KO looks to success in new year
Cody Gilchrist scores a bucket during recent basketball action. The Bethel Park senior leads the Hawks into Section 4 play at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 4 at Peters Township.
Maryssa Agurs skies to the hoop during first-round tournament action. She fired in 13 points to lead Keystone Oaks to victory over Fort LeBoeuf.
Despite a 1-2 start in Section 5-AAA action, Keystone Oaks remains firm in its objectives for the girls’ basketball season and early contests in the new year will determine their success in 2013.
“We expect to compete for a section championship every year,” said second-year skipper Nikki Presto. “We expect to put together a winning record in the section and make another playoff run.”
But, the Lady Eagles have moved up from Class AA this season and are finding the competition tough in every encounter. They know they must be at their best when they confront Quaker Valley on the road Jan. 7 and at home against Moon on Jan. 10. The Quakers and the Tigers rank ahead of KO in the section standings, which undefeated South Park leads.
Before hosting its own holiday tournament, KO had come off league losses to South Fayette, 43-37, and South Park, 71-43. The Lady Eagles had beaten Trinity, 46-35, for its lone league victory.
“We need to play tough and together,” said Presto, because the Lady Eagles face “tough competition every game.”
With five veterans from last year’s 20-8 playoff club, the Golden Eagles are expected to round into post-season form by mid-February. KO lost one key starter in Alexa Xenakis, who is now playing for Point Park University.
Maryssa Agurs and Kayla Brownlee are the team’s most experienced players. A junior, Agurs led the team last winter in scoring with a 12-point average. Brownlee led the squad in assists, averaging three per game.
Lexy Mercuri completes the front court while Jillian Welch, Kyle Brining and Holly Kendall handle the forward positions.
“Our strength is our guard play,” Presto said. “We have three guards who can handle the ball, get to the basket and knock down jump shots. We are a team that looks to keep a fast pace and play up-tempo on both ends of the floor.”
While KO possesses both the experience and talent, implementation is the only thing standing in the way of the team’s success this new year.
“We have the experience,” explained Presto. “Now, it’s a matter of playing with your head and your heart night in and night out.”
Over the holidays, KO did just that.
The Lady Eagles opened action in their own tournament with a 60-35 triumph over Fort LeBoeuf. Four players scored in double figures: Agurs (13), Welch and Mercuri (12 each) and Brownleee (11). Freshman Mariah Agurs finished with eight markers.
All the players on the roster, including Sarah Abbott, Kaitlyn Reisi, Mariah Berman and Alexa Valforte, contributed to the win.
In the championship match, KO battled Slippery Rock, which was a 46-36 winner over Peters Township in the first round of the tournament.
In the finals played Friday, Dec. 28, KO dispatched Slippery Rock, 48-36.
In the consolation contest, Peters Township thumped Fort LeBeouf, 70-54. Madison Kerr led PT with 21 tallies.
In the opener of the KO tournament, the Lady Indians dropped a 46-37 decision to Slippery Rock.
Kerr and Bridget Loether each chipped in eight points for the Lady Indians while Casey Cogley finished with six off a pair of 3-point field goals. Back-to-back 3s by Loether and Cogley pulled the Lady Indians within four, 35-31, with 6:20 to play before Slippery Rock pulled away for the victory.
Seton-La Salle’s winning streak ended at 37 games when Centerville, which plays in the largest classification in Ohio, edged the Lady Rebels, 66-63, in the second round of the Pickerington Classic.
Naje Gibson topped out with 18 points for SLS, which slipped to 7-1 overall.
The Lady Rebels upended Northland, 75-55, in the first round of the tournament.
Four players scored in double figures with Nicolete Newman leading the way with 17 tallies. Natalie Piaggesi followed with 15. With a dozen markers, Angela Heintz cleared the 1,000-point milestone in her career. Cassidy Walsh chipped in 11 points.
In the third-place consolation contest, the Lady Rebels improvdd to 8-1 overall when they disptached Archbishop Ryan from Philadelphia, 54-27.
The SLS boys blasted Ringgold, 84-36, in the opener of their own holiday tournament and then dispatch West Mifflin, 63-40. Dale Clancy tossed in 21 points against the Titans.
In other tournament action over the holidays, Cory Sevacko fired in 28 points and Jared Skolnicki pitched in 26 markers but that was not enough as Keystone Oaks succumbed to Kiski, 87-76, in the first round of the Hampton Tournament.
In the consolation contest, Skolnicki exploded for 31 points as KO beat Baldwin, 80-67.
Evan Bonnaure buried seven, 3-point field goals and finished with 25 points as South Fayette defeated Blackhawk, 59-46, in the Blue Division of the C.J. Betters Tournament held at the Beaver County Golden Dome. Bonnaure pumped in 20 points but the Lions succumbed to New Castle, 93-49, in follow-up action.
Mt. Lebanon defeated East Central, 51-41, in the opener of the Bob Wettig Memorial Tournament played in Richmond, Indiana.
However, the Blue Devils, despite the hot-shooting of the David brothers, succumbed to Jeffersonville, 76-67, in the quarterfinals of the tournament. Jonny David buried five, 3-pointers and finished with 17 points while Justin David knocked down three treys.
After rebounding to beat Jennings County, 60-52, the Blue Devils ended tournament action with a loss to Tipton, 54-53. Tyler Roth led the 5-5 Blue Devils with 15 points.
Peters Township used a 23-point performance by Gabe Pritz to slip past Mercyhurst Prep, 68-46, in the opener of the North Allegheny Tournament.
In the championship contest, the Indians lost to the host Tigers, 71-35.
Madison Serio buried four, 3-pointers and guided Upper St. Clair to victory over Belle Vernon, 61-58, in the Laurel Highlands Tournament.
In second round action in the tournament, Rachel Mazzie was USC’s hero. She fired in 16 points, including all five in overtime, as the Panthers edged Uniontown, 48-42.
Bishop Canevin thumped Avella, 75-19, in the first round of the California Tournament. Carly Forse fired in 21 points for the Lady Crusaders. Erin Walskowiak tossed in 20 markers in the Crusaders’ follow-up win against Charleroi, 74-27.
Bethel Park tuned up for its showdown against Mt. Lebanon on Thursday, Jan. 2 by dominating its own holiday tournament.
In the round robin event, the Lady Hawks defeated Penn Hills, 65-29, and Butler, 56-27.
Megan Marecic garnered MVP honors in the tournament. The junior exploded for 22 points, all in the second half against Butler. She buried five, 3-pointers and at one point in the contest had as many points as the Golden Tornado.
In the win over Penn Hills, Marecic led with 16 tallies. Samantha Simpson supplied 10 points in each victory while Paige Kochka-Puskar finished with 12 against the Indians.
Harper Zimmer joined Marecic on the all-tournament team. She scored four points against Penn Hills and eight against Butler.
Meanwhile the BP boys enjoyed success at the Shady Side Academy Tournament over the holidays.
The Hawks opened round robin tournament play with a 60-32 win over Riverside. The Hawks then dispatched the host Indians, 56-23. In their final competition in the event, the Hawks lost at the buzzer to Penn-Trafford, 73-72, when Dorian Stevens buried a 3-pointer with 1.6 left to play.
Rohan Young led BP with 28 points. He converted four, 3-pointers.
It was BP’s first loss of the season. The Hawks are 8-1 as they head back into Section 4-AAAA action. They visit Peters Township at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4 and host Mt. Lebanon on Jan. 8.
Meanwhile the Lebo ladies tuned up for their showdown at Bethel Park on Thursday, Jan. 2 by winning the California University Tournament.
Alex Ventrone buried four, 3-point field goals to lead Lebo to a 64-47 win over Morgantown in the title tilt. The Blue Devils (7-1) opened tournament action with a win against Ringgold, 62-23.