Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Player of the Week: March 6, 2022

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, March 6, 2022 | 10:10 PM

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South Fayette was the No. 2 seed in the WPIAL Class 5A girls basketball tournament, but few gave them or anyone else a chance as top-seeded Chartiers Valley was shooting for a fourth straight district title.

“We never talked about it,” South Fayette coach Bryan Bennett. “Our goal for the entire playoff run was to give our best effort for four quarters in every game. We prepared for each opponent the same way. Chartiers Valley is an outstanding basketball team with a lot of talent. We were able to play them tough two times during the regular season but we did not play four quarters in those games.

“We knew we needed to start strong to have a chance to beat them. I thought the kids came out as the aggressor on Saturday and we were not intimidated by the moment.”

After beating Greensburg Salem and Latrobe in the first two rounds, South Fayette faced McKeesport in a semifinals dandy Monday as junior Maddie Webber led the way.

“Maddie played outstanding against McKeesport,” Bennett said. “She made several big shots to keep us ahead in the fourth quarter.”

Webber led all scorers with 25 points in the Lions’ 51-48 victory.

The win clinched a spot in the WPIAL finals for the first time since 2016.

Against three-time defending champion Chartiers Valley, Webber continued her outstanding postseason.

“Maddie took what the defense gave her,” Bennett said. “She did a great job getting to the rim and finishing through contact. Maddie was aggressive on the boards. She had nine rebounds which took pressure off our forwards.”

Webber led all Lions scorers with 17 points while teammates Ava Leroux had 11 points and Lainey Yater and Erica Hall had 10 points each in a balanced attack.

“Being the underdog helped us win and it makes it 10 times better,” Webber said after the game.

Bennett thought Webber and the rest of the Lions’ play without the basketball was just as important as getting points on the board.

“I don’t think Maddie gets enough credit for her defense,” he said. “Everyone always talks about how she can score, but she is a lockdown defender. She is capable of guarding multiple positions because of her size and athleticism.”

A big part of the Lions’ victory was their success in the second and third quarters. South Fayette outscored Chartiers Valley, 32-20, in those two quarters.

“We improved our shot selection,” Bennett said. “I thought we forced several shots in the first quarter. We talked at the end of the first quarter about driving the ball and getting to the rim. We also did an outstanding job of rebounding the basketball.”

Webber’s older sister Mia is the only senior in the starting lineup, which bodes well for the future for this young den of Lions. Bennett feels the future is really bright for Maddie Webber.

“Maddie is a very versatile player, which makes her tough to guard. She is an outstanding 3-point shooter but has the ability to finish at the rim. She can play several positions on the floor because of her skill set. We typically have her on the wing, but she has played the point for us. We have also used her in the post when teams put smaller guards on her.”

For now, the newly crowned WPIAL champs prepare for the PIAA postseason, starting with a first-round home game Wednesday against Lampeter-Strasburg.

“I told the kids to enjoy the rest of the weekend,” Bennett said. “A new season begins on Monday.”

2022 Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Players of the Week

Week 9 – Journey Thompson, Peters Township

Week 8 – Nadia Moore, Winchester Thurston

Week 7 – Mallory Daly, Seton LaSalle

Week 6 – Olivia West, Seneca Valley

Week 5 – Graci Fairman, Thomas Jefferson

Week 4 – Corynne Hauser, Rochester

Week 3 – Aislin Malcolm, Chartiers Valley

Week 2 – Julia Ogrodowski, Beth-Center

Week 1 – Morgan Altavilla, Baldwin

Tags: South Fayette