Almanac announces all-stars for girls’ basketball
Shannon Conely
Justina Mascaro
Cheyenne Trest
Gina Vallecorso
Madison Kerr
Sam Kosmacki
Shaunay Edmonds
Kate Sramac
Mackenzie Wagner
2016 was an historic year in girls’ basketball for South Fayette as the Lady Lions captured their first WPIAL championship. After finishing runner-up in 2016, the Lions defeated Trinity, 59-52, for the title. South Fayette won the Section 5-AAA banner with a 12-0 slate and finished 24-4 overall after advancing to the quarterfinals of the PIAA tournament.
Hence it comes as no surprise that South Fayette dominates The Almanac’s Elite Eleven list for girls’ basketball. Senior center Emily Anderson (see related story) and Lions’ skipper Matt Bacco spearhead the list as Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year respectively while teammate Sam Kosmacki earned all-star honors. The sophomore was a second-team selection.
Bethel Park’s Shannon Conely and Justina Mascaro as well as Cheyenne Trest from Canon-McMillan and Gina Vallecorso from Bishop Canevin join Anderson on the first team. Madison Kerr of Peters Township, Shaunay Edmonds of Seton-La Salle, Kate Sramac of Mt. Lebanon and Mackenzie Wagner of Chartiers Valley complete the second team. PT’s Makenna Marisa earned Rookie of the Year laurels.
Here is a complete and in-depth look at the members of the all-star squad, which was selected based in part on a coaches’ survey, statistics and games seen by The Almanac’s sports staff.
Shannon Conely
This Bethel Park senior makes a repeat appearance on the all-star list’s first team. After averaging 13 points per game as a junior, Conely increased her numbers to 16.4 tallies an outing. In addition, she grabbed five rebounds as the Lady Hawks advanced to the quarterfinals in the district playoffs. They finished 18-7 after losing a PIAA play-in game to rival Canon-McMillan.
“Shannon had the ability to score in many ways,” said BP floor boss Jonna Burke, “but was also a great defender and strong rebounder for us all season long.”
Conely will continue her playing career at Canisus College. Previously, she earned a spot in the Under Armour All-American game. Conely also gained all-section, first-team honors.
Justina Mascaro
Another repeat all-star, this Bethel Park junior was the top vote-getter for honors in Section 4-AAAA.
The 5-10 forward led the Hawks in scoring with a 17.5-point average. She also paced the team in rebounding, cleaning the boards at a clip of eight per game.
“Justina was a consistent presence for us night in and night out,” said Burke. “She’s a fierce competitor. She hates to lose.”
Mascaro, who earned Almanac Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman, averaged 15.5 points and seven rebounds a game as a sophomore. She surpassed 1,000 points for her scholastic career during a 44-41 playoff loss to North Allegheny. In that WPIAL quarterfinal defeat, Mascaro exploded for 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Cheyenne Trest
This junior played a pivotal role in Canon-McMillan’s turnaround in girls’ basketball. For the first time in school history, the Lady Macs claimed a section banner and won a playoff game. Trest captained Canon-Mac to a 16-9 season that ended after two play-in games for the PIAA tournament.
After tying Peters Township for the Section 4-AAAA banner with an 11-3 slate, the Lady Macs edged Fox Chapel, 51-49, in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs because of Trest’s game-winning basket with 6.8 seconds to play in overtime. Trest finished with a game-high 27 points in the victory. The Lady Macs finished 16-9 overall.
For the season, Trest averaged 17 points per game. She dished up five assists an outing as well. She holds the school record for points in one game with 33 and has amassed 875 markers in three seasons. A three-year starter, Trest earned all-section, first-team honors.
“Cheyenne is not a vocal leader,” said C-M head coach Lou Waller, “but clearly the girls on her team follow her heart. Without her leadership, there is no way the team would have had a record-breaking season.”
When she isn’t assisting the basketball team, Trest lends her talents to the soccer squad. She was a member of the Lady Macs’ WPIAL and PIAA runner-up clubs in 2014.
Gina Vallecorso
This Bishop Canevin senior started her career as a champion and completed it in much the same fashion. She helped the Crusaders win two WPIAL titles, including this year’s banner with a 53-33 win against Greensburg Central Catholic in the Class AA final at the Petersen Center. Vallecorso won a PIAA title as a freshman.
In leading the Crusaders to a 23-5 season that ended in the second round of the PIAA tournament, Vallecorso fired in 11 points per game. She also paced the club with seven rebounds an outing.
Vallecorso finished her scholastic career with 1,191 points. A three-time Almanac first-team selection, she also garnered top honors in Section 3-AA. Vallecorso will continue her playing career at California University of Pennsylvania. The Vulcans were NCAA Division II champions in 2015 but lost their bid to repeat when they lost to West Liberty in the second round of the tournament.
Madison Kerr
This Peters Township senior is another repeat all-star performer for The Almanac as well as Section 4-AAAA. Kerr captained the Lady Indians to a share of the section title with Canon-McMillan and an 18-5 overall record.
Kerr led the team in three statistical categories. She averaged 15.6 tallies per game as well as 8.5 rebounds. She also dished up 2.7 assists to go along with 2.5 steals per game.
Kerr finished her career with 1,414 points, second highest in school history. She also managed 678 rebounds and 250 assists during her scholastic career. She takes her game to Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
“Madison is a role model for student athletes,” said PT floor boss Bert Kendall. “Humble, driven, respected and admired are all qualities that our team has grown to appreciate and expect from Madison. It has been a pleasure coaching her these past three years. We will miss her and wish her all the best at IUP. She will do well.”
Sam Kosmacki
This sophomore stepped up when injuries plagued South Fayette last season. She continued in that role this winter but also supplied some firepower to go along with a defense that limited the opposition to 41.2 points per game.
A section all-star, Kosmacki averaged 12.35 points per game. She grabbed six rebounds and dished up three assists an outing.
Of the 5-11 swing player, Matt Bacco said, “Sam tends to be a bit of a match-up problem because of her height. She can shoot the tree and can get to the basket to create shots for her teammates. She can guard other teams’ guards. She can guard the other team’s best player. She’s extremely versatile and really valuable.”
Shaunay Edmonds
This pint-size point guard proved valuable for Seton-La Salle. A three-year starter, she helped the Rebels reach the state finals twice in her playing career. This winter, she guided SLS to the Section 3-AA title with an 11-1 record. The Rebels finished 15-7 overall after falling to Greensburg Central Catholic, 56-54, in the WPIAL playoffs. The Centurions reached the district finals.
A section all-star, Edmonds dished up 3.5 assists per game. Plus, she managed 3.5 steals. She led the Rebels and ranked among the WPIAL scoring leaders with a 16-point average per game.
“Shaunay was our on-the-court leader,” said SLS head coach Whitney Jones. “She was relied upon heavily throughout the season in a variety of ways. A threat in every facet of the game, she evolved into, not just a dynamic point guard, but a complete, all-around basketball player.”
Kate Sramac
At Mt. Lebanon, this junior continued to evolve into a dynamic point guard.
Sramac dished up 5.4 assists per game. She also provided 12.4 points an outing. Plus, she picked up 2.8 steals per game.
Sramac earned all-section honors in leading the Lebo ladies to a 16-10 record and a playoff berth. Though eliminated by WPIAL champion, Norwin, 56-54, in the district tournament, the Blue Devils rebounded to earn a PIAA-playoff berth.
Mackenzie Wagner
Just a freshman, this 5-8 guard led Chartiers Valley in scoring with a 14.2 average. She also helped the Colts reach the WPIAL quarterfinals before falling to section rival, South Fayette, 44-35. CV finished 15-11 overall after competing in two PIAA play-in games.
A sharpshooter, Wagner connected on 51 of her 3-point field goal attempts. She ranked tied for first on the squad with her sister, Lauren, who is a sophomore. The tandem is nicknamed the “Splash Sisters” in reference to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. The Golden State Warriors’ duo is dubbed the “Splash Brothers” for their prolific talents in leading the NBA in made treys as a guard tandem from the same team.
“Mackenzie and Lauren are accurate shooters with good range and both are very proficient in knocking down the 3-ball to score,” said CV skipper Dan Slain.
Wagner is also accurate from the charity stripe. She converted 91 of 113 attempts from the foul line for an accuracy rate of 80 percent.
In addition to her scoring prowess, Wagner also managed 4.1 rebounds per game to go along with 2.4 steals an outing. She garnered first-team all-section honors in addition to rounding out The Almanac’s Elite Eleven list.
Marisa is ROTY
As a freshman, Makenna Marisa started every game for Peters Township and helped the Indians claim a stake in the Section 4-AAAA crown and advance to the WPIAL playoffs.
In guiding the Indians to an 18-5 record, she averaged 10.4 points per game. She led the team in steals with 3.4 a game. Plus, she blocked 1.4 shots and pulled down four rebounds an outing.
“Makenna has solid basketball skills and became a player we counted on to deliver each game,” said Bert Kendall. “Her upside is high. We anticipate good things from her again next season.”
For her efforts, Marisa earned Almanac Rookie of the Year honors.
Bacco best coach
In the eight seasons that Matt Bacco has coached, South Fayette has always qualified for the playoffs. But the 2015-16 campaign proved different. The Lions roared all the way to the WPIAL finals and their first girls’ basketball championship in school history. The Lions also reached the PIAA playoffs for the fifth time and gave Villa Maria Academy, a top-ranked team in the nation, all it could handle before succumbing in the state quarterfinals. The Lions finished 24-4 overall.
In guiding the Lions to new heights, Bacco has been named Almanac Coach of the Year.
Honorable mention:
Among the area athletes garnering honorable mention recognition on The Almanac girls’ basketball team are:
• Erin Joyce and Brionna Allen from Bishop Canevin. A senior, Joyce averaged 10.2 points per game. She buried 69 treys this season and finished with 226 career 3-point field goals. The Crusaders’ best defensive player, Allen managed 8.9 points and eight rebounds per game.
• Becca Turney and Kierra King from Canon-McMillan. A second-team all-section selection, Turney averaged 10 points and eight rebounds per game. An honorable mention selection, King averaged eight points per game during her junior year of action with the Lady Macs.
• Alexa Williamson and Jala Walker from Chartiers-Houston. Both gained Section 3-AA recognition. A sophomore, Williamson was averaging 19.4 points before suffering a season-ending injury. A junior, Walker picked up the pace in Williamson’s absence from the line-up. The guard fired in 16.5 points per game.
• Nicole Olkosky, Abbey Collins and Lauren Wagner from Chartiers Valley.
A two-year starter, Olkosky averaged eight points per game. A team captain, she is committed to the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown to play basketball. “Nicole was our team leader and a stalwart for us on defense this past season,” said Dan Slain.
A junior and captain, Collins managed 6.0 points per game. “Abbey was a coach on the court,” said Slain, “and an outstanding on-ball defender.”
A sophomore and captain, Wagner averaged 11.6 points per game. She cashed in on 61, three-point field goals. She buried a career-best six treys in a 56-52 overtime loss to South Fayette. “Lauren is an excellent shooter,” said Slain.
• Maryah Agurs from Keystone Oaks. This senior swing player helped the Golden Eagles win 10 games. They just missed qualifying for the playoffs out of challenging Section 5-AAA.
• McKenzie Bushee and Maura Wallace from Mt. Lebanon. A remnant from Lebo’s last PIAA championship squad, Wallace averaged 7.9 points and 2.4 assists per game. A junior, Bushee led the Blue Devils in scoring with 15.7 points per game. She also grabbed 8.8 rebounds.
• Alyssa Konopka from Peters Township. A junior, Konopka contributed “athleticism” and “speed” to her team’s success. “A knock-down shooter with explosive speed to the hoop made her a true asset this season,” said Bert Kendall.
• Madalena Psillidis from Seton-La Salle. A senior, Psillidis averaged 12 points and seven rebounds a game for the Rebels. She also converted 38 percent of her 3-point field goal attempts.
“Madalena was the glue of our team and wasn’t ever allowed to have a bad day,” said Whitney Jones. “With limited varsity experience entering the season, she blossomed into a go-to player with absolute grace. She demonstrates class, leadership and talent wherever she goes and is the ideal student-athlete as well as an outstanding member of the SLS community.”
• Liv McClelland and Ally Steve from Upper St. Clair. This duo proved the bright spot in an otherwise dismal season for the Panthers, who posted a 5-17 record. Both garnered second-team honors on the Section 4-AAAA all-star list.
Players to watch
Among the players to watch include:
• Shamyjha Price from Bishop Canevin. This freshman earned Section 3-AA first-team honors. She averaged 8.0 points per game.
• Jamey Napoleon from Mt. Lebanon. This freshman post player averaged 7.9 points per game. She started more than half of the season for the Blue Devils and blocked 32 shots, an average of 6.8 per game.
• Maddie Gutierrez and Skylar Aitken from South Fayette. A sophomore in her first year as a varsity starter, Gutierrez stepped in to the fill a void when Carlee Kilgus went down with an injury. A freshman, Aitken played a solid role as a reserve guard for the Lions.