High school roundup for Jan. 13, 2023: North Hills’ Royce Parham beats buzzer; Bryce Epps breaks South Allegheny record

By: Tribune-Review
Friday, January 13, 2023 | 11:52 PM

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Royce Parham dropped a game-high 34 points and sank the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to lead North Hills to a 62-61 overtime victory over South Fayette in Section 4-5A boys basketball Friday night.

Jake Pollaro added 13 points for North Hills (10-2, 4-0). Michael Plasko put up 29 points, Gavin Orosz added 14 and Elijah Hill had 13 for South Fayette (6-6, 0-4), which erased a 22-point halftime deficit to force overtime.

Wow. What a finish – and Royce Parham becomes Mr. Clutch. After South Fayette took 61-59 lead with 4 seconds left, look what happened next. Royce 3-pointer wins it and he finishes with 34, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks. pic.twitter.com/vV6fwDFHK3

— NH Basketball (@NorthHillsHoops) January 14, 2023

South Allegheny 68, Quaker Valley 42 – Bryce Epps scored 31 points, becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer, as South Allegheny (12-0, 4-0) beat Quaker Valley (7-4, 3-1) in Section 4-4A. Epps had 1,632 points, breaking the record of 1,631 set by Michael Kurka in 1983. Michael Michalski added 18 points and Cameron Epps had 10 for the Gladiators. Joseph Coyle scored 20 and Troy Kozar added 10 points for the Quakers.

Aliquippa 68, Laurel 43 – Donovan Walker scored 19 points and Cameron Lindsey had 17 for Aliquippa (7-2, 4-0) in a Section 1-2A win over Laurel (5-7, 2-2). Greg Preisser led the Spartans with 21 points and Laban Baker had 12.

Allderdice 63, Carrick 33 – Logan Golle scored 21 points to power Allderdice (12-3, 5-0) to a City League victory. Major Rainey had 15 points and Sam Kelly added 14. Josiah Burt led Carrick (4-10, 1-4) with nine points.

Baldwin 71, Hempfield 61 (2OT) – AJ Cherico scored 18 points, Nate Richards had 13 and Joey Carr added 11 while Nate Wesling and James Wesling scored 10 points apiece for Baldwin (8-5, 3-1) in a Section 2-6A win over Hempfield (5-8, 1-3) in double overtime. Harry Sowers put up 28 points and Drew Gordon finished with 19 for the Spartans.

Beaver 74, Ambridge 51 – Brady Mayo led all scorers with 22 points while Sawyer Butler and Alex Tomalski each scored 12 as Beaver (11-1, 4-1) cruised to a Section 2-4A win. Karmelo Green dropped 18 points for Ambridge (4-8, 1-4).

Beaver Falls 63, Ellwood City 32 – Trey Singleton scored 16 points, Isaiah Aeschbacher put up 12 and Da’Sean Anderson had 11 to lead Beaver Falls (5-6, 4-2) to a Section 1-3A win. Chris Smiley scored 10 points for Ellwood City (11-4, 3-2).

Belle Vernon 82, Albert Gallatin 49 – Zion Moore led with 24 points, Quinton Martin followed with 22 and Alonzo Wade added 15 for Belle Vernon (6-6, 2-2) in a Section 3-4A win. Kam Pratt scored 14 points and Aiden Black had 13 for Albert Gallatin (3-9, 0-4).

Bentworth 76, Beth-Center 71 – Landon Urcho dropped 34 points, Chris Harper and Ben Hays each scored 12 and Christian May finished with 10 to lift Bentworth (8-5, 3-3) past Beth-Center (1-12, 0-5) in Section 4-2A. Jason Zeli put up 24 points, Santino Revi added 14 and Jonah Sussan and Dom Revi scored 11 points apiece for the Bulldogs.

Brashear 57, Perry Traditional Academy 47 – Trent Milner scored 15 points to lead four players in double figures for Brashear (6-7, 4-1) in a City League win. Jayden Nelson had 14, Garett White 13 and Titus Gillett 12. Ahmad Arrington scored 12 and Quinsean Reese had 11 for Perry (3-9, 1-3).

Burgettstown 75, Frazier 52 – Zack Schrockman led all scorers with 26 points, James Leuice added 19, Andrew Bredel finished with 17 and Caleb Russell finished with 13 points to lead Burgettstown (6-6, 4-1) to a Section 4-2A win. Keyshaun Thompson dropped 23 points and Brennan Stewart added 16 for Frazier (1-13, 0-5).

Burrell 61, Apollo-Ridge 42 – Tucker Bitar scored 17 points and Macky Bennis added 14 as Burrell (7-6, 4-1) jumped out to a 22-4 lead after one quarter in a Section 3-3A win. Esau King-Buchak added 12. Cooper Gourley led Apollo-Ridge (1-12, 0-6) with nine points.

Carlynton 53, Avella 18 – Jaiden McClure scored 14 points and Chase Jones added 11 to help Carlynton (9-4, 3-1) past Avella (3-12, 1-3) in Section 1-A.

Central Catholic 55, Butler 33 – Cole Sullivan scored 16 points and Dante DePante added 15 as Central Catholic (6-5, 3-1) followed a victory over New Castle with a decisive Section 1-6A win. Braylon Littlejohn scored 10 points to lead Butler (10-3, 2-2).

Deer Lakes 76, Valley 32 – Nate Litrun scored 23 points to lead Deer Lakes (7-6, 4-1) past Valley (2-12, 1-4) in Section 3-3A. Bryce Robson added 14 and Michael Butler had 11 for the Lancers.

Eden Christian 66, Bishop Canevin 44 – Ryan Merrick scored 17 points and Eden Christian (10-2, 4-0) jumped out to a 31-15 lead after one quarter in a matchup between the top two teams in Section 2-2A. David Ryan added 12 points and Noah Elias had 11. Shea Champine had a game-high 25 for Bishop Canevin (10-1, 3-1), which suffered its first loss.

Fort Cherry 80, Carmichaels 50 – Owen Norman led all scorers with 23 points, Lucas Errett added 19 and Matt Sieg dropped 13 points to lead Fort Cherry (12-2, 5-0) to a Section 4-2A win. Tyler Richmond scored 17 and Aydan Adamson finished with 11 points for Carmichaels (8-6, 2-3).

Fox Chapel 55, Woodland Hills 45 – Erik Wilson and Kam Greil each scored 16 points to boost Fox Chapel (9-5, 2-2) past Woodland Hills (8-5, 2-2) in Section 2-5A. Chaz Cobbs scored 15 points and Cruz McMillan added 11 for the Wolverines.

Geibel 90, California 46 – Jaydis Kennedy scored 29 points and Jeff Johnson added 25 for Geibel (5-6, 3-1) in a Section 2-A win. Trevon White had 13 and Jesse Pokol 10. Aidan Lowden led California (4-8, 0-3) with 20 points and 17 rebounds. Dom Martini added 10.

Greensburg Central Catholic 59, Clairton 54 – Tyree Turner put up 25 points and Franco Alvarez scored 15 to lift Greensburg Central (8-5, 4-1) past Clairton (6-6, 3-3) in a Section 3-2A showdown. DaShawn Hines scored 14 points and Kaden Smith finished with 13 for the Bears.

Hampton 60, Knoch 45 – Braxton Eastly scored 19 points and Peter Kramer added 14 to lead Hampton (11-2, 4-0) to a Section 1-4A victory. Jackson Bauman led Knoch (4-9, 2-1) with 12 points.

Highlands 97, Indiana 59 – Bradyn Foster had a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds, Jimmy Kunst followed with 23 points, Cameron Reigard scored 16 points with four 3-pointers and Jordyn Tavarez finished with 11 as Highlands (11-2, 3-1) crushed Indiana (5-8, 1-3) in Section 1-4A. Stanford Webb scored 20 points and drained four 3-pointers and Gavin Homer added 14 points for Indiana.

Imani Christian 92, Summit Academy 49 – Dame Givner put up 27 points, Nate Brazil followed with 21, Virgil Hall added 15 points and Avery Wesley had 12 as Imani Christian (6-5, 4-0) won a Section 3-A matchup. Elijah Adams and Allen Grimes each scored 18 points for Summit Academy (6-3, 2-2).

Jeannette 40, Springdale 28 – Giovonni Merola scored 17 points to pace Jeannette (8-4, 3-2) in a Section 3-2A win against Springdale (6-8, 1-4). Mason Gent led the Dynamos with eight points.

Jefferson-Morgan 36, West Greene 31 – Troy Wright led Jefferson-Morgan (9-5, 3-1) to a Section 2-A win with 18 points. Lane Allison scored 12 points for West Greene (2-11, 1-3).

Keystone Oaks 65, Brentwood 58 – Mirlond Jakupi dropped 24 points and drained seven 3-pointers to drive Keystone Oaks (6-6, 3-2) past Brentwood (4-10, 1-5) in Section 2-3A. Clinton Robinson scored 15 points and Tulio Watts added 10 for the Golden Eagles. Carter Betz and Tallan Hammermeier scored 17 points apiece for the Spartans.

Kiski Area 70, McKeesport 56 – Isaiah Gonzalez dropped 23 points, Jason Flemm added 14 and Colin Keller scored 11 as Kiski Area (6-8, 2-2) grabbed a Section 3-5A win. Travarese Rowe put up 22 points and Javonta Belton had 12 for McKeesport (4-8, 2-2).

Laurel Highlands 74, Southmoreland 53 – Rodney Gallagher led with 23 points, Keondre DeShields followed with 22 and Mason Bolish added 10 to lead Laurel Highlands (11-1, 4-0) past Southmoreland (8-5, 1-3) in a Section 3-4A win. Elijah Myers scored 16 points, Wyatt Richter had 15 and Ty Keffer added 10 for the Scotties.

Lincoln Park 72, Central Valley 54 – Brandin Cummings and Meleek Thomas scored 20 points each and DeAndre Moye added 11 to lead Lincoln Park (12-0, 5-0) past Central Valley (3-9, 0-4) in Section 2-4A. Jayvin Thompson led the Warriors with 19 points.

Mars 71, Chartiers Valley 34 – Tasso Sfanos led with 31 points, Ryan Ceh added 17 and Remi Black had 12 for Mars (9-2, 3-1) in a Section 4-5A win. Drew Sleva scored 14 points for Chartiers Valley (12-2, 2-2).

Mohawk 76, New Brighton 51 – Kiegan Hopper dropped 19 points, Deven Sudziak scored 14 and made four 3-pointers and Jay Wrona finished with 11 as Mohawk (12-1, 4-1) beat New Brighton (2-10, 0-5) in Section 1-3A. Isaiah Hayhurst led all scorers with 24 points and drained four 3-pointers and Isaac Kohlmeyer added 12 points for the Lions.

Monessen 56, Mapletown 27 – Jaisean Blackman and Timothy Kershaw scored 14 points apiece and Tyvaughn Kershawn added 13 as Monessen (11-1, 4-0) defeated Mapletown (4-8, 1-3) in Section 2-1A. Jeremiah Mack finished with 10 points for the Maples.

Montour 55, Avonworth 42 – Jake Wolfe scored 20 points and Ama Tening Sow added 13 to lead Montour (4-8, 1-2) past Avonworth (5-7, 1-3) in a Section 4-4A win. Rowan Carmichael led the Antelopes with 13 points.

Mt. Lebanon 69, Norwin 50 – Lucas Garofoli scored 23 points and buried five 3-pointers and Tanner Donati finished with 14 to lead Mt. Lebanon (9-4, 4-0) to a Section 2-6A victory. Ryan Edwards led Norwin (7-5, 1-3) with 22 points.

Mt. Pleasant 59, Waynesburg 42 – Yukon Daniels scored 21 points and Mt. Pleasant (3-10, 2-3) used a 19-6 run in the second quarter to come away with a Section 4-3A win. Chase McCloy added 15 points and Brayden Caletri had 12. Dane Woods led Waynesburg (2-12, 0-5) with 14 points. Alex Vansickle had 12 and Jackson Dean 10.

Nazareth Prep 69, Propel Braddock Hills 66 (2OT) – Kevin Mickens scored 33 points and Will Evans added 21 to lead Nazareth Prep (5-6, 2-2) to a Section 2-2A win in double overtime. Benjamin Mayhew and Giontae Clemmons scored 28 points each for Propel Braddock Hills (6-8, 2-2).

North Catholic 89, Blackhawk 54 – Max Hurray scored 26 points, Andrew Maddalon had 24 and Matt Ellery added 17 with five three-pointers to lead North Catholic (8-5, 4-1) over Blackhawk (7-5, 3-2) in a Section 2-4A win. Jacob Patton scored 15 points and Grant Wissner had 14 for the Cougars.

North Star 69, Ligonier Valley 65 – Brady Weimer dropped 27 points as North Star beat Ligonier Valley (3-11) in nonsection play. Parker Hollick scored 23 points and Hayden Sierocky added 18 for the Rams, whose 30-point fourth-quarter rally came up short.

Obama Academy 52, Westinghouse 35 – Kevian Harris and Torrien Perkins scored 14 points apiece and Xzavier Rodgers added 13 to help Obama Academy (5-7, 3-2) to a City League win. Davon Jones led Westinghouse (0-7, 0-4) with nine points.

OLSH 80, Seton LaSalle 52 – Rocco Spadafora led OLSH (11-2, 5-0) with 30 points in a Section 2-3A win over Seton LaSalle (3-8, 3-2). Bryson Kirchner scored 12, Rocco Coladonato had 11, and Dereon Greer added 10 for the Chargers. Connor Spratt had 16, Hayden Mercant 11 and Luke Masua 10 for the Rebels.

Penn Hills 64, Plum 27 – Daemar Kelly scored 14 points, Rob Thomas added 11 and Julian Dugger finished with 10 as Penn Hills (8-2, 4-0) beat Plum (5-9, 1-3) in Section 2-5A. Will Beckner had 12 points to lead the Mustangs.

Peters Township 75, Trinity 44 – Evan McCullough led with 17 points, Jack Dunbar had 11 and Jake Ziegler added 10 for Peters Township (10-3, 3-1) in a Section 1-5A win over Trinity (6-7, 1-3). Tim Hodges scored 13 points and Owen Wayman had 12 for the Hillers.

Ringgold 57, Connellsville 43 – Lorenzo Glasser scored 20 points and Daryl Tolliver had 16 to lead Ringgold (3-11, 1-3) in a Section 1-5A win. Jayden McBride led Connellsville (0-14, 0-4) with 14 points.

Riverside 59, Freedom 43 – Nate Kolesar scored 16 points and Sam Hughes and Drake Fox added 11 points each to push Riverside (4-10, 2-3) past Freedom (1-12, 0-5) in a Section 1-3A win. Nate Dinardo led the Bulldogs with 12 points.

Seneca Valley 64, North Allegheny 42 – Connor Oros led all scorers with 18 points, Andrew Roy added 14, Tyler Pepin had 12 and Luke Lawson finished with 10 for Seneca Valley (5-7, 2-2) in a Section 1-6A win. Anthony Sciote and Joe Dopirak each scored 12 points for North Allegheny (4-8, 1-4).

Shady Side Academy 66, Derry 63 – Eli Teslovich scored 21 points and Seamus Riordan added 17 as Shady Side Academy (9-3, 5-0) got past Derry in Section 3-3A. Ethan Salvia added 13 and Nate Mallory had 12. Nate Papuga led the Trojans (6-6, 2-3) with 21 points. Gabe Carbonara had 18 and Brady Angus added 13.

Shaler 62, Armstrong 55 – TJ Belles scored 15 points, Julian Vizzoca added 14, Kaden Orga had 11 and Brandon London finished with 10 as Shaler (11-3, 3-1) beat Armstrong (9-4, 1-3) in Section 2-5A. Isaiah Brown and Jack Valasek scored 15 points apiece and Cadin Olsen and Ian Olsen each scored 11 points for the River Hawks.

Sto-Rox 60, South Park 41 – Jaymont Green-Miller led with 30 points and Josh Jenkins added 14 to lead Sto-Rox (4-7, 2-3) past South Park (4-7, 2-3) in a Section 2-3A win. Luke Scarff scored 19 points and Harper Conroy had 12 for the Eagles.

Neighborhood Academy 53, St. Joseph 48 – Shamar Simpson scored 13 points to lead Neighborhood Academy (9-2, 2-2) to a Section 3-A. Nate Hargrove and John Wilkins scored 11 and Courtney Wallace had 10. Jimmy Giannetta scored 18 and Ethan Zale added 17 for St. Joseph (5-7, 0-3).

Union 66, Rochester 44 – Matt Stanley led with 20 points, Peyton Lombardo followed with 19 and Kaden Fisher added 11 for Union (11-0, 3-0) in a Section 1-A win. Jerome Mullins scored 15 points and Xavier Rigby had 10 for Rochester (5-7, 2-2).

Uniontown 69, Elizabeth Forward 38 – Notorious Grooms scored 17 points, Jamire Braxton had 16 and Bakari Wallace added 15 to lead Uniontown (13-1, 4-0) to a Section 3-4A win. Isaiah Turner scored 11 points and Cy Herchelroath had 10 for Elizabeth Forward (5-9, 1-3).

Upper St. Clair 65, Canon-McMillan 39 – Julian Dahlem and Devin Hall each scored 12 points, Matthew Gaither dropped 11 and Christian Ito added 10 for Upper St. Clair (8-6, 3-1) in a Section 2-6A win over Canon-McMillan (3-10, 0-4).

West Allegheny 53, Moon 50 (OT) – Brandon Bell scored 18 points, Tyler Blatz added 11 and Justin Manns had 10 points as West Allegheny (6-8, 1-3) beat Moon (6-5, 2-2) in overtime in Section 4-5A. Elijah Guillory, Michael Santicola, Aiden Reesman and Charles Depner all scored 10 points apiece for the Tigers.

West Mifflin 75, East Allegheny 57 – Joseph Fleming scored 15 points, Shai Newby had 13 and Jordan Lucas-Johnson added 12 to lead West Mifflin (5-6, 2-2) past East Allegheny (2-7, 3-0) in a Section 4-4A win. Brennan Ruttledge scored 15 points and Troy Anderson had 14 for the Wildcats.

Western Beaver 72, Cornell 36 – Chantz Cottrill scored 20 points, Levi Gray followed with 19 and Jon Backur finished with 14 points as Western Beaver (8-6, 2-2) doubled up Cornell (0-10, 0-3) in Section 1-A. Amir Turner scored 14 and Julian Cordice had 12 points for the Raiders.

Winchester Turston 45, Propel Montour 28 – Henry McComb scored 20 points for Winchester Thurston (2-8, 1-3) and Grai Taylor had 11 points for Propel Montour (0-11, 0-4) in Section 2-2A play.

Yough 43, McGuffey 23 – Terek Crosby dropped 20 points and buried four 3-pointers and Austin Matthews had 10 points to lead Yough (7-7, 3-2) in a Section 4-3A win. Philip McCuen led McGuffey (9-6, 3-2) with eight points.

Girls basketball

Avella 61, Jefferson-Morgan 27 – Katie Dryer scored 20 points and Hannah Brownlee added 18 to help Avella (7-7, 2-2) even its record in Section 2-A. Kayla Larkin scored 12 for Jefferson-Morgan (0-14, 0-4).

Baldwin 49, Bethel Park 46 – Bre’anna Swailes scored 14 points and Gianna Schoeb added 11 to lead Baldwin (6-9, 2-4) past Bethel Park (5-7, 2-3) in Section 2-6A. Sophia Nath scored 15 points and Mary Boff had 12 for the Black Hawks.

Belle Vernon 63, South Park 32 – Farrah Reader scored 16 points and Kenzi Seliga added 15 to lead Belle Vernon (8-6) at the MVI Shootout Classic at California. Ella Clifford had nine points on three 3-pointers for South Park (5-8).

Chartiers Valley 56, Peters Township 54 – Emma Reynolds scored 18 points, Ella Cupka had 15 and Lilah Turnball added 13 to push Chartiers Valley (7-4, 3-2) past Peters Township (8-6, 2-3) in a Section 2-6A win. Natalie Wetzel scored 23 points and Gemma Walker had 17 for the Indians.

Hampton 41, Shaler 32 – Meghan Murray put up 19 points and Kat Milon scored 12 points on four 3-pointers as Hampton (9-5, 3-2) grabbed a Section 2-5A win. Haley Kostorick scored 13 points to lead Shaler (10-4, 2-3).

Monessen 55, California 33 – Led by 15 points from Sidney Campbell, 14 from Madison Johnson and 10 from Hailey Johnson, Monessen (7-4) picked up a win at the MVI Shootout Classic. Rakiyah Porter scored 14 for host California (6-7).

Serra Catholic 65, Charleroi 31 – Cate Clarke scored 20 points to lead Serra Catholic (8-1) at the MVI Shootout Classic. Rylee Allebach and Caitlyn Cooley each had 11 and Brianna Battles added 10 for the Eagles. McKenna DeUnger and Bella Carroto each scored 12 points for Charleroi (8-4).

South Allegheny 52, Clairton 40 – Emily Beaumont scored 20 points and Alyssa McCutcheon added 11 as South Allegheny (6-7) beat Clairton (5-4) in the MVI Shootout Classic. Iyanna Wade scored all of the Bears’ 26 second-half points and finished with 32.