Kosmacki surpasses milestone
Sam Kosmacki recently surpassed the 1,000-point milestone in her career playing basketball for South Fayette.
Sam Kosmacki drives around Mia Cuccaro during South Fayette’s 63-42 loss to Oakland Catholic in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5-A girls’ basketball playoffs. Kosmacki, who recently topped 1,000 points for her career, finished with 11 tallies in the loss.
During the past four years, the South Fayette girls’ basketball program soared to heights never attained before by the program and Samantha Kosmacki has been instrumental in that success.
“She has had a heck of a career,” said SF skipper Matt Bacco. “She’s meant so much to the program.”
Kosmacki led the Lions to two trips to the Petersen Events Center to compete for WPIAL championships, claiming the crown in 2016. She guided South Fayette to the western regional final in 2017, falling one game shy of competing for a PIAA title.
Quietly, she also reached personal milestones. She topped the 1,000-point plateau on Feb. 2 when she scored her first basket in a 58-55 loss to West Allegheny.
“Reaching 1,000 points was a surprise not a goal,” said the 18-year-old daughter of Fran and Linda Kosmacki. “I am blessed to have been able to achieve this accomplishment. I am thankful for my great teammates and all of my coaches for helping me get here.”
Kosmacki reached a level few attain the hard way. She worked to get there.
She tried “a bunch” of different sports but settled upon basketball, an activity she has played since age 6. “As I got older,” she said, “I realized that I enjoyed basketball the most.”
The 5-11 senior mastered both the inside attack as well as the outside game. She controlled the action for the Lions, mainly from the point-guard position.
“Sam’s versatility is unique,” said Bacco when asked what made Kosmacki special. “She has great size and length, can run the floor, shoot the three and play in the post. Her transition game is difficult to stop, too. When she gets loose in open space, she is tough to contain.”
In the opening round of the WPIAL Class 5-A tournament, however, Oakland Catholic (15-8) discovered a way to contain Kosmacki and all of the Lions. The Eagles clawed out a 62-42 victory and ended South Fayette’s season at 12-9.
While Jordan Head led the team with 14 points, Kosmacki was held to 11 tallies. Nine of her points came in the first half, when the Lions trailed only by a slim, 28-26, margin. The Eagles pulled away by dominating the glass, including the offensive boards, affording them several shots at the hoop.
Oakland Catholic also featured a balanced attack as four players scored in double figures: Jade Boyd (16), Alexis Sestric (14), Sierra DeAngelo (13) and Cierra Christian (12). Boyd pulled in 10 rebounds.
Losing in the first round of the playoffs was a novelty and disappointment for Kosmacki, who had felt section games against West-A and Chartiers Valley, which won last year’s WPIAL final, as well as exhibition games with Trinity, a triple-overtime thriller, and Bishop Canevin, last year’s WPIAL 4-A champion, had prepared the Lions for a long run in the playoffs. Along with Oakland Catholic, those four teams contributed to the Lions ending the season on a five-game losing streak.
Kosmacki noted those games were “learning experiences” and opportunities to “grow” and “finish games to the end” in order to have been successful in the post-season.
Nevertheless she is proud and pleased with what the team has accomplished over the years.
“We have reached several firsts in school history and created many great memories,” she said. “I am proud to say that I have played for this program. I am going to miss the experiences I have had with my team over the years.”
The program will miss Kosmacki, too. Bacco noted that accomplishments such as 1,000 points “speaks to how much of a contributor” she has been to the program over her career.
“She has grown a lot and still has much more room to grow.”
While undecided concerning her college choices, Kosmacki plans to play at the next level and thus should experience that growth.
While she acknowledged her strengths are her understanding of the game and her versatility, Kosmacki said she’d like to improve her shooting and continue to grow as a leader. “I hope to continue to play basketball in college,” added Kosmacki, who plans to major in a field related to math or science.
Age: 18
Birthdate: November 26
Parents: Fran and Linda Kosmacki
Siblings: Tyler
High School: South Fayette
Year: Senior
Sports: Basketball
Other activities & clubs: National Honors Society and Band
GPA: 3.94
College choice: Undecided
Major: A field related to math or science.
Color: Blue
Food: BBQ chicken
Movie: The Blind Side
Music: Ed Sheeran
Restaurant: Primanti Brothers
Book: “Sum It Up” by Pat Summit
Dream Destination: Greece
Favorite athlete: Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russel Westbrook
People might be surprised to know this about you? I play the trumpet.
Who you would like to have dinner with? Minnesota Lynx WNBA player Maya Moore.
What has sport taught you & prepared you for life? Sports have taught me the value of team work and work ethic. I believe that sports have challenged me to earn what I strive for, work well with others, and adapt to various situations and environments.
What like best about your sport? That basketball is a team sport and is competitive.
In 15 years, I will be… I hope to have a family, a good job, and a happy life.