WPIAL girls basketball quarterfinals: Unlikely hero Emily Hritz helps Thomas Jefferson take down unbeaten Penn-Trafford in overtime thriller

With standout guards Maggie Spell and Kaylee DeAngelo receiving most of the headlines for Thomas Jefferson this season after transferring into the district, returning players like sophomore guard Emily Hritz have taken a bit of a backseat.

But when Hritz’s number was called in the biggest moment of the season on Wednesday night, she didn’t hesitate to answer.

Coming in off the bench in a highly anticipated WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinal showdown against No. 3 Penn-Trafford, Hritz buried a pair of pivotal 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, then she knocked down a crucial free throw in the final minute of overtime to help seal an action-packed 65-60 win at Norwin against the previously unbeaten Warriors (23-1).

“I thought it was a great high school basketball game. Certainly not great for my heart,” Jaguars coach Matt Gould said with a laugh. “Credit to [Hritz], because she played a ton of minutes last year, and her minutes have gone down a little bit this year. She didn’t sulk or do anything but stay ready. She comes in tonight in the biggest game of the year, the biggest game of her life, and makes some big shots. I’m happy for her.”

With two terrific, evenly matched teams battling to the final horn for a spot in the WPIAL semifinals, it was a shame that someone had to lose. The game saw several lead changes throughout, with Penn-Trafford taking a slim lead into halftime before No. 6 Thomas Jefferson (20-4) appeared to seize control in the third quarter.

The Jaguars led by nine with 2:44 remaining, but their lead quickly evaporated as the Warriors closed out the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run to force overtime. Then, with all of the momentum seemingly in Penn-Trafford’s favor going into the extra period, Thomas Jefferson found an extra gear and clamped down on defense to send the Warriors home with their first loss of the season.

“We tried to give the game away,” Gould said. “We gave it, they took it, we go to overtime, and our girls were super locked in. The energy never changed. It never felt to me like it was slipping away from us. It just felt like we just have to do what we do and keep playing.”

Both teams had four players reach double figures on the night, with Spell leading all scorers with 21 points before fouling out with a minute left in regulation. Allie Wilson added 13 for the Jaguars to go with 11 from DeAngelo and 10 from Riley McCabe. Lauren Marton paced Penn-Trafford with 16 points, followed by 14 from Hannah Weishaar, 13 from Torrie DeStefano and 11 from Isabella Fontana.

“Balanced scoring, I think that’s the way that it should be,” Gould said. “I love when we share the basketball. … When [Thomas Jefferson] won the WPIAL football championship, [coach Bill Cherpak] said, ‘This is what happens when people play and don’t care who gets the credit.’ I can’t echo that sentiment any more. I feel like that’s the way basketball should be played.”

After back-to-back 9-13 finishes in his first two years at the helm, Gould now has Thomas Jefferson just one win away from a trip to the WPIAL championship game. In order to get there, the Jaguars will need to go through section-rival Peters Township, a team that handed Thomas Jefferson two of its four losses during the regular season.

It certainly won’t be easy — but if it were, then it wouldn’t be much fun, would it?

“It’s going to be phenomenal,” Gould said. “I am so excited for these girls to be in the WPIAL semifinals. To go from not making the playoffs — we had a play-in game we lost last year, to going to the WPIAL semifinals, it’s such an exciting experience.”

Thomas Jefferson’s Maggie Spell drives toward the basket against Penn-Trafford on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at Norwin High School. Spell scored a game-high 21 points as Thomas Jefferson won in overtime, 65-60. (Emily Matthews/Pittsburgh Union Progress)

Other Class 5A quarterfinals

• Miami recruit Natalie Wetzel returned to action for No. 2 Peters Township after missing the Indians’ first-round win over Fox Chapel with an ankle injury, and not a moment too soon as Peters Township (21-3) pulled away in the second half for a 51-32 win against No. 7 Indiana at Norwin. Wetzel and Taylor McCullough each scored a game-high 14 points to go with 10 from Bri Morreale, while Emily Betsinger led the Little Indians (18-6) with 12 points in the loss.

• Three-time defending WPIAL champion South Fayette made easy work of No. 9 Baldwin in a lopsided 67-31 victory at Mt. Lebanon. Haylie Lamonde scored a game-high 22 points for the No. 1 Lions (23-1), aided by 15 points apiece from Juju Leroux and Ryan Oldaker. Lynsey Bernotas and Mary Vargo each tallied a team-leading 10 points for the Highlanders (15-9).

• In a battle of double-digit seeds, Cecilia Christy collected a team-high 20 points for No. 13 Mars (15-9) to propel the Planets into the WPIAL semifinals with a 55-42 win over No. 12 Bethel Park (12-12) at North Allegheny. Alexis Cashdollar chipped in with 17 points in the win along with 10 from Carmella McDole.

Indiana’s Laken Kugler tries to keep the ball from Peters Township’s Alina Sopko on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at Norwin High School. Peters Township won, 51-32. (Emily Matthews/Pittsburgh Union Progress)

Class 3A quarterfinals

• Towering junior forward Mimi Thiero did all she could to help No. 7 Quaker Valley (15-9) take down No. 2 Greensburg Central Catholic, scoring a game-high 32 points while converting 8-of-8 free-throw attempts, but it wasn’t quite enough for the Quakers to pull off the upset in a 56-47 win for the Centurions at Mt. Lebanon. Erica Gribble led Greensburg Central (19-5) with 22 points to go with 16 from Jayla Peterson and 10 from Avery Jones.

• No. 3 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart ended No. 6 Avonworth‘s quest for a third consecutive trip to the WPIAL championship game, outlasting the Antelopes (16-8) for a 50-44 triumph at Fox Chapel. Claudio Ierullo and Leah Parker each finished with a game-high 22 points to lead the way for the Chargers (21-3). Greta O’Brien led Avonworth with 18 points in the defeat, followed by 12 from Emma Obersteiner.

• Caitlin Kreitzer scored a game-high 13 points for No. 12 Ellwood City and Delaney Sturgeon added 10 to help the underdog Wolverines (15-8) advance to the WPIAL semifinals with a 40-37 come-from-behind win over No. 4 Keystone Oaks (19-3) at North Allegheny.

• Karis Thomas led all scorers with 19 points for No. 1 Shady Side Academy (23-0), helping the Bulldogs keep their perfect record intact with a one-sided 55-20 win against No. 8 Riverside (15-9) at Fox Chapel.