High school roundup for Feb. 5, 2021: Gallagher powers Laurel Highlands

By: Tribune-Review
Friday, February 5, 2021 | 11:39 PM

Rodney Gallagher scored 24 points and No. 5 Laurel Highlands pushed back Section 1-5A challenger Albert Gallatin, winning 69-66 in a marquee boys basketball matchup Friday night.

Caleb Palumbo added 15 points and Brandon Davis had 12 for Laurel Highlands (6-3, 5-0), which held on after taking a 15-point lead at halftime. A.J. Blyden led Albert Gallatin (6-4, 4-3) with 21 points. Dylan Shea had 18 and Nate English contributed 14.

Aliquippa 67, Freedom 29 – Diarriay Walker scored 13 points and Ty Crocker added 11 to help Aliquippa (7-2, 5-0) past Freedom (0-8, 0-5) in Section 2-3A.

Ambridge 66, Hopewell 57 – Damon Astorino scored 26 points and D’Sean Harmon added 22 as Ambridge (3-4, 3-4) won in Section 2-4A. Vozzy Steals added 10 points. Anthony LaSala scored 17 points for Hopewell (0-8, 0-6). Cooper Stala added 14 and Marcus Barkovich 11.

Armstrong 41, Seton LaSalle 29 – Cadin Olsen scored 13 points to lead Armstrong (3-2, 1-2) to a nonsection win over Seton LaSalle (5-5, 2-2).

Avonworth 78, New Brighton 61 – Jordan Kolenda hit for 20 points and Jonah Summers and Andrew Gannon had 10 apiece to pace No. 4 Avonworth (9-1, 4-0) in a Section 2-3A win. JoJo Reynolds led New Brighton (3-7, 1-5) with 16 points. Keandre Williams had 10.

Baldwin 64, Canon-McMillan 52 – Joey Starzinski scored 15 points and Connor Gitzen added 13 to carry Baldwin (4-7, 2-3) past Canon-McMillan (0-9, 0-6) in Section 2-6A.

Bethel Park 47, South Fayette 45 – Dolan Waldo scored 20 points and Logan Wright contributed 11 to boost Bethel Park (3-7, 1-1) to a nonsection win. Logan Yater had 16 and Landon Lutz 11 for South Fayette (4-4, 1-2).

Bishop Canevin 70, Geibel 27 – Jaden Gales scored 23 points and KeVaughn Price added 12 as No. 1 Bishop Canevin (7-3, 4-0) defeated Geibel (4-4, 4-2) in Section 2-A.

Brentwood 69, Brownsville 36 – Led by 15 points from Chase Rosing and 12 from Nathan Ziegler, Brentwood (8-2, 6-1) won in Section 4-3A. Nate Campbell led Brownsville (1-6, 0-5) with 10 points.

Burgettstown 57, Chartiers-Houston 55 – Nathan Klodowski, Jackson LaRocka and Austin Nease all scored 13 points, which was a lucky number for Burgettstown (6-7, 3-5) in a Section 2-2A victory. Lucas Myers scored 18, Austin Arnold 17 and Ahlijah Vaden 16 for Chartiers-Houston (4-9, 2-5).

Burrell 51, Valley 40 — Brandon Coury scored a game-best 19 points, and Caden DiCaprio added 11 to lift the Bucs (5-7) to a nonsection victory. Ben Aftanas scored 13 to lead the Vikings (1-6), and Thomas Albert added 10.

Charleroi 52, McGuffey 39 – Zach Usher scored 27 points to power Charleroi (7-4, 5-3) past McGuffey (5-4, 3-3) in Section 4-3A. Will Wagner added nine points and 11 rebounds.

Chartiers Valley 50, West Allegheny 45 – Garrett Alauzen scored 18 points and No. 2 Chartiers Valley (13-1, 5-1) came back from a two-point deficit after three quarters to win in Section 2-5A. Brayden Reynolds added 15. Scott Bilovus scored 16 for West Allegheny (5-5, 2-5). Joe Pustover had 13.

Derry 52, Deer Lakes 48 — The Trojans (4-3, 4-2) edged the Lancers (6-2, 3-2) in a Section 1-4A matchup. It was Derry’s fourth win in a row after an 0-3 start. Sam Jones led the Trojans with 15 points, while Ryan Bushey scored 14, and Nick Detore added 11. Deer Lakes’ Lucas Tiglio led all scorers with 18 points, while Bryce Robson finished with 15 and Armend Karpuzi 13.

Eden Christian 63, Leechburg 55 — Elijah Manges scored 22 points as Class A No. 2 Eden Christian (9-1, 7-0) topped No. 5 Leechburg (3-3, 3-3) in a Section 3-A clash. Dylan Cook and Eli Rich each scored 15 points for Leechburg, and Braylan Lovelace added 14.

Elizabeth Forward 60, Southmoreland 33 – Zach Boyd scored 14 points and Matt Daniels added 11 to help Elizabeth Forward (6-3, 6-1) to a Section 3-4A win. Vernon Settles added 10. Ty Keffer led Southmoreland (1-10, 0-8) with 15 points.

Ellwood City 78, Mohawk 45 – Steve Antuono poured in 32 points, hitting six 3-pointers, to lead Ellwood City (6-4, 3-3) to a Section 1-3A win. Joseph Roth had 20 and Sam DiCaprio 13. Jay Wrona led Mohawk (1-10, 0-7) with 14 points.

Fox Chapel 47, Penn-Trafford 46 – Eli Yofan had 16 points, six rebounds and four steals to lead No. 3 Fox Chapel (9-2, 5-1) to a Section 3-6A victory. Jake DeMotte chipped in with 10 points. Nick Crum, Ben Myers and Josh Kapcin had 12 points each for Penn-Trafford (7-4, 3-3).

Frazier 82, Jefferson-Morgan 54 – Owen Newcomer hit eight 3-pointers and scored 34 points to power Frazier (8-3, 5-1) to a Section 4-2A win. Luke Santo added 15 and Colton Arison scored 12. Chase Hazelbaker had eight points and 13 rebounds. Taj Jacobs led Jefferson-Morgan (5-7, 3-5) with 22 points. Joseph Cumberledge had 16.

Freeport 68, Keystone Oaks 53 — Cole Charlton scored 17 points, Jason Kijowski added 14, and Conner Holloway tallied 12 for the Yellowjackets (3-4, 2-3) in a Section 1-4A victory. Owen Minford scored 20 and Colin Harris added 10 for Keystone Oaks (1-5, 0-4).

Hampton 60, Shaler 52 – Matt DeMatteo and Braxton Eastly scored 17 points apiece to lead Hampton (2-8, 2-4) to a Section 4-5A win. Brennan Murray added 12. Dylan Schlagel had 13 for Shaler (6-4, 5-3).

Highlands 75, Indiana 29 — The Golden Rams, No. 3 in the Trib HSSN Class 5A rankings, outscored the Indians 29-11 in the first quarter of a Section 4-5A victory over Indiana (0-9, 0-6). Jimmy Kunst scored 22 points, all in the first half, to lead Highlands (9-1, 5-1). Carter Leri added 14 points.

Imani Christian 65, Propel Andrew Street 10 – Amari Wesley scored 19 points to lead Imani Christian (6-2, 5-1) to a Section 3-A win over Propel Andrew Street (0-10, 0-8). Demetrius Epps added 12 points and Aiden Betsill had 11.

Kiski Area 74, Ligonier Valley 46 — Four players scored in double figures for the Cavaliers (2-9) in a nonsection victory. Calvin Heinle hit four 3-pointers and finished with 22 points. James Pearson scored 16, Lebryn Smith added 12 and Jason Flemm contributed 11. Jaicob Hollick led Ligonier Valley (2-3) with 12 points, and Matthew Marinchak added 10.

Latrobe 72, McKeesport 69 – Chase Sickenberger hit the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift Latrobe over McKeesport in Section 3-5A. Frankie Newell scored 23 points for Latrobe (4-4, 4-2), which led by 17 points at halftime. Brison Kisan led McKeesport (6-4, 3-3) with 23 points. Kahreke Andrews added 12.

Lincoln Park 47, Central Valley – Dakari Bradford scored 21 points as No. 2 Lincoln Park (6-4, 5-1) won a matchup of top teams in Section 2-4A. Brandon Graham led Central Valley (6-2, 4-2) with 17 points.

Mapletown 58, West Greene 54 – Led by 13 points from Landan Stevenson, 12 from Dominic Cumpston and 11 from Cohen Stout, Mapletown (4-1, 3-1) held on for a Section 2-A win. Caleb Rice had 17 and Ian Van Dyne 13 for West Greene (1-6, 1-4).

Mars 56, Plum 27 – Mihali Sfanos scored 20 points and Zach Schlegel added 15 to help No. 4 Mars (9-1, 6-1) to a Section 4-5A victory over Plum (4-4, 2-4).

Neshannock 75, Riverside 31 – J.P. Mozzocio hit for 24 points on eight 3-pointers and Russel Kwiat scored 17 to lead Neshannock (11-0, 7-0) past Riverside (1-10, 1-5) in Section 1-3A.

New Castle 70, Trinity 35 – Mike Wells scored 19 points and Isiah Boice added 17, including five 3-pointers, to lead No. 1 New Castle (12-0, 7-0) to a Section 2-5A victory over Trinity (6-5, 3-4).

Norwin 69, Greensburg Salem 20 – Jayden Walker scored 14 points and Nick Fleming added 12 as Norwin (5-6, 2-5) rolled to a Section 3-6A win. Joshua Williams had 10. Ben Thomas led Greensburg Salem (0-4, 0-2) with nine points.

Penn Hills 49, Gateway 43 – Ed Daniels scored 15 points, Daemar Kelly added 13, and Penn Hills (7-3, 4-0) pulled away in the second quarter for a Section 3-5A win. Will Kromka led Gateway (4-5, 3-4) with 16 points. M.J. Stevenson added 10.

Pine-Richland 87, Butler 72 – Joey Petcash scored 22 points to lead four players in double figures as Pine-Richland (6-4, 3-3) used a 32-point first quarter to roar to a Section 1-6A win. Joey Dudkowski scored 20, Luke Shanahan 15 and Dylan Serafini 10. Devin Carney led Butler (5-6, 1-5) with 34 points. Mattix Clement added 26.

Quaker Valley 74, Blackhawk 65 – Adou Thiero scored 27 points and No. 4 Quaker Valley (4-1, 3-1) used a 23-11 run in the third quarter to grab a Section 2-4A win. Markus Frank added 18 and James Davis had 12. Carson Heckathorn led Blackhawk (3-4, 1-4) with 19 points. Sean McCusker had 15 and Ryan McClemonds 14.

Ringgold 53, Woodland Hills 43 – Demetrius Butler scored 25 points and Nick Peccon added 20, including four 3-pointers, to carry Ringgold (2-4, 0-2) to a nonsection win. Okil Freeman had 13 points for Woodland Hills (0-6, 0-4).

Rochester 75, Cornell 36 – J.D. Azulay hit for 22 points and Devon Hemer chipped in with 20 to help Rochester (7-2, 5-1) to a Section 1-A victory. Sal Laure added 15 and Jerome Mullins 10. Hunter Smith scored 13 and M.J. Smith 12 for Cornell (0-8, 0-5).

Seneca Valley 73, North Hills 71 – Cole Brooks scored 34 points and Luke Lawson added 24 to lead Seneca Valley (6-7, 4-4) to a Section 1-6A victory. Alex Smith led North Hills (2-6, 1-4) with 21 points. Devin Burgess had 16.

Sewickley Academy 54, South Side 44 – Max Belt had a double-double with 29 points and 11 rebounds to lead Sewickley Academy (6-5, 3-3) in Section 1-2A. George Zheng added 11. Aidan Roach scored 12 points and Aidan English added 11 for South Side (4-8, 2-6).

Shady Side Academy 76, East Allegheny 40 – Behind 19 points from Rian Fitzgerald and 17 from Peter Kramer, Shady Side Academy (7-1, 5-1) grabbed a Section 3-3A win. Mike Smith led East Allegheny (0-7, 0-6) with 17 points. Jabari Locke added 15.

Shenango 49, Riverview 21 — The Wildcats (9-6, 2-5) used a 25-6 advantage in the second half to pull away for a Section 1-2A victory. Gideon Deasy scored eight points to lead the Raiders (2-8, 1-6).

South Allegheny 61, Apollo-Ridge 40 — Ethan Kirkwood finished with 19 points for the Class 3A No. 1 Gladiators (7-1, 6-0) in a Section 3-3A victory over the Vikings (4-2, 2-2). Klay Fitzroy scored 16, including a trio of 3-pointers, to lead Apollo-Ridge.

South Park 64, Uniontown 46 – Behind 22 points from Aidan Rongaus, 19 from Keith Hutton and 15 from Zach Lemansky, South Park (4-2, 4-2) earned a Section 3-4A victory. Bakari Wallace led Uniontown (5-7, 5-4) with 10 points.

Sto-Rox 77, Northgate 29 – Josh Jenkins scored 22 points and Corey Simmons added 15 to lift Sto-Rox (6-4, 6-1) to a Section 2-2A win. Jaymont Green-Miller had 14. Dylan McWilliams led Northgate (3-12, 1-6) with eight.

Thomas Jefferson 64, Connellsville 38 – Evan Berger scored 23 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and Aidan Kelly added 20 to lead Thomas Jefferson (11-2, 3-2) to a Section 1-5A win. Josh Marietta led Connellsville (0-2, 0-2) with 11 points.

Girls basketball

Belle Vernon 56, Ligonier Valley 27 – Grace Henderson had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds to lead Belle Vernon (7-4, 4-2) to a Section 3-4A win. Presleigh Colditz scored 11 and Taylor Rodriguez had eight points and six steals. Haley Boyd led Ligonier Valley (0-5, 0-5) with 11 points. Lizzy Crissman had five points, seven blocks and seven rebounds.

Burgettstown 42, Chartiers-Houston 26 – Led by 12 points from Kaitlyn Nease, 11 from Madeline Newark and 10 from Avery Havelka, Burgettstown (9-2, 8-0) clinched the Section 3-2A title. Zamierah Edwards led Chartiers-Houston (5-5, 2-5) with 10 points.

Elizabeth Forward 59, South Allegheny 34 – Abigail Beinlich and Joselyn Dawson scored 10 points apiece to power Elizabeth Forward (3-3, 2-3) to a nonsection win. Angelina Cortazzo led South Allegheny (1-10, 1-8) with 15 points.

Freeport 34, Derry 26 – Melaina DeZort scored 16 points and Freeport (5-1, 5-1) pulled away with an 11-3 surge in the second quarter for a Section 1-4A victory. Tiana Moracco led Derry (1-6, 1-6) with 18 points.

Greensburg Central Catholic 43, Yough 16 – Laura Kondas scored 13 points to lead Greensburg Central Catholic (4-2, 1-1) to a nonsection victory. Mikahla Chewing led Yough (3-7, 1-4) with eight points.

Greensburg Salem 34, Franklin Regional 28 – Abby Mankins scored 14 points as Greensburg Salem 4-3, 1-2) rallied from five points down at halftime for a Section 4-5A win. Maria Brush scored 12 and Angel Kelly 10 for Franklin Regional (1-5, 0-4).

Knoch 67, Valley 19 — The Class 4A No. 2 Knights (7-0, 7-0) outscored the Vikings 29-4 in the first quarter and rolled in Section 1-4A. Nina Shaw led Knoch with 15 points, while Nevaeh Ewing added 12. Tori Johnson scored seven points to lead Valley (1-4, 0-4).

Penn Hills 50, Gateway 25 – Jasmyn Golden scored 14 points and Jayla Golden added 13 to help Penn Hills (6-4, 2-1) to a Section 4-5A victory. Dynasty Shegog led Gateway (3-7, 1-5) with nine points.

Southmoreland 44, Kiski Area 20 – Delaynie Morvosh scored 14 points and Maddie Moore had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds to help Southmoreland (9-2, 7-1) to a nonsection win. Gracie Spadaro added 11 points. Karli Keller led Kiski Area (3-9, 0-7) with six points.

West Greene 36, Mapletown 5 – Jersey Wise scored 15 points to lead No. 2 West Greene (8-2, 5-0) past Mapletown (3-2, 2-2) in Section 2-A.