Healthy Penn Hills girls taking aim at deep postseason run

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, November 21, 2018 | 10:57 PM

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Injuries can’t be an excuse for lack of success in sports. However, the Penn Hills girls basketball program had significant injuries occur to key players last season, thrusting inexperienced players into key roles.

This year, the Indians enter the season with a healthy roster, and they have their sights on making a deep run into the WPIAL and PIAA playoffs.

The Indians look to rebound from a disappointing 13-9 record, including a 5-5 mark in section play. Prior to last season, Penn Hills didn’t lose a section game in two straight seasons.

Penn Hills’ lost to Mt. Lebanon, 31-30, in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs.

“With all the injuries we had last year, a lot of young kids had to get extra playing time, which has put them in position to be successful at the varsity level this year. We have an unbelievable amount of talent this year,” coach Robert Cash said.

The Indians will be led by four seniors, including guard/forward Tayonna Robertson and guards Adia Brisker, Ariana Dunson and Diamond-Jay Whittington.

“Last year, we went through some injuries where we had to go to some adjustments to our lineup and how we played. This year, if we have an injury or foul trouble, we don’t have to change what we do,” Cash said.

“We can keep with our 40 minutes of full-court pressure and putting pressure on the basketball in our man-to-man defense because we have six or seven wings that can lock someone down.”

Robertson, a Longwood commit, suffered a dislocated kneecap in the fourth game of the season last year and didn’t return until late January. In nine games last season, she averaged 13.1 points.

Brisker, a Niagara commit, picked up the slack and averaged 13.2 points. Dunson took over the point guard duties last season and averaged 10 points during her junior season.

The Indians’ depth will receive the biggest boost when Whittington returns to the lineup after missing all of her junior season with a torn ACL. During her sophomore season, Whittington averaged 7.7 points.

Cash will look to the continued development of sophomore forward Delainey Carpenter, who benefited last season from the injuries to Robertson and Whittington.

The Indians also return sophomore guards Jasmyn and Jayla Golden, senior guard Camille Fulton and junior forward Niyah Moore. Cash will look to find a role for sophomore guard Amoni Blackwell, a Plum transfer.

“We have a little of everything this year. We have some speed, some length, some kids that can shoot, some kids that can rebound and some with athletic ability. We’re going to play 40 minutes of hell,” Cash said.

This season, the Indians join a new look Section 3-5A, which includes Oakland Catholic, Latrobe, Woodland Hills, Penn-Trafford, Albert Gallatin, Uniontown and Laurel Highlands. Oakland Catholic was the WPIAL Class 5A runner- up last season after losing to Gateway in the championship.

However, if the Indians have visions of making a deep WPIAL and PIAA playoff run, Cash wanted to make sure his team was battled-tested when it came to his nonsection schedule.

The Indians will start by facing North Allegheny, the WPIAL Class 6A champion, in the season opener at North Allegheny at 8 p.m. Dec. 7.

Penn Hills’ nonsection schedule also includes matchups against Ambridge and Norwin, which both qualified for the WPIAL playoffs last season.

In the middle of December, the Indians will travel to Washington, D.C. to face American Heritage (Fla.) and Medgar Evers (N.Y.) in a tournament.

“Talent wins games, but it takes more than talent to win championships. You can have all the talent in the world, but I’ve seen less talented teams win championship,” Cash said.

“The most talented team doesn’t win every year. It’s the one that can execute, focus, listen and handle a task at hand. It’s about focusing on what the coaches ask you to do and get the job done.”

Andrew John is a freelance writer.

Tags: Penn Hills