South Fayette spars with Chartiers Valley again
Despite the defensive efforts of Ringgold defenders, Samantha Kosmacki rises up to the hoop for a bucket for South Fayette.
South Fayette’s Carlee Kilgus maneuvers her way around and a Ringgold defender and scores a basket during WPIAL 5-A girls’ basketball playoff action.
With a 60-37 win against Ringgold, South Fayette (17-5) moved into well-known territory in the WPIAL girls’ basketball playoffs. The Lions reached the quarterfinals and will meet a familiar opponent when they play Chartiers Valley on Feb. 25.
En route to last year’s championship, the Lions beat the Colts, 44-35. This year, it will be the third sparring between the squads. In section play, the teams split decisions, each winning on the opponent’s home court.
“We feel it’s Round 3. We won Round 1. They won Round 2,” said SF skipper Matt Bacco. “This is the big one to advance. They are a very good team. If we come out and play our best, then we have a chance.”
“With all due respect,” added CV skipper Dan Slain, “South Fayette has to be viewed as the toughest team in the tournament since they are still the defending champions until somebody knocks them off.”
The Rams attempted to topple the Lions but failed in part because South Fayette made critical adjustments at halftime. In fact, the Lions outscored Ringgold, 23-9 in a critical third quarter.
“These kids responded,” Bacco explained.
“We do a number of different things defensively to try and keep teams out of their rhythm. I felt we kept them off balance and we were able to switch the tempo in the third quarter with the variety of our man-to-man defenses. We disrupted their tempo and created turnovers.”
Maddie Gutierrez responded in the third quarter, burying two three-pointers that broke open the contest. The junior guard led the Lions with 18 points. Sam Kosmacki chipped in with 15 points while Carlee Kilgus followed with 11.
Part of the plan against CV will be similar to the one employed against the Rams, particularly in the second half.
“We want to play at a fast pace. It’s fun to play that way,” Bacco said. “We like to use the open space.
After beating the Rams, South Fayette had no time to celebrate, just prepare for the next opponent.
“It’s back to business as usual,” Bacco said. “We focus on ourselves. If we do what we do well, then we have a chance to advance.”
The Colts hope to advance by tapping the potential of their leaders. Mackenzie Wagner is the top scorer, averaging 15.5 points per game, followed by Megan McConnell, Gabi Legister and Lauren Wagner, all with 10-point averages. Abbey Collins manages 5.5 and runs the offense.
“These five starters (including our subs off of the bench) are a group that trusts and cares about each other, they play for each other, they are unselfish and they know how to share the ball,” said Slain. “It’s a group that’s more focused on wins than who was the high scorer in a game. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to coach a group of players who don’t care who gets the credit as long as our team wins.”
What has worked in the past for the Colts, they hope will bring continued success. This season their goals have been four-fold. “Defend tenaciously, rebound relentlessly, share the ball and compete hard for 32 minutes,” Slain said.
“This mantra has served us well this season and it will continue to be our “battle cry” going into the playoffs. Teamwork makes the dream work and we realize as a team that defense, rebounding, playing unselfish basketball and competing hard on every possession in a game are the keys to earning victories and in winning championships.”