Herald roundup: SSA boys look to rebound after 2 losses to Burrell

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, February 5, 2018 | 6:03 PM

Shady Side Academy boys basketball hosted Burrell on Jan. 29 in a Section 3-3A game.

The Buccaneers toppled the first-place Indians, 43-37, in overtime. The Indians held a 30-24 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Skyy Moore and Grady Munroe each scored 12 points for SSA.

Coach David Vadnais' squad got back into the win column the next night as they rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat visiting East Allegheny, 54-49. The Wildcats held a 36-31 advantage entering the final quarter. Moore led all scorers with 14 points.

“I was nervous heading into the EA game,” Vadnais said. “We suffered a difficult loss Monday night against Burrell, and I wasn't sure how we would bounce back. I couldn't be prouder of our guys. We played hard the entire game. We struggled to keep them off the glass early on. Between second-chance points in the paint and a couple of 3s, they were able to build an early lead. We had to fight just to stay in the game and didn't take the lead until the fourth quarter, and it was anyone's game until the end.”

Senior Frankie Fuhrer IV made a clutch 3-pointer and went 4 for 4 from the line in the final minutes to help put the game away.

“We only have four seniors on the team,” Vadnais said. “All four made big plays for us at different points of the game. Dan Counihan was the key to our mini-run at the end of the first half, scoring our final four points. Peter McIlroy didn't score a lot, but he did a great job guarding their big guys and keeping us competitive on the glass. He does all the little things for us. Ezekyel Roberts had a couple clutch shots in the fourth quarter and two keys rebounds. It was great to see them step up and lead us to a big section win.”

The Indians (11-8, 6-3) had a chance to extract some revenge as they traveled to Burrell on Feb. 2 but the Buccaneers (9-11, 6-3) made it a clean sweep as they overcame an eight-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to post a 39-35 win and take over first place in the section. Fuhrer scored 13 points in the loss.

• Fox Chapel boys basketball traveled to North Huntingdon on Jan. 30 for a Section 3-6A contest against Norwin. The Foxes won 62-52 behind 21 points from Carson Cohen and 15 from Ben Kelly.

The Foxes improved to 15-4 and 9-3 in the section with a convincing 61-30 home win over Penn-Trafford on Feb. 2. FC used a 25-2 third-quarter run to put the game out of reach. Kelly led the way with 23 points.

Girls basketball

Fox Chapel girls basketball was no match for Norwin in a Section 2-6A game Jan. 30. The Knights raced to a 41-16 halftime lead en route to a 65-30 win. Megan Friday led the Foxes with 14 points.

The Foxes (6-12, 1-8) returned home to face Penn-Trafford and picked up their first section, 49-43. The Foxes battled back from a 31-27 deficit entering the fourth quarter. Claudia Guerrieri led the Foxes with 12 points.

• Shady Side Academy hosted Freeport in a nonsection game Jan. 30 and defeated the Yellowjackets, 44-35. Ariana Goitz scored 24 points for SSA, and Catherine Jewart had 15.

Swimming and diving

The Shady Side Academy girls defeated Plum, 91-79, in a nonsection meet Jan. 30, while the SSA boys lost 99-71 score.

“It was a nice night for our girls,” SSA coach John Landreth said. “We beat a triple-A team, and we got a bit of redemption from a defeat last year.”

Posting wins for the girls were the 200 medley relay team (Jeanne Lauer, Meredith Cummings, Maya Groff, Sasha Arefyev); the 200 free relay team (Lindsey Grune, Heather Grune, Lauer, Cummings); the 400 free relay team (Cummings, Heather Grune, Lindsey Grune, Arefyev); Arefyev (50 free, 500 free); Heather Grune (200 free); Cummings (100 butterfly); and Lauer (100 free).

Boys winners were the 200 medley relay team (Christian Taylor, Will Engel, Sevryn Napora, Nick Lauer); the 200 free relay team (Taylor, Engel, Napora, Adrian Beckford); Taylor (200 IM); Beckford (50 free); and Lauer (500 free).

Shady Side Academy split with Northgate on Feb. 1, with the girls (9-0, 4-0) earning an 88-81 win and the boys (6-3, 3-1) falling 113-57. Girls winners were the 200 medley relay team (Marie Kim, Heather Grune, Groff, Cummings); the 200 free relay team (Lauer, Arefyev, Cummings, Lindsey Grune); the 400 free relay team (Arefyev, Heather Grune, Lindsey Grune, Lauer); Heather Grune (100 breaststroke); and Lauer (200 free, 100 butterfly). Nick Lauer picked up a win in the 100 free for the boys.

• The Fox Chapel swim team split in a meet against Peters Township on Jan. 29. The girls won 108-77 while the boys lost 111.5-74.5.

First-place finishers for the girls were Maria Luciana (200 free, 100 free); Joslyn Filo (50 free, 100 fly); Grace Gackenbach (500 free); Jaclyn Filo (100 breaststroke); Kate Eames (diving); the 200 medley relay team (Gackenbach, Joslyn Filo, Jaclyn Filo, Molly Weise); the 200 free relay team (Wiese, Joslyn Filo, Jaclyn Filo, Luciana); and the 400 free relay team (Gackenbach, Vivian Shao, Luciana, Wiese).

Boys winners were Nate Roe (100 free); Jonah Cagley (diving); and the 400 free relay team (Jake Sperry, Brandon Brewster, Colin Hackwelder, Tristan McClelland).

The Foxes swept Gateway on Feb. 1 as the girls won 100.5-78.5, and the boys picked up a 106-79 win.

Girls winners were the 200 medley relay team (Vivian Shao, Jaclyn Filo, Joslyn Filo, Wiese); the 200 free relay team (Angelique Uku, Wiese, Luciana, Joslyn Filo); Eames (diving); Joslyn Filo (200 free, 100 fly); Jaclyn Filo (200 IM); Bryn Gerlack (500 free); and Luciana (50 free, 100 free).

Boys winners were the 200 medley relay team (Roe, Liam Botos, Will Wang, McClelland); Hackwelder (500 free, 200 free); Roe (50 free, 100 free); Wang (200 IM); Botos (100 fly); and Cagley (diving).

Girls soccer

Shady Side Academy coach Leah Powers, who led the varsity girls soccer team to its first PIAA title last fall, was named the state's 2017 Class A Girls Coach of the Year by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association. She received the award at the PSCA Honor and Awards Banquet in Harrisburg on Jan. 27. Powers, a longtime assistant, stepped in for the 2017 season while Mary Lynch was out on maternity leave. She led the team to a 17-4 record.

Youth swimming

Racer X Aquatics, based in Fox Chapel, recently competed at South Park High School and set 11 pool records. They were set by the 200 medley relay team and 200 free relay teams (Talia Bugel, Zoe Skirboll, Stephanie Sipple, Summer Raymer); Skirboll (50 free, 100 free, 100 breaststroke, 200 IM); Leia Ross (100 back); and Kimani Gregory (50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 200 IM).

Marty Stewart is a freelance writer.

Tags: Fox Chapel, Shady Side Academy