Top-seeded Peters Township girls roll past Fox Chapel in Class 6A quarterfinals

By: Michael Love
Friday, February 22, 2019 | 9:34 PM

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The Peters Township girls basketball team averaged 70 points a game in the regular-season, built an undefeated record and ascended to No. 1 rankings in both the WPIAL and state.

The Indians finished Friday’s WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinal matchup with Fox Chapel well under their scoring average, but their defense held the Foxes in check and scored a 57-23 victory at Mt. Lebanon High School.

Both teams returned to competition after an 11-day break from the end of the regular season.

“You always worry a little bit about something like that,” Peters Township coach Bert Kendall said. “We did play a little rusty at times, but at the end of the day, we were able to execute. I think our speed was able to break them down in the second half.”

Peters Township (23-0) moves on to the semifinals and will play No. 4 Bethel Park (21-2) on Tuesday at a site and time to be determined. The Black Hawks advanced Friday with a 51-45 victory over No. 5 Seneca Valley.

The Indians hope to make it back to the championship game at the Petersen Events Center. Last year, Peters Township fell to North Allegheny in the title contest.

“This was one of our goals all season, and the girls have really been focused,” Kendall said. “They understand they have to earn it. No one is going to give it to them. We have three days to prepare for Tuesday, and that begins (Saturday) morning in the gym.”

Despite the loss, Fox Chapel remains alive in the postseason. The top five teams from 6A earn PIAA berths, and the Foxes need Peters Township to win the WPIAL title to earn one of those spots in the state tournament under the WPIAL’s follow-the-leader format.

“They are the No. 1 team in the state, and they pretty legit,” Fox Chapel coach Jennifer O’Shea said. “(The state playoffs) would be a good opportunity for our kids, to get a taste of that.”

Fox Chapel (15-8) was held 25 points under its season average. The Foxes scored just two points in both the first and fourth quarters.

“I honestly thought we would shoot a little better,” said O’Shea, whose team returned to the playoffs after a two-year hiatus.

“We hadn’t shot that poorly all year. We had been averaging seven or eight (3-pointers) a game. Normally, we make some foul shots and don’t miss as many layups. I think they had some nerves. We hadn’t been to the playoffs in a couple of years. A number of them are sophomores, and they hadn’t played in this type of atmosphere.”

O’Shea said she was proud of her team’s defensive effort against the Indians.

“We kind of shut down their best player, but then they had others step up,” she said.

Senior guard/forward Makenna Marisa, a Penn State recruit, averaged more than 22 points for Peters in the regular season but was held in check and finished with eight points.

But senior guard Isabella Mills hit five 3-pointers and finished with 20 points. Freshman forward Journey Thompson added 16.

Elizabeth Schwartzman, Megan Friday and Gabriella Guerrieri each scored six points to lead Fox Chapel.

Peters held a 27-13 lead at halftime and outscored Fox Chapel, 17-8, in the third quarter. The Foxes committed eight turnovers in the frame.

“We kind of lost our minds,” O’Shea said. “We felt like, at halftime, we were all right. Then they turned up the heat, and we struggled with the pressure, for sure.”

“We were running a half-court trap in the first quarter and hardly any press in the second quarter,” Kendall said. “In the third quarter, we went on our full-court (defense) all over the place, and the tempo picked up. It really shifted the momentum our way.”

Tags: Fox Chapel, Peters Township