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South Fayette dominates Almanac girls basketball team

By Eleanor Bailey 7 min read
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Eric Hall averaged 11.4 points and six rebounds for South Fayette.
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Lainey Yater directed the South Fayette offense, dishing up five assists per game.
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Juliette Leroux led South Fayette in scoring with 13 points per game. She also averaged six rebounds.
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Bryan Bennett guided South Fayette to its third straight WPIAL championship this winter.
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Ryan Prunzik led Upper St. Clair in all offensive categories except scoring this winter. She is a sophomore point guard.
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Before suffering an ACL tear in the 10th game of the season, Rylee Kalocay was averaging 24 points per game.
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Haylie Lamonde shares Rookie of the Year honors with USC's Ryan Prunzik.
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Emma Reynolds averaged 11.3 points and 4.3 rebounds a game for Chartiers Valley this season.
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Lilah Turnbull averaged 11.2 points and 3.5 rebounds. The junior also helped run the Chartiers Valley offense.
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Ella Sabatos led Bethel Park in scoring and rebounding with 11 points and 14 caroms.
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Payton Collins averaged 15.2 points for Mt. Lebanon.

“Don’t count us out” proved the winning motto at South Fayette as the Lady Lions fought off doubts to become WPIAL champions for the third year in a row.

Despite losses due to the graduation of two Division I prospects and to critical season-ending injuries to two additional players, the Lady Lions overcame all odds and critics to defend their Class 5A crown.

Because of a third-place showing in Section 4, South Fayette drew a low seed in the tournament, but the Lions upset Trinity and No. 2 McKeesport to reach the finals. They defeated Armstrong, 70-63, at the Petersen Events Center to claim their third straight district title. South Fayette finished 19-9 overall after losing to Oakland Catholic in the second round of the PIAA tournament.

“It was just a special group,” said SF floor boss Bryan Bennett. “No one expected us to be (in the finals) but the kids had something to prove.

“We still had a lot of talent and I knew it was going to take time to get to where we were because of our youth. It was just learning how to play hard for 32 minutes, learning how to do little details. Once we did that it just clicked.”

Things fell into place for South Fayette because of Bennett’s guidance as well as the performances of players such as seniors Erica Hall and Lainey Yater as well as sophomores Juliette Leroux and Haylie Lamonde. The foursome along with Bennett, who has been named Coach of the Year, spearhead The Almanac all-star team for girls’ basketball.

While Peters Township’s duo of Gemma Walker and Natalie Wetzel highlight the unit, which was selected based on season performance, statistics and a coaches survey, as co-Most Valuable Players (see related article), Hall and Yater gained first-team laurels. They also were Big 5/6 All-Conference, first-team selections.

“They were two special kids. Unbelievable leaders,” Bennett said. “No matter how low the lows were this season, they picked us up. They put a smile on my face. They built our success.”

For three years, Yater directed the offensive attack from the point guard position. An all-section first-team selection, she averaged 8.4 points and three rebounds a game. She also dished up five assists a game. In the WPIAL final, she managed six assists and nine points.

“Lainey’s leadership both on and off the court created a culture of accountability and excellence within our team,” Bennett said.

Yater will continue her career at Saginaw Valley State University, located in Michigan, next fall. She will major in business.

A Mercyhurst University recruit, Hall averaged 11.4 points and grabbed six rebounds a game while dishing up two assists for the Lady Lions. She scored 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the WPIAL championship win against Armstrong.

“Erica’s commitment and dedication set the standard for our team’s success by motivating others to match her intensity which elevated the overall performance of our team,” Bennett said.

A sophomore, Leroux was a dominant force in the WPIAL finals as well as during the season. In the championship contest, she put up a team-high 18 points to go along with eight rebounds and three steals. An all-section, second-team performer, Leroux led SF’s regular-season offensive attack, managing 13 points per game.

A standout volleyball player, Leroux also cleaned the glass six times a game. The 6-foot guard/forward averaged nearly two assists.

“Juliette brings a unique skill set with her size and athleticism which makes her a difficult matchup for teams to guard,” Bennett said.

Lamonde’s skill is her accuracy, especially from beyond the arc. A sophomore, she managed 11.2 points a game to go along with 3.5 rebounds and two assists.

“Haylie’s consistency in performance and ability to make big plays in crucial moments often was the difference in the outcomes of some of our closest games,” Bennett said.

As a newcomer to the starting line-up, Lamonde shares Rookie of the Year honors with Ryan Prunzik from Upper St. Clair. A sophomore, Prunzik was an honorable mention pick on the Big 5/6 All-Conference squad.

A 5-foot-5 guard, Prunzik led the Panthers in rebounds, assists, steals and deflections.

“Ryan will be one of the best point guards I’ve ever coached when it’s all said and done,” predicted USC floor boss Pete Serio. “She was our unsung hero.”

For the first 10 games of the season, Rylee Kalocay set the tone for the Lady Panthers. She went down with an ACL injury, however, in a 53-46 loss to Peters Township two days into the new year.

At the time, Kalocay was averaging 24 points per game. Despite her injury, she still managed to rank among the top scorers in the WPIAL. Kalocay also earned Big 5/6 All-Conference first-team acclaim for the Panthers, who finished 6-6 in the section and 12-11 overall.

“Rylee was our leader,” Serio said. “In my opinion, she’s the best player in the area.”

Chartiers Valley, Mt. Lebanon and Bethel Park had four of the other better players in The Almanac’s readership area. Emma Reynolds and Lilah Turnbull as well as Payton Collins and Ella Sabatos round out the list of all-stars. All earned second-team acclaim.

Reynolds and Turnbull provided a one-two punch for the Lady Colts, who reached the WPIAL Class 6A semifinals and the second round of the PIAA tournament. CV finished 17-9 overall. The juniors also helped CV to a runner-up showing behind Peters Township in Section 2.

Reynolds averaged 11.3 points and 4.3 rebounds a game. She led the Colts in minutes play (701), 3-point field goal percentage (44%) and defensive rebounds with 73. She recorded 34 assists and collected 13 steals with six blocked shots and drew six charges.

“Overall, Emma’s was our best athlete,” said CV skipper Mike Semplice. “She has an unbelievable burst of speed, can take you off the dribble, score around the rim and off the three. She has a high ceiling.”

Turnbull managed 11.2 points and 3.5 rebounds a game. She led the Colts with a 44.40 field goal percentage and 79 free throw percentage. Turnbull dished up 41 assists and managed 33 steals.

“Lilah plays with unbelievable energy,” Semplice said. “She has a positive demeanor and amazing leadership abilities. She’s very skilled. I love her compete level.”

Despite Bethel Park’s lackluster 10-12 record and sixth-place showing in Section 6, Sabatos demonstrated an ability to compete with the best. She earned first-team accolades on the Big 5/6 All-Conference unit.

The junior forward led the Lady Hawks in scoring and rebounding. She averaged 11 points and pulled down 14 rebounds a game.

“Ella was a consistent presence on the boards ensuring that our team limited our opponents shots on offense and was always getting our team some second chance points,” said BP floor boss Steve Norman. “She finished the season incredibly efficient in her shot selection and defense.”

Meanwhile, Collins was a sure shot, especially from the perimeter. A junior, she led Mt. Lebanon in scoring with a 15.2-point average. The Blue Devils lost to Chartiers Valley in the WPIAL quarterfinals and finished 12-11 overall.

Almanac Girls Basketball All-stars

FIRST TEAM

Erica Hall South Fayette Guard/Forward Senior 11.4 ppg. 6 rpg.

Rylee Kalocay Upper St. Clair Guard Junior 24 ppg.

Gemma Walker Peters Township Guard Senior 16.3 ppg. 3.6 rpg.

Natalie Wetzel Peters Township Forward Junior 17.4 ppg. 8.2 rpg.

Lainey Yater South Fayette Guard Senior 8.4 ppg. 5 assists

SECOND TEAM

Payton Collins Mt. Lebanon Guard Junior 15.2 ppg.

Juliette Leroux South Fayette Forward Soph. 13 ppg. 6 rpg.

Emma Reynolds Chartiers Valley Forward Junior 11.3 ppg. 4.3 rpg.

Ella Sabatos Bethel Park Forward Junior 11 ppg. 14 rpg.

Lilah Turnbull Chartiers Valley Guard Junior 11.2 ppg. 3.5 rpg.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS Gemma Walker & Natalie Wetzel, Peters Township

HONORABLE MENTION: Sadie Orie, Ella Harmon, Becky Gillenberger-Bethel Park; Ella Cupka-Chartiers Valley; Clare Cramer-Mt. Lebanon; Bri Morreale, Daniela Radulovich, Melanah Khahil, Peri Cendroski-Peters Township; Haylie Lamonde-South Fayette; Meredith Huzjak, Olivia Terlecki-Upper St. Clair

ROOKIES OF THE YEAR Haylie Lamonde-Chartiers Valley & Ryan Prunzik, Upper St. Clair

COACH OF THE YEAR Bryan Bennett, South Fayette

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