Boosted by versatile junior, Fox Chapel girls make playoff push

By: Josh Rizzo
Saturday, February 4, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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Sarah Slember’s athletic resume isn’t lacking in skills and experience to display. Playing basketball was difficult for Slember because of poor fortune. A pair of sprained ankles as a freshman limited her availability, while a torn ACL halted her sophomore season.

Finally healthy, Slember has shown her versatility for a Foxes team battling for the postseason.

The 5-foot-7 Fox Chapel utility woman was able to keep in shape through her ACL injury by staying active with the crew team. Slumber started rowing when she was in seventh grade.

“It’s really good for you,” Slumber said. “Once I got into the fall and played in fall league for basketball, I felt I was getting my lateral movement and pivoting back.”

Having Slember, who has been asked to match up against both guards and forwards, in the lineup will be important for the Foxes down the stretch. Fox Chapel was 12-7 overall and 6-4 in Section 2-5A at the end of January.

The Foxes were in the fourth and final spot for a WPIAL playoff bid entering their last two section games.

The Foxes were thrust into playing for their playoff lives after consecutive losses to Hampton and Mars.

“We had to look in the mirror and be honest with ourselves,” Foxes coach Marty Matvey said. “It relies on two things: how we execute and how we can match other teams and still execute. Now that we are later in the season, teams are tightening up how they play. We want to make sure the physicality is still there and execute under pressure.”

When it comes to handling the pressure this season, Slember believes the area where she has seen the biggest improvement is recognizing good matchups on the floor. She believes she was able to use those to her advantage against Woodland Hills and Hampton.

“I think, personally, in those games, I was able to recognize when I had a mismatch and was able to get to the rim and put up shots,” Slember said.

Fox Chapel and Slember are hoping to find the right matchups to exploit during its last two section games.

The Foxes’ two-game losing streak came on the heels of a five-game winning streak that had Fox Chapel thinking it could win the section.

“Last week, we felt pretty good,” Matvey said. “The truth is we doubled our win total from last year and are happy with that. Now, we have to put the pedal to the metal. The goal is to make the playoffs.”

Tags: Fox Chapel