South Fayette advances to PIAA finals

Lady Indians avenge loss to Peters Township

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Ryan Oldaker (left) and Haylie Lamonde (right) congratulate each other after South Fayette defeated Peters Township, 50-36, to advance to the PIAA Class 5A championship game set for March 29 in Hershey.

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Juliette Leroux (14) puts up a shot against Alina Sopko during South Fayette's win over Peters Township in the PIAA 5A girls basketball semifinal.

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Ryan Oldaker (24) is fired up as she and her teammates Lailah Wright (1) and Ella Vierra (22) race to the South Fayette bench for a timeout in a PIAA semifinal game.

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Ryan Oldaker (24) maneuvers for elbow room as she drives to the basket against Taylor McCullough (24) during South Fayette's victory over Peters Township in the PIAA 5A girls semifinal basketball game.

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The South Fayette girls are all smiles after beating Peters Township, 50-36, to advance to the state finals in basketball.

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Lailah Wright (1) and Haylie Lamonde (facing) jump for joy as the second tick down on South Fayette's victory over Peters Township that vaulted that Lady Lions into the state finals for the second time in three years.

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Lailah Wright (1) steals the ball from Peters Township's Daniela Radulovich (44) during South Fayette's 50-36 win in the PIAA 5A semifinal playoff game.

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Natalie Wetzel cannot hold back the tears as her dream of going to Hershey and competing for a state championship in basketball came to a crushing halt as Peters Township succumbed to South Fayette in the PIAA 5A semifinals.

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Lailah Wright of South Fayette tumbles to the ground after forcing Taylor McCullough to turn the ball over during PIAA 5A girls semifinal playoff action.

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Alina Sopko and Ella Vierra battle for a loose ball.

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Natalie Wetzel (14) of Peters Township looks to dish off the basketball while heavily guarded by two South Fayette defenders.

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For the second time in three years, South Fayette is going to Hershey to compete for a state championship in girls basketball.

By virtue of a 50-36 win over Peters Township on March 22 at Canon-McMillan High School, the Lady Lions advanced to the PIAA Class 5A final. South Fayette (28-2) will battle Archbishop Wood (22-7), a 69-29 winner against Crestwood, at 6 p.m. March 29 at the Giant Center.

The Lady Lions last appeared in the state finals back in 2023 when they lost to Archbishop Wood, 61-54.

South Fayette’s triumph over the Indians avenged a previous loss, 40-36, that occurred in the WPIAL finals on Feb. 28 at the Petersen Events Center. The Lions were trying for a four peat, having won district titles for three straight seasons before the 2025 defeat.

Lailah Wright and Ryan Oldaker led the way for the Lady Lions against Peters Township. Wright fired in 14 points while Oldaker finished with 13 tallies.

South Fayette used a strong third quarter to take control of the game, which was a two-point contest, 24-22, at intermission.

The Lady Lions took advantage of a rash of Peters Township turnovers, 21 total in the game, and mounted a 31-22 advantage early in the third quarter. Though the Indians went on an 8-1 run to cut the margin, the Lions went on an 8-0 spree to forge a 40-30 lead after three frames.

Juliette Leroux scored four points during the run. She finished with seven markers, all in the second half. Haylie Lamonde and Ella Vierra supplied six points apiece.

In the first quarter, South Fayette led by three but Natalie Wetzel buried a 3-point field goal to tie the contest at 18 with 4:13 left in the first half.

Wetzel finished with nine points, 10 below her scoring average. The University of Miami recruit concluded her scholastic career with 1,692 points.

A freshman, Taylor McCullough equalled Wetzel’s offensive output. A Division I prospect, with an offer already from Kent State University, McCullough also supplied nine points to the Peters Township offense.