For the first 16 minutes of play Thursday night against McKeesport, Oakland Catholic looked unstoppable.
The second half was a different story, as the Tigers scratched and clawed their way back from an 18-point halftime deficit to give the fans their money’s worth and give the Eagles all they could handle. Star seniors Rachael Manfredo and Alexa Washington went blow for blow, with Manfredo showing off an array of skills on both ends of the floor and nearly taking the game over single-handedly. But in the end, it was Washington’s clutch shooting from the free-throw line that proved the difference in a 60-54 win for Oakland Catholic (19-2, 12-0).
“The one thing about our team, everybody can score,” Eagles coach Eddie Benton said. “We don’t need somebody to score 30. … We try to win collectively, and I think that’s what we did today.”
Washington finished with 15 points while making her fair share of dazzling assists, Jill Gallo chipped in with 13 points while controlling the boards and Rachel Haver added 11 points while operating the show from the point. Manfredo did all she could to pull off the comeback for McKeesport (18-4, 10-2), finishing with 23 points in an inspired effort that came up just short.
“It definitely gets us started. This is the first step,” Haver said. “It’s definitely not over yet, though.”
The win clinched the Class 5A Section 3 title for the Eagles, who extended their winning streak to 17 games in a row. The team’s only losses came against two nationally ranked foes as part of the She Got Game Classic, a marquee tournament held in Washington in late December. They have been perfect against WPIAL competition this year, and they had to work harder than ever before Thursday night to keep that streak intact.
After jumping to a 21-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, the second quarter brought more of the same for Oakland Catholic. Gallo and Haver handled most of the scoring until 2:45 left in the half, when Washington scored her first points of the game on a driving layup. Less than 20 seconds later, she had another layup in transition, helping the Eagles build a 35-17 lead going into the half.
“I feel like the middle, for a while, was wide open, and there were a bunch of mismatches as well,” Gallo said about her strong first half. “We were running some plays to get it to me underneath to see if I could score, and I think the ball movement was pretty good as well.”
For a team as deep and balanced as Oakland Catholic — the Eagles had eight players score in the first half — the 18-point halftime lead felt almost insurmountable. But Tigers coach Amy Gumbert had her team switch to a full-court press to start the second half, resulting in a 10-0 run to make it an eight-point game. From then on, McKeesport continued to hang around, and the Tigers slowly chipped away at the deficit while forcing numerous turnovers with the same press defense Oakland Catholic used against them in the first half.
“We haven’t been pressed all year,” Benton said. “Teams just get back. So for us to get pressed for the first time, I think it’s something that caught us off guard a little bit.”
Washington converted an and-1 layup with 43.7 seconds left in the third to give Oakland Catholic a 45-34 lead, but Manfredo answered with a bucket as time expired in the quarter to make it 45-36 heading to the fourth. Manfredo and Malina Boord continued to hit big shots to bring the Tigers closer, eventually making it a 54-51 score in the final minute. Washington then drew fouls on three consecutive possessions and went 5 of 6 from the line, sealing the win — and the first section title for Washington and the rest of her teammates.
With Oakland Catholic sporting a sparkling 18-0 record against teams from Western Pennsylvania, the Eagles now are staking their claim for the No. 1 seed for the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. The top seed likely will come down to Oakland Catholic or South Fayette, with the defending champion Lions also owning a 19-2 record along with a 13-game winning streak.
“We should be No. 1,” Benton said. “I think the games speak for themselves. The facts are the facts.”
Whether the Eagles land in the No. 1 or No. 2 spot in the Class 5A tournament, it seems all but certain they won’t find themselves on the same side of the bracket as South Fayette. That means the only way the two scorching juggernauts would face each other would be in the WPIAL final, and Washington and her teammates already are clamoring for the chance to dethrone the Lions in the title game.
Of course, there is plenty of basketball still to be played. And as always, Class 5A is arguably the most loaded girls classification around, so don’t pencil in the matchup just yet.
“I think we have the momentum and the confidence going into the playoffs, and I hope we get that No. 1 seed,” Washington said.
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
