Bethel Park on 4-game winning streak
Mia Mattes (No. 42) of Bethel Park drives to the basket despite the defensive efforts of Madison Serio (No. 2) from Upper St. Clair. The Lady Hawks dropped a 47-44 decision to the Panthers.
Madison Serio (left) and Justina Mascaro (right) collide during girls’ basketball action.
A win in its own holiday tournament was just what the doctor ordered for the Bethel Park girls’ basketball team.
The Lady Hawks were 2-4 overall and coming off back-to-back Section 4 losses to chief rivals. After dropping a 47-44 decision at home to Upper St. Clair, the Lady Hawks lost an overtime thriller, 63-61, at Mt. Lebanon.
Over the holidays, however, the Lady Hawks compiled a 3-0 mark that included triumphs against Oakland Catholic, 49-30, and South Fayette, 62-53, in their own tournament. Plus, BP defeated Seneca Valley, 51-31, before resuming league play with a victory Monday against Moon, 59-40.
“We used the tournament to get back on the right track,” said BP head coach Jonna Burke. “We played well. Righted some wrongs and put together complete games.”
The biggest thing the Lady Hawks aim to improve is free-throw shooting. Against USC, they connected on 55 percent of their attempts from the charity stripe. Against Lebo, the percentage was 61.
“That shows up as losses,” said Burke. “I think we realize that we shot poorly from the line. We’ve got to get better.”
In a league that features many of the top teams in the WPIAL, the Hawks need to be at the top of their game. They already trail undefeated Lebo as well as Baldwin (4-1) in the Section 4 standings. Bethel Park is tied with USC and Canon-Mac. All are 3-2 in the division.
“This section is unreal,” Burke said. “In this league, there are no nights off and the goal is to make playoffs every year, but we are very aware that a good team is not going to be going to the playoffs this year. We want to make sure we are not one of them. We want to get better and extend our season.”
Justina Mascaro is one of the players the Lady Hawks depend upon to do just that. Though a sophomore, she earned Most Valuable Player honors in the tournament. She scored 18 points against South Fayette and registered 10 tallies against Oakland Catholic. Mascaro exploded for 22 points against the Tigers. She also topped out with 25 markers in the loss to Lebo.
“Justina has been a workhorse for us. She is definitely an all-around player. She’s capable of hitting the outside shot and she plays good defense. The girls look to her.
“We need her to be productive, but it’s a lot to put on the shoulders of a sophomore,” continued Burke. “She’s proved herself valuable. She’s only half as good as she’s going to be. We expect her to continue to get better and better but we don’t expect her to do it all by herself.”
Shannon Conley and Kaitlyn Chess have helped take the pressure off Mascaro. A 5-10 junior, Conley joined Mascaro on the all-tournament team. She fired in 19 points in the tournament final and 10 tallies in the opener. She was in double digits with 12, 18 and 10 tallies against Moon, Lebo and USC. A 5-11 senior, Chess pumped in 13 and 10 markers during tournament play.
The Lady Hawks have also benefited from the play of 6-foot senior forward Paige Kochka-Puskar on the inside as well as Mia Mattes and Christina Didiano, both guards, on the outside. Megan Horgan and Christine Kovalchick also give the Hawks a strong inside presence while Cailey Klink, Kaitlyn Fertig and Rebecca Rodriquez provide power from all parts of the courts. Monica Locke is the team’s other senior playmaker.
From South Fayette, Autumn Mozick garnered all-tournament acclaim.