Thursday basketball rundown: Mt. Lebanon’s Shea McCarthy sinks game-winning shot to hand Hempfield first loss of season

When longtime Seton LaSalle boys basketball coach Mark “Knobby” Walsh left his post to take over as girls basketball coach at Mt. Lebanon, the switch took many by surprise.

Turns out, Walsh and the Blue Devils may have been a match made in heaven.

With undefeated Hempfield coming into town for the section opener on Thursday night, Mt. Lebanon built a comfortable 15-point cushion going into the fourth quarter, only to see its lead evaporate with less than two minutes remaining. That’s when Walsh said a younger version of himself might have called a timeout to regroup, but he decided to let things play out — and senior Shea McCarthy rewarded her coach’s faith by sinking a game-winning jumper with 10 seconds left to lift the Blue Devils (4-3, 1-0) to a nail-biting 42-40 win.

“Similar to the other day [in a 50-45 win against Bethel Park], Shea McCarthy catches the ball right at the nail with about 12 seconds left. It was a good look, and she took it,” Walsh said. “Nothing but net.”

Senior Payton Collins tallied a game-high 14 points while knocking down the 200th 3-pointer of her career in the first quarter, while Allie Cervola led the Spartans (6-1, 0-1) with 11 points to go with 10 from Ava Shipman. Hempfield mounted a furious fourth-quarter rally with a 15-1 run before falling just short at the buzzer.

“Their coach called a great inbounds play when they were down by two [in the final seconds], and one of our girls, Cali Green, made a great defensive play,” Walsh said. “They’re a good team. They’re young, too. I think they only have one senior. They’re going to be a team to be reckoned with for the next couple years.”

Mt. Lebanon opened its season with back-to-back wins against Class 4A powerhouses Blackhawk and North Catholic, then ran into a rough patch with a three-game skid against Altoona, Chartiers Valley and South Fayette. But the Blue Devils have rebounded with a pair of impressive wins against the Black Hawks and Spartans, with McCarthy knocking down the game-winning bucket in both contests.

“We are gaining a ton of experience. We have some seniors back like the Collins sisters and [Shea] McCarthy, who have been through it. But we’re learning on the run,” Walsh said. “I just love going in the gym and teaching every day. It’s amazing the way our practices just fly by. I’ve learned that when time is moving fast, then people are having a good experience.

“You wish you weren’t leaving the gym sometimes. It’s a great group of young girls who get along incredibly well.”

Other girls games

• In another thrilling battle that came down to the wire, Syd Patterson knocked down a game-winning jumper with four seconds remaining in overtime to propel Butler to a 55-53 home win against North Hills in Class 6A Section 1. Avery Maier finished with a team-leading 14 points for Butler (5-2, 1-0), while Patterson added 13 and Malina McElroy tacked on 12. Zoe Devlin led all scorers with 17 points for the Indians (2-5, 0-1), followed by Sophia Regan with 13 and Gia Minton with 10.

• Playing its first game without standout junior Juju Leroux, who is expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks with a high ankle sprain, three-time defending WPIAL Class 5A champion South Fayette won, 55-23, against host Montour (4-3, 1-2). Ryan Oldaker led the way with 16 points for the undefeated Lions (7-0, 3-0) to go with 14 from Haylie Lamonde, while Abby Cleary led the Spartans with eight points.

• Clairton phenom Iyanna Wade continues to raise the bar, dropping a season-high 56 points to lead the Bears (5-2, 3-0) back from a 17-point halftime deficit for an 83-72 overtime win at West Greene in Class 1A Section 2. Clairton’s Karma Fuquod converted a game-tying putback just before the buzzer to send the game to overtime, then Wade scored nine points in the extra period. Madelyn Roberts finished with 42 points and knocked down seven 3-pointers for the Pioneers (5-2, 1-2).

• Vita Vargo led all scorers with 27 points for Mars and Alexis Cashdollar chipped in 10 in a come-from-behind 63-56 win against host West Allegheny (4-3, 0-3) in Class 5A Section 3. Mars (4-2, 1-1) trailed by six points at the half before scoring 20 points in both the third and fourth quarters.

• Bailey White kept up her hot hand for Allderdice in a 72-63 win at Fox Chapel (4-3), burying a trio of 3-pointers on her way to a game-high 30 points. Sophomores Peyton Lynch and Rhyan Sledge contributed 14 points apiece for Allderdice (3-4), and Natalia Schaffer led the Foxes with 22 points to go with 15 from Bella Urso and 14 from Lyla Jablon.

• Kaylee DeAngelo scored a game-high 16 points while draining four 3-pointers for Thomas Jefferson (9-1, 3-1), and Maggie Spell chipped in 12 points in a 63-29 win against visiting Albert Gallatin in Class 5A Section 4. Mya Gibson scored a team-leading 13 points and Grayce Panos added 12 for the Colonials (2-4, 0-3).

• Sadie Orie poured in a game-high 22 points for Bethel Park (5-2, 3-0) to go with 20 from Ella Sabatos in a convincing 73-35 win against visiting Uniontown in Class 5A Section 4. Emily Myers and Tessa Nicholson led the Red Raiders (3-4, 1-2) with 10 points apiece.

• Greta O’Brien scored a game-high 17 points and Emma Obersteiner tacked on 12 to help Avonworth (4-3, 2-1) take home a dominant 46-20 victory against host Deer Lakes in Class 3A Section 2. Delaney DeRose and Josie Farster finished with six points each for the previously unbeaten Lancers (6-1, 2-1).

• Casey Brancato led four double-digit scorers for Burrell with a game-high 17 points in a commanding 61-17 win at Derry (3-5, 1-2) in Class 4A Section 1. Jules Fisher added 12 points for the Buccaneers (6-2, 2-1) to go with 11 from McKenna Miller and 10 from Adrianna Vogel.

• Serra Catholic‘s Abby Genes poured in a game-high 35 points to lead the Eagles (3-5, 2-1) to a 71-46 home win against Avella (5-3, 2-1) in Class 1A Section 2. Bella Dumbroski and Kendy Nedermier added 11 points each for Serra. Ava Frank finished with 30 points for Avella.

• Sierra Jenkins nearly doubled up Southmoreland‘s offensive output by herself with a 25-point performance for Laurel Highlands (5-3, 1-2) in a 79-13 road win over the Scotties (3-6, 1-2) in Class 4A Section 3.

• Madison Johnson led all scorers with 27 points for Monessen, nearly outscoring Mapletown by herself in a 45-28 home win for the Greyhounds (3-2, 1-2). Emma Zalar finished with eight points for the Maples (2-6, 0-3).

Boys games

• Defending WPIAL Class 6A champion Upper St. Clair started its three-game road trip down south on the right foot, coming from behind to defeat Prince George’s Christian, Md., 59-56, at the Gil Reynolds Classic in Burlington, N.C. Tyler Robbins led the way with 26 points for the Panthers (7-1), while Jake Foster chipped in 12 points and Kaamil Jackson finished with 10.

• McGuffey kept its perfect record intact at the KSA Pre-Holiday Tournament in Kissimmee, Fla., using its stifling defense to pick up a comeback victory against Munday, Texas, 46-34. The Highlanders (6-0) trailed, 21-16, going into the half, then surged to a five-point lead at the end of the third quarter before pulling away in the fourth. Jake Ealy led all scorers with 19 points in the win.

• Standout senior Rowan Carmichael led a trio of double-digit scorers for Avonworth with 31 points in an 85-54 blowout win at Hopewell in Class 4A Section 2. Noah Quinn added 15 points and Noah Getz tacked on 14 for Avonworth (4-1, 1-0), while Zach Kovall scored a team-high 20 points for the Vikings (4-5, 0-1).

• Owen Dumbroski scored a game-high 25 points to pace four players in double figures for Serra Catholic in an 82-42 win at Geibel Catholic in Class 1A Section 2. Tyler Sapida finished with 18 points for the Eagles to go with 12 from Brayden Graham and 10 from Jake Holmes.

• Bolstered by a balanced offensive attack that saw five players reach double figures, Nazareth Prep cruised to an 80-42 victory against visiting Avella in Class 1A Section 1. Leon Harrison led the way with 20 points for Nazareth (4-2, 1-0), while Nate Cilia finished with 11 for the Eagles (3-4, 0-1).

Three stars

*** — A.C. Corfield, South Side. The two-sport standout continued his strong season for the Rams, scoring a game-high 25 points in a 74-41 win at Western Beaver in Class 2A Section 4.

** — Emma Larkin, Geibel Catholic. Larkin was up to her old tricks for Geibel with a game-high 34 points in a 61-51 win against Bishop Canevin in Class 1A Section 2.

* — Lily Bauer, Riverview. The senior guard scored a career-high 35 points for the Raiders in a 70-21 home win against Jeannette in Class 2A Section 4.

Hot from deep

Players with 3 or more 3-pointers: Mike Jenkins, Carlynton, 7; Madelyn Roberts, West Greene, 7; Kaylee DeAngelo, Thomas Jefferson, 4; Kylie Fruehstorfer, Union, 4; Lily Bauer, Riverview, 3; Leighana Gooden, Jefferson-Morgan, 3; Izzy Miller, Central Valley, 3; Sadie Orie, Bethel Park, 3; Marque Taylor, Rochester, 3; Zach Washington, Quaker Valley, 3; Bailey White, Allderdice, 3.

Boys scores

Class 4A Section 2

Avonworth 85, Hopewell 54

Quaker Valley 68, Ambridge 36

Class 3A Section 3

Steel Valley 56, Apollo-Ridge 34

Class 2A Section 2

Sewickley Academy 58, Winchester Thurston 27

Class 2A Section 4

South Side 74, Western Beaver 41

Class 1A Section 1

Nazareth Prep 80, Avella 42

Class 1A Section 2

Serra Catholic 82, Geibel Catholic 42

Non-section

Carlynton 64, East Allegheny 31

McGuffey 46, Munday, Texas, 34

Propel Braddock Hills 53, Brashear 41

Uniontown 71, Milken Community School, Calif., 56

Upper St. Clair 59, Prince George’s Christian, Md., 56

Girls scores

Class 6A Section 1

Butler 55, North Hills 53 (OT)

Pine-Richland 46, Woodland Hills 18

Seneca Valley 44, North Allegheny 41

Class 6A Section 2

Mt. Lebanon 42, Hempfield 40

Norwin 55, Connellsville 21

Upper St. Clair 66, Canon-McMillan 44

Class 5A Section 1

Franklin Regional 58, Gateway 21

Class 5A Section 2

Penn-Trafford 62, West Mifflin 17

Class 5A Section 3

Mars 63, West Allegheny 56

South Fayette 55, Montour 23

Class 5A Section 4

Bethel Park 73, Uniontown 35

Thomas Jefferson 63, Albert Gallatin 29

Class 4A Section 1

Burrell 61, Derry 17

Knoch 41, Highlands 30

Oakland Catholic 57, Freeport 24

Class 4A Section 2

Beaver 70, Ambridge 8

Blackhawk 48, Hopewell 15

Central Valley 53, Hampton 49

Class 4A Section 3

Elizabeth Forward 64, Mount Pleasant 34

Laurel Highlands 79, Southmoreland 13

South Park 55, Belle Vernon 31

Yough 37, Ringgold 30

Class 3A Section 1

Beaver Falls 48, Riverside 41

Ellwood City 58, New Brighton 5

Mohawk 39, Sto-Rox 37

Class 3A Section 2

Avonworth 46, Deer Lakes 20

Shady Side Academy 70, Ligonier Valley 13

Steel Valley 39, East Allegheny 9

Class 3A Section 3

McGuffey 67, Charleroi 6

Seton LaSalle 68, Brownsville 49

Class 2A Section 1

Aliquippa 59, Shenango 17

Neshannock 47, Laurel 6

Rochester 73, Freedom 40

Class 2A Section 2

Burgettstown 44, Northgate 11

Fort Cherry 66, Carlynton 18

South Side 56, Brentwood 17

Class 2A Section 3

Brentwood 29, Jefferson-Morgan 28

California 51, Carmichaels 17

Chartiers-Houston 48, Beth-Center 15

Class 2A Section 4

Ellis School 43, Frazier 23

Riverview 70, Jeannette 21

Winchester Thurston 53, Apollo-Ridge 14

Class 1A Section 1

Aquinas Academy 47, Springdale 13

St. Joseph 63, Eden Christian 19

Union 53, Sewickley Academy 16

Class 1A Section 2

Clairton 83, West Greene 72 (OT)

Geibel Catholic 61, Bishop Canevin 51

Monessen 45, Mapletown 28

Serra Catholic 71, Avella 46

Non-section

Allderdice 72, Fox Chapel 63

Westinghouse 36, Nazareth Prep 16