Tuesday basketball rundown: Neshannock boys earn statement win at Ellwood City

Neshannock might be the premier school in the WPIAL right now in terms of overall success across all athletic programs, and the Lancers boys basketball team is trying to uphold its end of the bargain.

After posting a combined record of 36-8 over the past two seasons — but still with no WPIAL or PIAA championships to show for it — Neshannock appears to be in top form after an eye-opening 70-44 victory Tuesday night at Ellwood City. The Lancers (4-1, 2-0) jumped to a 22-9 lead after the first quarter and held a commanding 46-21 advantage at the half before cruising to a Class 3A Section 1 victory.

“I think the biggest thing is we were 9 of 13 from behind the arc in the first half,” Neshannock coach John Corey said. “I think there were four different guys who hit a 3 in that first half. Our guys did a tremendous job of sharing the basketball and finding the open guy, and obviously shooting it well.”

Luciano Delillo drained four 3-pointers as part of his team-leading 26 points for the Lancers, while Jack Glies added 19. Star junior Joseph Roth led all scorers with 28 points for the Wolverines (7-2, 1-1).

“We knew we’d be in for a battle,” Corey said. “The idea of stopping Joe Roth is not even a thought. You’re not going to stop Joe Roth. But I do believe even though he had 28, we made him work for those 28.

“Getting a win like this today against a good Ellwood team, it’s just a great team win for us.”

Union boys outduel Avonworth

The Scotties and Antelopes each are coming off WPIAL championship defeats — Union in Class 1A and Avonworth in Class 3A — and both have high hopes of competing for another title this year. The Scotties (3-0) bolstered their early season resume with an impressive 63-54 road win thanks to 21 points from Matt Stanley, while Rowan Carmichael led all players with 25 points for the Antelopes (2-4).

Chartiers Valley boys knock off Knoch

Jayden Davis had 25 points to lead three players in double figures for the Colts (6-0, 0-0), who remained unbeaten with a 76-49 win at Knoch (2-6). Freshman Teegan Finucan led the Knights with 22 points.

Mt. Lebanon boys pick up win in Hilton Head tournament

The Blue Devils (3-3) bounced back from a five-point loss in their first game of the Seahawk Holiday Classic in Hilton Head, S.C., earning a 48-42 win against Fremont of Nebraska. Riley Farabaugh led the Mt. Lebanon with 12 points.

Allderdice boys rout Brashear

Major Rainey and Ethan Anish each had 15 points to pace a balanced attack for the Dragons (6-1, 1-0) which included four double-digit scorers in a 77-56 road win. Trent Milner scored 12 points and Titus Gillett added 11 for the Bulls (2-4, 0-1).

North Hills boys too much for Montour

Playing without star big man Royce Parham, the Indians relied on contributions from several key players to muscle their way past host Montour (2-5) for a 72-45 win. Eric James and Zach Pollaro led all scorers with 16 points apiece, while Jayden Thomas chipped in 13 and Jake Pollaro added 11 for North Hills (5-1).

Fox Chapel boys edge Moon

Kam Greil scored a career-high 24 points in a 56-53 home win to continue a solid start to the season for the Foxes (6-1). Elijah Guillory finished with a team-high 17 points for the Tigers (3-3).

Baldwin boys slip past Seneca Valley

Nate Wesling led all scorers with 18 points for the Highlanders (4-4) in a 54-52 victory against the visiting Raiders. Luke Lawson and Andrew Roy led Seneca Valley (1-5) with 15 points apiece.

Beaver boys hammer Hopewell

Brady Mayo scored a game-high 21 points while Ty Butler contributed 15 and Aiden Townsend finished with 13 for the Bobcats (6-1, 1-1) in an 83-40 home win. Mason Showrank led the Vikings (3-5, 0-2) with 17 points.

Greensburg Central Catholic boys sneak past Serra Catholic

Tyree Turner scored 23 points to lead three players in double figures for the Centurions (3-3, 1-1) in a dramatic 72-70 victory. The Eagles (2-5, 0-2) had four players reach double digits in points, led by Isiah Petty with 23 points.

Avonworth girls outlast Bishop Canevin

In a matchup of two championship contenders in their respective classes, the Antelopes (4-2) got the better of the host Crusaders in a hard-fought 46-42 win. Greta O’Brien led Avonworth with 15 points while Ashley Lippold led all scorers with 17 points for Bishop Canevin (2-5).

Penn Hills girls rally against Gateway

Despite trailing by four entering the fourth quarter, the Indians (3-4, 1-1) stormed back to defeat the Gators (3-5, 0-2), 44-34, thanks to a game-high 18 points from Hannah Pigliese.

Manfredo leads McKeesport girls past Latrobe

Rachel Manfredo had a game-high 19 points and Maddy Miller added 11 to help the Tigers (5-1, 1-0) open section play with a 53-38 win at Latrobe (4-4, 0-2).

Three stars

*** — Owen Norman scored 27 points and converted four 3-pointers to power Fort Cherry (4-2, 2-0) to a commanding 83-50 win at Bentworth (5-2, 1-1).

** — Macky Bennis finished with a game-high 35 points as Burrell (3-4, 1-1) raced past visiting Ligonier Valley (1-7, 0-2), 71-53.

* — Keondre DeShields joined his teammate Rodney Gallagher in the 1,000-point club with a 28-point performance for Laurel Highlands (5-0) in a 65-54 win against Thomas Jefferson (4-3).