only California player to score in double figures. She had 12 points. Sydney Smichnick scored six of her eight points in the pivotal third quarter, when the Lady Trojans outscored GCC 13-5.
GCC鈥檚 Gia Scala had a game-high 14 points.