Lady Scots roll into semifinals with 54-23 victory
ALVERTON ëƵ SouthmorelandëƵs Olivia Cernuto scored off the opening tip and the Lady Scots never trailed for a 54-23 home victory over rival Mount Pleasant Friday night in the WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinals.
Southmoreland (16-4) advances to the semifinals Tuesday against second-seeded Quaker Valley. Quaker Valley defeated Montour, 68-39.
The quick start was just what Southmoreland coach Amber Weimer Cernuto was looking to do.
ëƵWe were hoping to jump on them soon. That was our game plan, to jump out quick and donëƵt let go,ëƵ said Weimer Cernuto. ëƵThis group likes to push and be aggressive on defense. We were able to do that, flow with that and go with that.ëƵ
The Lady ScotsëƵ pressure held the Mount Pleasant offense in check.
ëƵWe wanted to take Tiffany (Zelmore) out of the game as much as possible,ëƵ said Weimer Cernuto.
The attack worked with Zelmore scoring just five points through the first three quarters.
ëƵThere were times in the first quarter, for whatever reason, we missed some layups,ëƵ said Mount Pleasant coach Scott Giacobbi.
Southmoreland, the No. 3 seed, led 19-8 after the first quarter and carried the momentum into the second quarter, outscoring the Lady Vikings, 11-6, for a 30-14 halftime lead.
Giacobbi felt his squad had an envelope to get back into the game in the second quarter, but the opportunity slipped away.
ëƵWe closed it to 11 or 12 points. I felt the opportunity was there. We could sniff around 10 points or single digits, and it would be a different ball game,ëƵ said Giacobbi.
Southmoreland hit the offensive boards well and limited Mount Pleasant opportunities for second-chance points on their defensive end.
ëƵWhen we canëƵt rebound, we canëƵt run. They controlled the glass,ëƵ said Giacobbi. ëƵWe canëƵt rebound, we canëƵt win.ëƵ
ëƵThey have big rebounders. We wanted to make sure to box them out and get the rebounds,ëƵ said Weimer Cernuto.
The Lady Scots put the game away in the third quarter by outscoring Mount Pleasant, 18-0, and invoking the Mercy Rule for the fourth quarter.
The Lady Vikings (11-8) finally broke the ice in the second half when Zelmore hit a pair of free throws with 5:15 left in the game. Zelmore scored all nine of Mount PleasantëƵs fourth quarter points to finish with 14.
The Lady ScotsëƵ trio of Maddie Moore, Olivia Cernuto and Gracie Spadaro were tough to handle for the Lady VikingsëƵ defense. The three combined for 43 points, led by MooreëƵs game-high 17 points. Cernuto finished with 15 and Spadaro added 11.
Giacobbi noted the Lady Scots were tough to play at home, especially with a crowd in the stands.
ëƵThey played with a lot of poise and confidence. They play well on this floor,ëƵ said Giacobbi. ëƵTheyëƵre a great team. TheyëƵll be successful.ëƵ
Weimer Cernuto made mention of the fans in the stands.
ëƵItëƵs nice to have a crowd again. This size crowd was fantastic,ëƵ said Weimer Cernuto.
Weimer Cernuto was happy with the win, but said her squad still has work to do.
ëƵWe are still working on our defense. We need a little more communication. We want no weak spots on the floor,ëƵ explained Weimer Cernuto.







