Lady Scotties dominate Huntingdon, advance in PIAA playoffs
Jim Downey | Ăĺ±±˝űµŘ
Southmoreland’s Charity Henderson (5) dribbles around Huntingdon Area’s Kynnedy Miller during the first quarter of Saturday’s PIAA Class AAAA first-round playoff game at Greensburg Salem High School.
Jim Downey | Ăĺ±±˝űµŘ
Southmoreland’s Olivia Cernuto (10) dribbles around Huntingdon Area’s Corinne Reamer in the first quarter of Saturday’s PIAA Class AAAA first-round playoff game at Greensburg Salem High School.
Jim Downey | Ăĺ±±˝űµŘ
Southmoreland’s Grace Spadaro (15) pressures Huntingdon Area’s Allie Troup in the first quarter of Saturday’s PIAA Class AAAA first-round playoff game at Greensburg Salem High School.
Jim Downey | Ăĺ±±˝űµŘ
Huntingdon Area’s Allie Troup fouls Southmoreland’s Maggie Moore (23) as she shoots a layup in the second quarter of Saturday’s PIAA Class AAAA first-round playoff game at Greensburg Salem High School.
Jim Downey | Ăĺ±±˝űµŘ
Southmoreland’s Delaynie Morvosh (2) cuts off the passing lane for Huntingdon Area’s Allie Troup in the Lady Scots’ full-court pressure in the second quarter of Saturday’s PIAA Class AAAA first-round playoff game at Greensburg Salem High School.
GREENSBURG — No one could have blamed Southmoreland’s girls basketball team if it suffered a letdown entering the PIAA playoffs one week after seeing its perfect season end in the WPIAL Class AAAA championship game.
The Lady Scotties pushed that stinging defeat at the hands of North Catholic behind them, though, and added a few more program firsts to their historic season on Saturday afternoon.
Southmoreland’s smothering man-to-man defense and balanced scoring attack overwhelmed Huntingdon Area, 57-29, at Greensburg Salem High School. The Lady Scotties advance to the second round of the state playoffs against Lancaster Catholic on Wednesday with the site and time to be determined.
“I’m really proud of the effort from start to finish today. They came out hungry. That’s what I was hoping,” said Southmoreland coach Brian Pritts, who reeled off what his team added to its already sparkling resume. “First state game, first state win and now that we get to play another game, it’s most games in a season by a girls team.”
The Lady Scotties (25-1) had already recorded their first unbeaten regular season and reached the WPIAL semifinals and final for the first time.
“It’s really an unforgettable moment for us,” Southmoreland senior Charity Henderson. “The whole season has been unforgettable and we just don’t want to quit playing basketball right now.”
Henderson was one of four Southmoreland players to score nine or more points against the District 6 runner-up Lady Bearcats (13-12).
Freshman Olivia Cernuto led the way with 16 points, four assists and three steals, and senior Sarah Pisula totaled 13 points, seven rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals. Sophomore Gracie Spadaro added 10 points and six rebounds, and Henderson chipped in with nine points, two assists and a steal.
The Lady Scotties also got six points and two steals from sophomore Delaynie Morvosh and four assists and a steal from senior Erika Sherbondy.
Southmoreland put up the game’s first eight points and never trailed. Pisula scored on an assist from Sherbondy, Cernuto came up with a steal and layup, Henderson grabbed a rebound and passed to Cernuto for another layup and Morvosh made two free throws.
Kait McElroy hit a pair of foul shots with 2:16 left in the quarter to finally get Huntingdon on the board and the Lady Bearcats clawed to within 11-7 by the end of the opening frame.
The Lady Scotties took complete control in the second quarter, outscoring Huntingdon 22-4 for a commanding 33-11 halftime lead.
“We got after it, was able to apply some pressure, used our length and played really good defense for the most part,” Pritts said. “We did a nice job of communicating, moving on angles, switching things up on them. The girls did a really nice job taking away driving lanes today. They forced them to keep the ball out away. We forced many, many turnovers.”
Pritts decided to keep the pedal to the metal when the second half began.
“When we come out at halftime with a nice big lead I had to think more about our team than their team,” Pritts said. “The person in me didn’t want to put the full-court pressure back out there but the coach in me knew that we would have a letdown so I needed our girls to come out with that intensity and drive.”
They did just that, thanks in large part to Pisula, who rang up a basket, rebound, steal and blocked shot all in the opening 2:43 of the third quarter.
Southmoreland pushed its advantage out to 47-17 and both coaches went to their benches liberally in the fourth quarter.
McElroy and Lexi Troup led the Lady Bearcats with 10 points apiece.
The Lady Scotties successfully wiped away any doubts that may have lingered after last week’s loss.
“They wanted to show that we belong and we should be here,” Pritts said. “Now we’ll see what happens heading into Wednesday.”