Scorching start carries Upper St. Clair past Penn-Trafford in Class 6A

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, February 22, 2022 | 10:31 PM

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There is a term thrown around a lot around tournament time: one and done.

It points out the suddenness of a loss that could end a season.

On Tuesday, the one and done may have pertained to the first quarter for Penn-Trafford.

Defending WPIAL Class 6A champion Upper St. Clair got off to a huge start, avoided a Penn-Trafford comeback and pulled away to a convincing 85-59 first-round victory at Upper St. Clair.

While the Warriors struggled to score in the opening quarter, the Panthers couldn’t miss as they built a 30-7 lead.

“That’s the best quarter we played all year,” Upper St. Clair coach Danny Holzer said. “Our kids were ready. We had three really good days of practice. They were locked in. You could tell they were really ready.”

Penn-Trafford chipped away in the second and third quarters and had pulled to within 12 points late in the third with possession of the basketball. However, the Warriors came up empty and the Panthers finished the third quarter on a 7-0 run to take the suspense out of the game.

“If they get that score under double digits, then things change,” Holzer said. “That run was big for us. Our kids really stepped up and they realized the situation.”

Senior Porter Rauch was unstoppable down low, scoring 27 points with 15 rebounds for Upper St. Clair.

“I think that was the difference in that he was so dominant,” Holzer said. “We knew he was going to be a key tonight and we really challenged him. He’s a really good player and he was locked in.”

The Panthers had three other players in double-digit scoring with senior Tanner O’Grady scoring 17 points, senior Mike Pellicci adding 14 and sophomore Devin Hall finishing with 15.

“He was really good too, especially for a sophomore playing his first playoff game,” Holzer said of Hall. “I really like how he played out there. He was very active.”

Penn-Trafford (9-13) was led by senior Noah Wright’s 21 points while junior Gio Merola had 15 points, all in the second half. Senior Nick Crum added 10 points.

The win for Upper St. Clair (16-7) means a trip to the 6A quarterfinals and the third meeting of the season against rival Mt. Lebanon. The Panthers and Blue Devils split the first two contests.

“It’s going to be two teams that know each other very well,” Holzer said. “These are two proud programs that have been successful for a long time. We’re just going to have to play our game and play very well to win.”

Tags: Penn-Trafford, Upper St. Clair