Plum’s Montue grateful to reach top of program’s career scoring list

By: Michael Love
Saturday, February 13, 2021 | 9:44 AM

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Kennedie Montue had scored 30 or more points three times this season and added a fourth game with 29, so 28 points — what was left for the Plum senior forward to secure the program’s all-time career scoring record — was attainable Friday as the Mustangs battled Section 2-5A rival Fox Chapel.

With the Foxes’ defense and its goal of limiting Montue, she wasn’t sure it would happen.

But she broke out in dominating fashion with 15 points in the first quarter and 23 by halftime as she and her Plum teammates built an eight-point lead.

The record-breaking points came on a long 3-pointer in the third quarter as Plum and Fox Chapel forged a close battle that went down to the wire.

While the Foxes, on the strength of 14 of 16 shooting from the free-throw line over the final eight minutes, defended their home court with 60-52 win, Montue’s 35-point effort put her alone at the top.

“My mom told me (Thursday) that I only had 28 points to go. I didn’t know as the game was going on, but when they announced it, I was a little embarrassed because I didn’t think they were going to do that,” Montue said.

“It was also joyous and emotional. I almost started to cry. But I didn’t fully process it until after the game because at the time, the game was still close, and we were in a dogfight.”

Montue, a Division I Oakland commit, moved past the 1,400-point mark (1,405) Saturday with a team-best 11 as Plum (6-5, 6-4) scored a key 36-33 victory over section-leading Armstrong (7-2, 5-2).

The Mustangs held the River Hawks scoreless in the fourth quarter as they rallied for the win.

Montue surpassed the 1,386-point total accumulated over four seasons by 2014 graduate Krista Pietropola, who went on to play in college at Youngstown State and Slippery Rock.

“To be up there as the (career) leading scorer and to be able to score all of those points for my team, it is a proud accomplishment,” Montue said. “I’ve pushed myself and worked hard to be in this position. I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.”

Pietropola set the record during her senior year. She surpassed Jill Markowski-Kiss’s mark of 1,201 points set in 1999.

Markowski-Kiss, a 2012 inductee into the Plum High School Sports Hall of Fame, came back to serve her alma mater as an assistant coach in the girls basketball program.

“Records are made to be broken,” Pietropola said Friday when learning of Montue’s milestone performance.

“I was so excited when I was able to get that record. It was an amazing feeling, but I knew it wasn’t going to last forever. I was happy with how long it did last. I am so proud of Kennedie that she is able to reach that mark and go past it and now have that under her name.

“I worked my butt off to be the best I could be and be able to get that record, and I know Kennedie has done the same thing.”

Playing in the Horizon League with Youngstown State, Pietropola knows the reputation Oakland has with its women’s basketball program.

“I enjoyed playing against Oakland,” Pietropola said. “Those games were always fun and competitive. I know she is going to do great there. I am super happy for her that she’s found a place that gives her all that she wants.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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