Malcolm reaches milestone in Chartiers Valley victory
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Aislin Malcolm is the all-time scorer in Chartiers Valley girls basketball history with 1,671 points.
Aislin Malcolm became the all-time leading scorer in girls basketball history at Chartiers Valley High School when she scored 19 points in a playoff win against Connellsville.
Whether on the court or in the classroom, Chartiers Valley senior Aislin Malcolm settles for nothing less than the best.
Academically, she pulls down a 4.7 GPA. Athletically, she is the all-time leading scorer in CV girls basketball history.
Malcolm accomplished that feat Feb. 22 during a first-round playoff win. She fired in 19 points in a 72-33 triumph against Connellsville in the WPIAL Class 5A tournament.
She stands at 1,671 career points. That is one more than MacKenzie Wagner totaled in setting the record.
“The record is well-deserved,” said CV coach Tim McConnell. “Aislin has put in all the hard work and time to become a great basketball players. Her work ethic is second to none and her attitude is another reason why she is so successful.”
In her four-year career, Malcolm also set the school record for 3-point field goals. She has helped the Colts to a 104-5 overall record heading into their quarterfinal playoff clash against Oakland Catholic.
An all-state performer, Malcolm also owns fours section titles, three WPIAL titles and a PIAA championship.
“Aislin is a perfectionist,” McConnell said. “She won’t stop practicing until she gets everything right. She is the same way in the classroom. She puts in all the hours each day to become the player and person she is today.”
A Pitt recruit, Malcolm plays within the system. She is one of three players on the team that have scored more than 1,000 points in their careers.
Perri Page and Hallie Cowan are the others. They did their part in helping the Colts dispatch the Falcons. Page and Cowan each tallied 11 points as CV improved to 22-1 overall.
“We played well,” McConnell said. “I really like the team effort and the way we defended.”
The win over Connellsville put the Colts one step closer to a possible championship showdown with South Fayette.
As the No. 2 seed behind CV, the Lions beat Greensburg Salem, 63-28, in a first-round playoff game.
Lainey Yater led the attack for South Fayette with 10 points.
“It was a total team victory,” said Lions coach Bryan Bennett. “Our scoring was balanced and we looked to find the open person. The kids shared the ball really well.”
The Lions also played well on defense, forcing 18 turnovers and scoring 25 points off those miscues.
“They key to the game was our pressure defense,” Bennett said. “We were able to take them out of their offensive sets.”
An eight-day layoff almost altered South Fayette’s games. The Lions had not played since a 53-24 victory against Montour on Valentine’s Day.
“It was nice to get a victory under our belt,” Bennett said. “Since we didn’t play for over a week, we were worried about being rusty.”
With the win, South Fayette improved to 19-4 overall. The Lions were scheduled to play Latrobe (18-3) for the right to compete in the semifinals set for Feb. 28 at a site and time to be determined.
“We have a big challenge ahead of us,” Bennett said. “Latrobe is big, physical and really well-coached.”