Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Team of the Week for Feb. 20, 2023

By: Don Rebel
Monday, February 20, 2023 | 11:47 PM

The year before Megan Zitner took over as coach of the Burgettstown girls basketball team, the Blue Devils finished 3-19 in 2013.

Ten years later, things have really changed for the Burgettstown hoops program.

The Blue Devils have reached the postseason five straight years and are now 2-1 in WPIAL playoff games the last two years.

Postseason wins are not taken for granted at Burgettstown. Its first-round victory over California last season ended a 29-year playoff win drought.

“I guess our mindset has changed every year,” Zitner said. “In those first couple of years, we were just trying to win some games. That changed to let’s see if we can make the playoffs. So our mindset has definitely progressed over the years.

“After last year, we were hungry and we lost by one in the quarters, so thought we could have made the semis, so that was our goal this year as well.”

Burgettstown closed out the regular season Feb. 13 with a 50-29 victory at South Side.

The Blue Devils won Section 2-2A with a perfect 10-0 record and finished the regular season 17-5 overall.

“We certainly wanted to win section,” Zitner said. “One thing we did differently this year is I asked our AD to load up our nonsection schedule with some tougher teams, bigger teams to help prepare us for the playoffs. All five of our losses are to 3A and 4A schools and most of them are ranked. I was pleased with how we competed with those teams as well.”

When the Class 2A brackets were released last week, Burgettstown was the No. 5 seed and hosted former champion Winchester Thurston in the opening round Friday.

“We had a great first half,” Zitner said. “Defensively, you couldn’t ask for more. We held them to eight or nine points in the first half. So when you’re doing that, things are going to go well for you. Second half didn’t go as well. I don’t know if they lost focus. Sometimes kids get complacent when you have a 20-point lead.”

The Blue Devils did do enough in the second half to win and advance, 56-40.

Junior Kaitlyn Nease, the team’s leading scorer averaging 17.5 points per game, led Burgettstown with 20 points and 14 rebounds while senior Jill Frazier added 14 points.

“Kaitlyn is having a breakout season,” Zitner said. “She was good her freshman and sophomore years, but now she does a little bit of everything. She can handle the ball, she has excellent footwork in the paint, and she can shoot as well.”

Nease helps make Burgettstown unique when it has the basketball.

“Our situation is unique, I guess,” Zitner said. “To have a big like Kaitlyn and to also have shooters, it’s hard to defend.”

Defending is something else the Blue Devils do well.

It wasn’t just on display in the first half against Winchester Thurston. Burgettstown has allowed an average of 33 points per game, third best in the classification.

“We do try to focus on defense,” Zitner said. “I think last year we were only second to Avonworth.”

Burgettstown looks to take the next step in its growth if it can reach the WPIAL semifinals. It won’t be easy, however, as standing in the way is No. 4 seed Greensburg Central Catholic (19-4), co-champion of Section 3-2A.

The two meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Peters Township.

“They score a lot of points (averaging nearly 60 per game), so obviously, defense is going to have to be a focus of ours,” Zitner said. “We need to be able to score as well and not have multiple possessions where we’re not scoring. They are very guard oriented, and they have three very good shooters. We played them two years ago in the opening round and Mya Morgan was a freshman then, so we know a little bit about her.”

Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Teams of the Week:

Week 6 – Avonworth Antelopes

Week 5 – Armstrong River Hawks

Week 4 – North Allegheny Tigers

Week 3 – Oakland Catholic Eagles

Week 2 – Blackhawk Cougars

Week 1 – Shady Side Academy Bulldogs

Tags: Burgettstown