Chartiers Valley girls get defensive in Section 1-5A win over Thomas Jefferson

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, January 16, 2019 | 11:30 PM

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A high-scoring game featuring the Chartiers Valley and Thomas Jefferson girls basketball teams was one possibility.

Chartiers Valley, ranked No. 1 in Class 5A, went into the showdown with a 67.1 ppg average; TJ was scoring at a 61.6 ppg clip.

Lurking in the not-so-hidden background, however, was CV’s staunch full-court defensive pressure. The Colts were allowing just 35 ppg — one of the top defensive averages in the WPIAL.

The end result was a 68-50 victory at home for the CV girls, who maintained sole ownership of first place in Section 1-5A.

The Colts (15-0, 7-0) jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead — with Mackenzie Wagner cashing in for eight points — but the Jaguars rallied to trail 18-14 at the end of the first quarter.

Chartiers Valley held a 34-21 edge at halftime, then maintained a comfortable 16- to 18-point cushion throughout the second half.

Wagner, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, finished with a game-high 23 points.

Wagner was complemented by junior guard Megan McConnell, with 17 points, and freshman guard Aislin Malcolm, who chipped in with 16.

Gabby Legister, a 6-2 senior center, was a force on the boards on both ends of the court for the Colts.

Three players attained double figures for Thomas Jefferson (9-5, 5-2), now tied for second place with Trinity (7-6, 5-2) in the section.

Senior guard Jenna Clark paced the Jaguars with 17 points, followed by junior forward Dalaney Ranallo with 14 points and junior guard Alyssa DeAngelo with 13.

The undefeated Colts have held 11 opponents to 40 points or less this season, and have scored 60-or-more in all but one contest. CV has reached 70 points five times and netted a season-high 84 points at Allderdice.

Thomas Jefferson has eclipsed the 60-point mark seven times — all wins — this season.

The top five teams in Class 5A in the Trib HSSN girls basketball rankings are Chartiers Valley, Penn Hills (11-3), Oakland Catholic (12-3), Gateway (11-3) and Franklin Regional (9-3). CV is the highest-scoring team in 5A, and ranks second defensively.

The Colts, who are winding down a stretch from Jan. 3 to Jan. 18 in which they will have played eight games, also are ranked No. 1 in 5A in the state, ahead of Malvern Villa Maria Academy, Springfield-Delco, Warren and Archbishop Carroll.

One of the highlights early in the season for the CV girls was a trip to the Bahamas last month to participate in the Atlantis Beach Bash tournament.

The Colts raced past St. Augustine (Trinidad), 73-23; Connelly School of the Holy Child (Md.), 65-32; and Woodbridge (Va.), 63-44. All three games took place in Nassau.

Dating back to last season, Chartiers Valley has won 23 regular-season games in a row.

Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.

Tags: Chartiers Valley, Thomas Jefferson