Z-factor: Zelmore hits 1,500-point mark in leading Lady Vikings to playoffs
Submitted photo
Mount Pleasant cheerleaders show their support as senior Tiffany Zelmore makes a free throw for her 1,500th career point during a 55-25 victory over Deer Lakes on Jan. 30.
Submitted photo
Mount Pleasant girls basketball players (from left) Carly Smith, Marissa Garn and Tiffany Zelmore are honored on the Lady Vikings鈥� senior night on Jan. 30. Zelmore scored 32 points to go over the 1,500-point mark for her career during the 55-25 victory over Deer Lakes.
Submitted photo
Mount Pleasant seniors Tiffany Zelmore (42) and Marissa Garn (13), shown during a Jan. 30 against Deer Lakes, have helped the Lady Vikings reach the WPIAL playoffs this season. Zelmore scored 32 points against Deer Lakes to push her over the 1,500-point mark for her career.
Submitted photo
Mount Pleasant鈥檚 Tiffany Zelmore poses with her family for a photo during senior night on Jan. 30. Zelmore scored 32 points in the Lady Vikings鈥� 55-25 win over Deer Lakes to surpass the 1,500-point mark for her career.
Mount Pleasant fans and cheerleaders show their support for 1,500-point scorer Tiffany Zelmore during senior night on Jan. 30. Zelmore was named the 缅北禁地 All-Area Girls Basketball Team Co-Player of the Year.
Submitted photo
Mount Pleasant girls basketball star Tiffany Zelmore reached the 1,000-point mark on Dec. 3 with a 25-point effort in a 63-21 win against Ringgold.
While that鈥檚 an outstanding feat in itself, the 5-foot-9 forward made sure to add a few more accomplishments during her senior season.
Zelmore kept scoring, as she鈥檚 done throughout her career as a four-year starter, and celebrated senior night on Jan. 30 with teammates Marissa Garn and Carly Smith by ringing up her 1,500th career point with 32 in a 55-24 win over Deer Lakes.
Then on Monday night Zelmore dropped in 36 points in a 55-41 victory at Ligonier Valley which clinched a WPIAL playoff spot for Mount Pleasant while also upping her career point total to 1,569 and her season total to 603.
The Lady Vikings (5-4, 14-7) will finish third in Section 3-AAA in earning a postseason berth for the first time since 2017. Mount Pleasant did play in the WPIAL鈥檚 open tournament held during the 2020 pandemic season when it finished fifth in its section.
鈥淭here鈥檚 definitely excitement in that we鈥檝e had some success within our section this season and were able to get a playoff spot nailed down,鈥� Lady Vikings coach Scott Giacobbi said.
Zelmore, the daughter of Brian and Denice Zelmore, has played a key role in the march to the postseason even with defenses constantly focusing on stopping her.
鈥淭iffany is the driver of our offense,鈥� Giacobbi said. 鈥淪he does a lot for us as far as any type of scoring production. Whether it鈥檚 in transition, points in the paint or from the perimeter or the free throw line, Tiffany鈥檚 at the heart of it all some place.鈥�
Zelmore is only the second player in school history to reach the 1,500-point mark. Michelle Katkowski is the Lady Vikings鈥� all-time scoring leader with 1,896 points.
Zelmore also is the leading scorer in Westmoreland County this season at 28.7 points per game and is second in the WPIAL. She scored 41 points in a 59-44 win over Burrell on Jan. 2.
While she鈥檚 not talkative, Giacobbi lauded Zelmore鈥檚 lead-by-example style.
鈥淪he鈥檚 not a vocal leader. Her leadership is really based on the quality of her effort and her hard work,鈥� Giacobbi said. 鈥淎 lot of times she鈥檚 the first player at practice and one of the last to leave. In the concept that actions speak louder than words, that鈥檚 Tiffany.鈥�
Zelmore鈥檚 scoring prowess involves a team effort, Giacobbi pointed out.
鈥淲e have a great core of seniors which include Tiffany and Marissa Garn and Carly Smith who have played significant roles in the success of our team,鈥� Giacobbi said. 鈥淲e have one junior, Riley Gesinski, our point guard is also a key component.
鈥淎s I鈥檝e said on multiple occasions an assist is as good as a hoop. So our perimeter presence, particularly Riley, from the outside looking in, gets the ball to Tiffany for her to make stuff happen. It鈥檚 a team game and Tiffany has her role to play just like everybody else and she plays it extremely well.鈥�
The WPIAL playoff pairings will be revealed on Monday and the style of opponent Mount Pleasant draws will play more of a factor than records, according to Giacobbi.
鈥淚t always comes down to the matchup and if it鈥檚 a good draw for our team to capitalize on the things we do well,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ometimes you end up with a great matchup and other times the matchup can be tough. That makes a big difference.
鈥淭iffany鈥檚 excited. Everyone鈥檚 excited. We鈥檒l come with everything we鈥檝e got, that鈥檚 for sure.鈥�