When the clock is winding down and the season is on the line, who else would you rather have on your side than Kylie Fruehstorfer?
A 5-5 guard who starred as a sophomore in Union’s first-ever PIAA championship victory in 2023, Fruehstorfer has already authored her fair share of memorable moments for the two-time defending WPIAL Class 1A champion Scotties — including a school-record 50-point masterpiece in the regular-season finale against Winchester Thurston on Feb. 7. And as she has done throughout her decorated career, the standout senior shined under the bright lights once again on Monday night, lifting unbeaten Union (24-0) to a thrilling 47-45 overtime win against No. 5 Aquinas Academy at Ellwood City.
Monday’s game marked the third matchup this season between the section foes. And although the Scotties won the first two meetings in lopsided fashion, the Crusaders gave them all they could handle this time around.
“We were definitely in a battle,” said Union coach Rob Nogay, the 2022-23 PUP Coach of the Year. “They’re a really good team, and we knew that coming in. It was a heck of a game. It was exciting for the fans, and I’m glad we came out on top.”
First, after watching a late lead slip away in the fourth quarter, Fruehstorfer calmly stepped to the line with 0.5 seconds left and buried a pair of game-tying free throws to send the game to overtime. Then, with the Scotties trailing by two in the final 30 seconds, Fruehstorfer broke loose off a series of screens at the top of the key and drilled a go-ahead 3-pointer that would prove to be the difference in the game.
“I don’t want to say I’ve come to expect that out of Kylie, but when the game is tight, I’m confident with the ball in No. 4’s hands, for sure,” Nogay said.
Fruehstorfer finished with a team-high 16 points for top-seeded Union, followed by 11 from fellow senior Mia Preuhs. Tess Duer did all she could in a losing effort for Aquinas (15-8), finishing with a game-high 27 points while converting 12-of-13 free-throw attempts.
“[Tess] Duer definitely came to play today. She hurt us with her penetration,” Nogay said. “I thought they had a good game plan against us. They slowed it down a little bit and looked for opportunities to penetrate. We were fortunately able to buckle down defensively, and we were able to pull it out.”
After having their undefeated record pushed to the brink, the Scotties will now travel to Petersen Events Center for a chance to complete a WPIAL championship three-peat on Friday. And with the amount of close calls his team has endured during its journey, Nogay isn’t taking anything for granted.
“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Nogay said. “We’re living on. We’ve got another day here.”
Other Class 1A semifinal
• Star senior Iyanna Wade was held well below her usual scoring standard, but her 22-point performance was still more than enough to lead No. 3 Clairton (19-4) to its first WPIAL championship appearance in 20 years with a 52-32 win against No. 2 Geibel Catholic (22-2) at Charleroi. Now boasting a career total of 3,073 points, Wade surpassed East Allegheny grad Brooke Stewart for third place on the WPIAL’s career scoring list.
Class 4A semifinals
• For the first time since 2014, North Catholic will not be playing for a WPIAL championship, as section-rival Oakland Catholic dominated the rubber match between two of the area’s most prestigious programs. The No. 2 Eagles (22-3) cruised to a 57-29 win at Fox Chapel behind a game-high 16 points from Josie Fontana along with 14 from Robert Morris recruit London Creach and 12 from Alayla Bivins. Sam Weir finished with a team-leading 9 points in the loss for the No. 3 Trojanettes (21-4), who had won three consecutive WPIAL titles and seven in the past eight years.
• After racing out to a 19-point lead at the end of the first quarter, defending PIAA champion Blackhawk withstood a furious second-half onslaught by No. 4 Elizabeth Forward before holding on to win, 57-51, at North Allegheny. Aubree Hupp posted a double-double with 22 points and 19 rebounds, while Mia Sheesley tacked on 13 points to help propel the No. 1 Cougars (23-2) to their fourth consecutive WPIAL championship appearance. Mia Sostaric scored a game-high 25 points for the Warriors (19-6) to go with 17 from Kaelynn Settles.
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
