Friday postseason basketball rundown: Shorthanded Peters Township girls fend off Fox Chapel; Mars, Bethel Park girls pull off big upsets in Class 5A

When a star player goes down with an injury, it is often said that their teammates have big shoes to fill — but that is especially true in the case of Peters Township’s Natalie Wetzel.

A 6-foot-3 forward and returning PUP first-team all-star who will head south next season to play for the University of Miami, Wetzel sustained an ankle injury in the regular-season finale Monday against Mt. Lebanon. As a result, the standout senior was unable to suit up for the No. 2-seeded Indians’ first-round showdown with No. 15 Fox Chapel in the Class 5A tournament.

As it turns out, no Wetzel, no problem for Peters Township.

Fueled by 21 points from Bri Morreale and 20 from Daniela Radulovich, the Indians withstood a spirited upset attempt by the Foxes while gaining some valuable big-game experience for their younger players in a 66-58 home win. Layla Jablon scored a game-high 23 points for Fox Chapel (13-10), while Bella Urso added 20 in the defeat. Freshman Taylor McCullough tacked on 10 points for Peters Township (20-3), and fellow freshman Jordyn Welsh finished with 9 points while providing top-notch defense.

“It’s not easy being a freshman playing big-school basketball in [Class] 5A and [Class] 6A. It’s hard to do,” said Indians coach Steve Limberiou. “I can’t say I was surprised that Fox Chapel played well. Give them a ton of credit. They made a lot of really tough shots. Sometimes the intensity just rises a notch in the playoffs.”

While result Friday was encouraging, Limberiou and the rest of Peters Township’s fan base eagerly are awaiting some good news regarding Wetzel’s recovery — and they might soon get it. Limberiou said that the injury isn’t nearly as severe as initially feared, and there is a chance Wetzel might even be cleared to return for the Indians’ quarterfinal clash Wednesday with No. 7 Indiana.

“The night of, it was a very gloomy outlook,” Limberiou said. “The next morning, she got really good news from the doctor. I would still categorize her as questionable going into Wednesday. I feel good about her trajectory and how she has progressed.”

With or without Wetzel, though, Limberiou has full confidence in each of his players to do their job to the best of their ability, and he couldn’t be more proud of the way his team performed Friday in the face of adversity.

“I think sometimes we actually need those other players to be more aggressive than they are, and tonight, they were forced to be aggressive,” Limberiou said. “They probably earned their stripes in a different way tonight.”

Peters Township’s Daniela Radulovich, pictured in a game a year ago against Chartiers Valley , helped fill in for injured teammate Natalie Wetzel with 20 points in a 66-58 Class 5A first-round win against Fox Chapel. (Emily Matthews/Pittsburgh Union Progress)

Other Class 5A girls

• Most would have pointed to No. 8 Chartiers Valley‘s showdown with No. 9 Baldwin as the best girls matchup on the schedule, and the Colts and Highlanders made sure to deliver, as Baldwin emerged victorious in an action-packed affair with a thrilling 73-72 road victory. Julianne Ott led all scorers with 30 points while Lynsey Bernotas added 22 for the Highlanders (15-8). Emma Reynolds led four players in double figures for Chartiers Valley (15-8) with 23 points.

• In one of the most eye-opening upsets of the opening round, No. 13 Mars (14-9) used a suffocating defensive effort to take down No. 4 Shaler (20-3) on its home court, 44-23. Cecilia Christy paced the Planets with 13 points to go with 11 points apiece from Alexis Cashdollar and Carmella McDole.

• In another major upset, No. 12 Bethel Park (12-11) eked out a narrow 46-45 victory against No. 5 Franklin Regional to set up a showdown of double-digit seeds in the WPIAL quarterfinals. Ella Sabatos led the Black Hawks with 16 points along with 11 from freshman Fiona O’Neill, while Madison DeRiggi scored a game-high 23 points for the Panthers (15-7).

• Three-time defending WPIAL champion South Fayette had no trouble dispatching No. 16 Greensburg Salem in a 57-30 home win. Haylie Lamonde led all scorers with 19 points and Juju Leroux added 13 for the top-seeded Lions (22-1), while Vienna Javicky led the Golden Lions (13-10) with 11 points.

• Kaylee DeAngelo drained five 3-pointers en route to a game-high 20 points for No. 6 Thomas Jefferson (19-4), followed closely by 19 points from Maggie Spell as the Jaguars used a 27-point third-quarter surge to pull away from No. 11 Latrobe for a 68-47 home win. Carley Berk led a trio of double-digit scorers for the Wildcats (11-11) with 15 points.

• Serena Carnahan scored a game-high 19 points and Riley Stephans added 17 for for No. 14 Plum (10-13), but it wasn’t enough to overcome a balanced offensive attack by No. 3 Penn-Trafford in a 63-46 home win for the unbeaten Warriors (23-0). Lauren Marton paced Penn-Trafford with 15 points to go with 14 from Bella Klobucar and 12 from Torrie DeStefano.

Knoch’s Roman DeFelice grabs a rebound in a Class 4A first-round game against West Mifflin Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, at Knoch High School. Knoch won, 56-23. (Emily Matthews/Pittsburgh Union Progress)

Class 3A girls

• Delaney Sturgeon scored a game-high 28 points for No. 12 Ellwood City (14-8), powering the Wolverines their first playoff victory in 30 years with a 49-41 upset win over No. 5 Seton LaSalle at Chartiers Valley. Tiara Curry tallied a team-leading 19 points for the Rebels (16-7).

• Richmond recruit Erica Gribble led all scorers with 27 points for No. 2 Greensburg Central Catholic (18-5), which also received 16 points from Jayla Peterson in a comfortable 66-31 win against No. 15 Brownsville (13-10). Skylar Gates led the Falcons with 17 points.

• Greta O’Brien continued her stellar senior season with a 33-point outburst for No. 6 Avonworth (16-7), leading the host Antelopes to a convincing 67-35 romp over No. 11 Beaver Falls (12-8). Emma Obersteiner tacked on 15 points for the Antelopes, while Taylor Pullen paced the Tigers with 24 points.

• In one of the most hotly contested matchups of the night, No. 7 Quaker Valley squeaked past No. 10 McGuffey (13-9) for a 39-35 home win. Coveted 6-4 junior forward Mimi Thiero led all scorers with 25 points for the Quakers (15-8).

• Emma Meyer poured in a game-high 26 points and Camryn Friello followed with 17 for No. 8 Riverside (15-8), helping the Panthers cruise to a 56-26 home win against No. 9 Deer Lakes. Tessa Hollibaugh tallied a team-high 9 points for the Lancers (14-9).

West Mifflin’s Daven Reynolds goes for a basket in a Class 4A first-round game against Knoch Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, at Knoch High School. Knoch won, 56-23. (Emily Matthews/Pittsburgh Union Progress)

Class 4A boys

• Picking up right where he left off with his school-record 46-point performance in the regular-season finale against Northgate, No. 6 Central Valley‘s Isaiah Jeter knocked down seven 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 33 points in an 80-55 triumph against No. 11 Derry (12-10). Angelo Conti added 12 points for the Warriors (19-4), while Stanley Rajkovich tallied a team-leading 18 points for the visiting Trojans.

• After winning back-to-back WPIAL titles in Class 3A, No. 7 Deer Lakes (17-5) started off its bid for a three-peat with an impressive 83-58 victory over No. 10 Quaker Valley. Nate Moore led three players in double figures for the host Lancers with a game-high 27 points, followed by 14 from Ethan Farr and 11 from J.T. McCue. Sam Chapman finished with a team-high 14 points for the Quakers (15-8).

• Jackson Bauman fell one point shy of matching his career high for No. 5 Knoch, racking up a game-high 30 points while outscoring No. 12 West Mifflin (8-15) in a lopsided 56-23 home win. Teegan Finnucan tacked on 12 points in the victory for the Knights (17-6).