Fans turned out in droves to pack Allderdice’s gymnasium for a rare WPIAL vs. City League showdown Friday night between the Dragons and Canon-McMillan in the first round of the PIAA Class 6A girls basketball tournament.
Riding a 16-game winning streak into the contest, Allderdice appeared to have all the momentum in the first half. But after a whirlwind second half that came down to the game’s final seconds, the Big Macs spoiled the Dragons homecoming with a dramatic 48-44 victory to secure their first state playoff win in school history.
“We knew playing here that they were going to play well,” said Canon-McMillan coach John Fontana. “I give them credit. They’re well-coached. They’re a good team, and they took us to the limit.”
Junior guard-forward Madison Clair led all scorers with 23 points for the Big Macs — none bigger than her transition layup to seal the win with 15 seconds left. Rhyan Sledge led Allderdice (20-6) with 16 points to go with 15 from Bailey White. Freshman Isabella Bobitski added 10 points for Canon-McMillan (16-9).
“I really just wanted to win. I didn’t care about how many points I scored,” Clair said. “It means a lot to me. … I know that our team is changing the program around, and it’s just going to be better from here on out.”
The Big Macs led by 9 points with a little more than two minutes to play, but some costly turnovers allowed the Dragons to claw back to within two while gaining possession of the ball with 30 seconds remaining. With Allderdice’s fans ready to erupt into a frenzy, Clair intercepted a cross-court pass and took it the length of the court for the clinching bucket to send Canon-McMillan on to the second round with a history-making win.
“We’re all coming back next year,” said Dragons coach Ellen Guillard. “Unfortunately, we wanted it all tonight, but I’ve learned in 10 years of coaching here that sometimes your biggest heartaches turn into your biggest lessons.”
Playing in the state playoffs for only the second time in school history and first time since 2013, Allderdice jumped to a 19-13 lead in the first half. But the Big Macs clamped down on defense in the second half to take control, holding the sharp-shooting White and sophomore forward Peyton Lynch well below their season scoring averages.
“We went into zone in the second half,” Fontana said. “We just couldn’t stop their penetration, which I thought caused some problems in the first half. We took that away. And once we took that away, we went out after the shooters.”
Coming off a third-place finish in the WPIAL tournament, Canon-McMillan is set for a rubber match against WPIAL champion Upper St. Clair for a spot in the PIAA quarterfinals. The Panthers won the first matchup Dec. 19, 66-44, but the Big Macs bounced back for a 45-38 win Jan. 24 in the rematch.
With no seniors on its roster, Canon-McMillan might as well be playing with house money the rest of the way. And with Fontana steering the ship, the future certainly is looking bright for the Big Macs — but so is the present.
“It feels really good,” Fontana said. “Everyone is behind this team — the community, the school. And these girls are young, they’re hungry, and they’re playing hard. It’s just a great feeling. … I think we can go a long way.”
Other Class 6A
• Kent State recruit Rylee Kalocay scored a game-high 21 points for WPIAL champion Upper St. Clair (20-6), and Meredith Huzjak contributed 12 points on four 3-pointers to help the Panthers cruise to a 65-37 home win against District 3 eighth-place finisher Manheim Township (19-10).
• WPIAL runner-up Norwin saw its season come to an end in a 49-38 loss at District 6 champion Altoona (23-2). Bella Furno finished with a team-high 14 points for the Knights (15-9), while Kendall Berger tacked on 12.
Class 3A
• Jayla Peterson led all scorers with 23 points for WPIAL champion Greensburg Central Catholic (22-5), followed by 21 points from Erica Gribble in a 61-31 rout at Southmoreland against District 6 third-place finisher Cambria Heights (19-9). The Centurions led by just 3 points at halftime before dominating the second half, 35-8.
• Karis Thomas led a trio of double-digit scorers for WPIAL runner-up Shady Side Academy, finishing with 16 points in a 51-23 win at Fox Chapel against District 9 runner-up Cranberry (17-7). Laila Banner and Cameron Capel tacked on 10 points apiece for the Bulldogs (25-1).
• Claudia Ierullo led three players in double figures for Our Lady of the Sacred Heart with 14 points in a 53-44 victory over District 10 runner-up Seneca (17-7) at Sewickley Academy. Lola Garner added 13 points and Leah Parker chipped in with 12 for the Chargers (23-4).
Class 2A
• Payton Newman (16 points, 14 rebounds) and Ainsley Allison (15 points, 10 rebounds) each registered double-doubles for WPIAL runner-up Neshannock (24-3), and Jaidon Nogay added 12 points and 7 steals in a lopsided 58-21 home win against District 5 runner-up Everett (16-9).
• Led by 26 points from Robert Morris recruit Layke Fields, District 10 champion and two-time defending state champion Kennedy Catholic (19-5) rolled to a 75-49 home win against Fort Cherry (20-6). Brooke Cornali tallied a team-high 26 points for the Rangers.
Scoreboard
PIAA Class 6A first round
Altoona 49, Norwin 38
Canon-McMillan 48, Allderdice 44
Upper St. Clair 65, Manheim Township 37
PIAA Class 3A first round
Central Cambria 60, Keystone Oaks 35
Greensburg C.C. 61, Cambria Heights 31
Karns City 44, Ellwood City 31
Northwestern 58, Avonworth 31
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 53, Seneca 44
Shady Side Academy 51, Cranberry 23
PIAA Class 2A first round
Aliquippa 56, Chartiers-Houston 42
Kennedy Catholic 75, Fort Cherry 49
Neshannock 58, Everett 21
Redbank Valley 76, Rochester 55
South Side 39, Lakeview 38
Winchester Thurston 57, Port Allegany 38
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
