Seton-La Salle, Bethel Park, Canevin lead all-star list
Shannon Conely
Justina Mascaro
Nicolete Newman
Danielle Parker
Gina Vallecorsa
Emily Anderson
Alexa Golden
Madison Kerr
Rachel Mazzie
Cheyenne Trest
Alexa Williamson
Girls’ basketball teams in the South Hills enjoyed remarkable success this season. Seton-La Salle (23-8) and Bishop Canevin (19-11) battled for supremacy in Class AA, meeting four times including in the WPIAL and PIAA western regional finals. Bethel Park (21-6) ruled Quad-A, claiming its first section banner since 2007 and reaching the district Final Four. Section 5 adversaries South Fayette (19-8) and Chartiers Valley (22-6) both reached great heights, too. The Lions competed in the Class AAA district finals and the Colts challenged for a spot in the state championship. In both cases, they succumbed to Blackhawk, which went on to capture its second straight WPIAL and PIAA titles.
Hence, it comes as no surprise that these five schools dominate this year’s edition of The Almanac’s Elite Eleven. Cassidy Walsh headlines the list as MVP (see related story) while her Seton-La Salle teammate, Nicolete Newman, spearheads the first five.
A two-time Almanac all-star, Newman surpassed the 1,000-point plateau this season. The shooting guard helped key SLS’s run-up to the state finals. She averaged 14.4 points per game and garnered second-team all-state acclaim. The senior guard buried 301 3-point field goals in her career. Newman, who guided the Rebels to four section banners, three WPIAL titles and two state championships, will continue her playing career at Cleveland State.
“Nicolete possessed great leadership skills and a tremendous work ethic,” said head coach Spencer Stefko. “She works as hard as anybody I have seen. She’s a good get for Cleveland State. She is underrated as a ball handler. She has a quick enough release. Plus, she is a wonderful kid. Dependable,” Stefko continued. “She never misses practices or games. She takes care of herself. She is as good a kid as she is a high school player.”
BP duo good, too
Bethel Park, like SLS, had two great kids, too, that enabled Jonna Burke to coach the Hawks to the PIAA playoffs. The Lady Hawks lost to Norwin, 54-46, in the second round of the state tournament. The Knights were the WPIAL champions and were a game away from competing in the PIAA final. Despite the finish, the Lady Hawks boasted a 17-game winning streak before falling to Penn Hills in the district semifinals. “I’m so proud of this team,” said Burke, who garnered Almanac Coach of the Year honors. “It was a great season.”
Justina Mascaro and Shannon Conely indeed had great seasons for the Lady Hawks.
Coming off a freshman year, where she was named Almanac Rookie of the Year, Mascaro more than doubled her scoring average and picked up in the rebounding department. The 5-10 sophomore averaged 15.5 points per game and grabbed seven boards an outing.
“Justina plays hard all of the time,” Burke said. “She became a force in the paint for us this season. She has potential to add even more to her game for her remaining seasons as a Lady Hawk.”
In her final campaign as a Lady Hawk, Conely fired in 13.8 points per game. Over the year, the 5-9 senior swing guard developed all aspects of her game to become one of BP’s go-to players.
“Shannon came up big for us time and time again,” Burke said. “She was more of a driver in the past but worked hard and added the 3-point shot to her game.”
BC repeat
Gina Vallecorsa repeats as a member of the Almanac Elite Eleven. The junior duplicated the numbers she put up as a sophomore. She ranked among the WPIAL scoring leaders with a 13-point average. Plus, she pulled down seven rebounds a game.
Bishop Canevin benefited. The Crusaders finished runner-up to Seton-La Salle in Section 3-AA and in the WPIAL. The Crusaders also lost to the Rebels in the semifinals of the PIAA tournament. As a freshman, Vallercorsa started on the Canevin’s WPIAL and PIAA championship clubs.
Parker top five
Danielle Parker from Canon-McMillan completes the list of players on The Almanac’s first-team. The senior garnered first-team honors on the all-section team.
On a team that featured 16 underclassmen, Parker demonstrated leadership, said head coach Frank Zebrasky. “She possessed the skill that was necessary to be successful.”
Parker scored 1,100 points and grabbed 844 rebounds in her scholastic career. She averaged 17.6 points per game for the Lady Macs, who finished 13-9 overall. She led the team in rebounding with 11.3 boards a game. Parker maintained a 75 percent conversion rate for free throws in her career.
“Danielle is a quality student, teammate and leader,” said Zebrasky. “She achieves equally athletically. She is a capable rebounder. She has the ability to make a three or score inside. And, she possesses above average ball-handling skills.”
Parker plans to pursue a career in medicine. She will play basketball for Washington and Jefferson College.
Second team stars
Emily Anderson from South Fayette, Alexa Golden from Chartiers Valley, Madison Kerr from Peters Township, Rachel Mazzie from Upper St. Clair and Canon-McMillan’s Cheyenne Trest headline the list of players earning second-team honors on The Almanac’s all-star list.
A junior, Anderson was a big reason why the Lions reached the WPIAL finals after finishing runner-up to Chartiers Valley in Section 5. The 6-4 center averaged 11.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Anderson, who missed 18 games as a sophomore because of a knee injury, excelled during the post-season. She exploded for 17 points and grabbed 12 boards in the district finals, a loss to Blackhawk. She also tossed in 17 markers and pulled down 14 rebounds while blocking five shots against South Park in the semifinals.
Golden guided the Lady Colts to an 11-1 finish and a banner in Section 5. She also spearheaded CV’s run to the western semifinals. The Colts lost to Blackhawk in the district semifinals and in the PIAA tournament. An all-section performer, she led the team in scoring with a 16-point average. Golden garnered all-state, second-team acclaim. She will continue her career at Kent State University.
After a spectacular sophomore season, where she averaged 19.8 points and 10 rebounds, Kerr improved her all-around game as a junior and helped the Lady Indians improve to 13-9 overall. In addition to supplying 16.2 points and 8.8 rebounds to Peters Township’s attack, Kerr dished up four assists. She also averaged two steals and one blocked shot per game. She registered eight double-doubles and had one triple-double this season.
Kerr ranked among the top scorers in the WPIAL. She gained all-section honors for the second year in a row.
Just a sophomore, Trest averaged 15.6 points per game. She dished up six assists per game for the Lady Macs, who finished 13-9 overall and just missed qualifying for the playoffs. Her other highlights this season included 28 points in a win against rival Peters Township, 38 consecutive free throws made during a seven-game span and a 91 percent conversion rate from the charity stripe.
“She’s as good as they get. Cheyenne can play Division I,” predicted USC head coach Pete Serio. “She has that nice pull-up jumper and she doesn’t miss. She’s only going to get stronger and better. She has a chance to be a good player.”
For several years, Mazzie has been a good player for Upper St. Clair. The 5-8 senior forward is a repeat performer on the all-star list in the section and on The Almanac squad. Mazzie averaged 15 points and five rebounds per game for the Panthers, who qualified for the WPIAL playoffs and finished 13-10 overall.
“Rachel is an outstanding offensive player,” said Serio. “She was our go-to girl. She is someone who has the skill to play point guard and the ability to go inside and post up. She was a tough match-up for the opposition.”
Honorable mention
Among the area athletes garnering honorable mention recognition on The Almanac girls’ basketball all-star list include:
• Kaitlyn Chess and Mia Mattes from Bethel Park. A captain, Chess earned second-team honors on the all-section squad. The 5-11 forward was a positive role model for the Lady Hawks. She possessed a never-give-up attitude and gave 100 percent at all times. Meanwhile, Mattes gained honorable mention on the Section 4 all-star unit. The 5-5 point guard was noted for her 3-point shooting. She buried five long-range shots and finished with 15 points in the Lady Hawks’ loss to Penn Hills in the WPIAL semifinals.
• Sarah Green and Erin Joyce from Bishop Canevin. A sophomore, Green averaged 12 points and seven rebounds a game for the Crusaders, who reached the western final in the PIAA tournament. A junior, Joyce averaged 11 points. She also knocked down a school-record 87 3-point field goals.
• Kenzie Bushee and Maura Wallace from Mt. Lebanon. This pair helped the Blue Devils to a second-place finish in Section 4, tied with Baldwin and a 13-10 overall record.
A sophomore, Bushee led the Blue Devils in scoring with a 14.5-point average. She also was tops in rebounding with 7.7 per game. The 6-foot forward was named to the all-section quad as a second-team member. A junior, Wallace averaged 9.5 points per game. The 5-9 forward also managed 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 steals an outing. Wallace gained honorable mention status on the all-section team.
• Morgan Henderson and Shaunay Edmonds from Seton-La Salle. These two played key roles as starters on the Rebels’ district championship and state runner-up squad this winter.
After a two-year wait, Henderson blossomed into one of the best inside players in the area. Injured as a sophomore, she played behind standouts Yacine Diop (Pitt) and Naje Gibson her junior year when the Rebels won the district and state titles. “She’s a great high school story. So many kids can learn from what she had to go through,” said Stefko. “She worked her way into being as good as any big girl in the game. I don’t know of many big girls as good as Morgan in Western Pennsylvania. She developed the ability to pass because she was double-teamed by a lot of opponents. That was not a skill at the beginning of the season.”
Henderson averaged 10.4 points and 10.1 rebounds a game for the Rebels. The 5-10 senior will play basketball at Slippery Rock University although she also was a standout in volleyball at Seton-La Salle.
A contributor since her freshman year, Edmonds averaged 7.2 points per game. She dished up 5.2 assists. Edmonds earned all-section honors. The junior will be relied upon to pick up the mantle left behind by SLS’s seven graduating seniors. Stefko believes she has the skills. “Shaunay is energetic. A spitfire,” he said. “She can distribute. She has the skills and smarts to be assertive when that’s called for. She has the ability to score as well.”
• Carlee Kilgus and Autumn Mozick from South Fayette. This duo helped contribute to the Lions’ run to the WPIAL final.
A sophomore, Kilgus directed the offensive attack while averaging 12.1 points per game. “She’s a great passer,” noted head coach Matthew Bacco.
Meanwhile, Mozick managed 10 points per game. In addition to being a “good” 3-point shooter, Bacco said “Autumn is a great leader.”
• Madison Serio and Diandra Conwell from Upper St. Clair. These seniors gained second-team honors on the all-section team.
Conwell returned to basketball in November after recovering from knee surgery. The 5-7 guard averaged 10 points and five rebounds a game.
“Diandra had a good year for most players, but not the year she was expecting,” said Coach Serio. Though she still hadn’t regained the quickness she possessed before the surgery, Serio said, “Diandra still gave us all she could.”
Serio also gave every ounce and inch. The guard averaged 10 points, grabbed 6.5 rebounds and dished up three assists per game.
“She was our leading rebound at 5 feet, 3 inches,” marveled Coach Serio, who is also Madison’s father. “She was our best ball handler and was asked to play point guard most of the time so she didn’t get as many shots this year as in the past.
“Madison was the player who did all the dirty work for us,” he continued. “She played hard all the time.”
Rookie of the Year
Alexa Williamson made a big splash on the high school scene this winter. The 6-foot-1 freshman center averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds per game. She averaged a double-double in three state playoff games. Fifteen times this season, she surpassed the 20-point mark for scoring.
Williamson led Chartiers-Houston to a 19-10 record. Her 24-point, 12-rebound showing catapulted the Buccaneers to victory over Carlynton and to an historic appearance in the quarterfinals of the PIAA Class AA tournament.
Players to watch
Among the players to watch on The Almanac girls’ basketball all-star list include:
• Lauren Gamble from Bishop Canevin. This freshman started every game for the Crusaders. She dished up seven assists an outing and averaged six points.
• Kate Sramac from Mt. Lebanon. A sophomore, Sramac managed 9.5 points per game. She averaged 4.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists as well. Sramac, who garnered second team honors in Section 4, is one of many underclassmen on a club that qualified for the WPIAL playoffs so the future is bright for the Lebo ladies. “We are young and don’t graduate any starters,” said Dori Oldaker, “so hopefully, we will come back stronger next year with more experience.”
• Sam Kosmacki from South Fayette. A freshman, Kosmacki drew the toughest defensive assignments, said Coach Bacco. “She had the responsibility of defending the opponent’s best players all season,” he said.