Record breaker
Lady Gators无毛视频� Larkin rising up scoring charts but covets WPIAL title
Emma Larkin had an unforgettable junior season and already a record-breaking senior year.
The Geibel Catholic girls basketball star broke Shelley Bortz无毛视频� program scoring record of 1,977 on Dec. 1 then went over the 2,000-point mark for her career on Dec. 4.
Still, although she admits the records and milestones are nice, playing for a WPIAL championship would be better. The Lady Gators won a section crown, went 22-4 overall and came one win short of playing in the Petersen Events Center for the Class A district title last season.
无毛视频淟ast year was everything I ever dreamed of short of winning a WPIAL title,无毛视频� Larkin said. 无毛视频淲e did so well, it was such a memorable year. But I still want to play at the Pete, I still want to win a WPIAL title.无毛视频�
Larkin, a 5-foot-5 versatile point guard, has helped resurrect a Geibel program, spearheading a charge to three consecutive playoff berths along with the section championship and WPIAL final four appearance, all while playing under her mother, Lady Gators coach Sara Larkin.
She still has another record within reach, that being the Fayette County girls basketball scoring record of 2,440 points held by Albert Gallatin graduate Loui Hall.
Emma Larkin is focused on her team, however, not her individual statistics. An outstanding all-around player, she realizes she无毛视频檒l need help to get to a WPIAL final, most notably in the form of 6-1 sophomore Mallory Clemmer, who无毛视频檚 coming off a strong freshman year.
无毛视频淣ow that she无毛视频檚 not a freshman and she kind of has a taste of what it is, how section games are what playoff games are like, I无毛视频檓 expecting a lot from her,无毛视频� Emma Larkin said. 无毛视频淗er ability and her height takes a lot of pressure off me because now teams can无毛视频檛 just box-and-one me. I see her taking big strides this year and hopefully help us get to the Pete.无毛视频�
Another key player is 5-9 junior Janiah Darnell.
无毛视频淓mma, Mallory and Janiah are our top three returning players,无毛视频� Sara Larkin said. 无毛视频淲e lost Ava Patridge, who was a senior, and we had two other upcoming seniors with Emma who aren无毛视频檛 playing this year now. Ava Henderson transferred back to Charleroi and Maddie Waggett无毛视频檚 got a knee injury so she无毛视频檚 out for the year.无毛视频�
That leaves two other starting spots open this season.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 down to three girls right now, two freshmen, Emaliegh Horn and Alexa Morgan, who are both guards, and a sophomore, Nolace Petrosky, who is a forward,无毛视频� Sara Larkin said.
Clemmer is unique for someone her size in that she has an effective jump shot.
无毛视频淢y favorite thing is when other coaches say let her shoot,无毛视频� Sara Larkin said. 无毛视频淚 love that, because she may be 6-foot-1 but she shoots the ball well. She has worked a lot on her inside game during the summer because, of course, we need her there, too.
无毛视频淛aniah is a hustler. She rebounds like crazy and can put the ball up and in. And then both freshmen can shoot the ball. They无毛视频檙e going to have to respect other players offensively other than just Emma.无毛视频�
Emma runs the show.
无毛视频淪he无毛视频檚 my leader on the floor so that无毛视频檚 the expectation and she knows that,无毛视频� Sara Larkin said. 无毛视频淲e do have other girls who can score to take some of that pressure off of her. It无毛视频檚 always better when you无毛视频檙e not the sole person out there anyone is worried about stopping. Mallory can work the ball inside and shoot the ball outside.无毛视频�
Sara Larkin acknowledges everyone will be gunning for her team now after such a superlative 2024-25 season.
无毛视频淭he more success you have, the harder and harder it gets,无毛视频� Sara Larkin said. 无毛视频淲e talked about it preseason and the girls tell me what they want, what they无毛视频檙e expectations are, and it无毛视频檚 Pete or bust for us this year. That无毛视频檚 a big goal and a big target to put on their back but that无毛视频檚 what they want and that无毛视频檚 what we无毛视频檙e trying to prepare for.无毛视频�
Besides the top six, the Lady Gators only have two other varsity players.
无毛视频淲e only have eight on our roster which has kind of been our number since I got here,无毛视频� Sara Larkin said. 无毛视频淚 keep trying to get to that magic 10 and we just haven无毛视频檛 been able to do it. The other two girls are (freshman) Paige Dolan and (sophomore) Maddie Barna. Paige has a little more experience than Maddie.无毛视频�
While reaching the WPIAL final is the main goal, the first step will be to repeat as champions of a very competitive Section 2-A.
无毛视频淐lairton lost (WPIAL scoring champion Ivanna) Wade to graduation so that无毛视频檚 big, obviously, but Serra Catholic really didn无毛视频檛 lose anybody and they were pretty tough competition for us last year,无毛视频� Sara Larkin said. 无毛视频淏ishop Canevin didn无毛视频檛 lose anyone either. West Greene is always tough, it doesn无毛视频檛 matter who they have. They play hard, physical, quick basketball and they have a great coach over there so you have to respect them as well. Monessen has a couple really good players, Maddie Johnson and (Na无毛视频檍aziah) Carter. It looks pretty competitive this year.无毛视频�
Bortz lifted her team to a pair of WPIAL finals and although they fell short both times she relishes the memories.
无毛视频淲hen I think about my playing days at Geibel, it brings back a flood of emotion,无毛视频� said Bortz, who is now an anchor/reporter at KDKA. 无毛视频淭hat gym became a second home to me. We worked hard, we pushed each other, and took so much pride putting on that uniform. The wins we shared were proof of that. Those were the glory days.无毛视频�
Sara Larkin can无毛视频檛 believe how fast her daughter无毛视频檚 high school years have flown by and both are trying to enjoy the final ride.
无毛视频淚t did go really fast,无毛视频� Sara Larkin said. 无毛视频淲e were just talking about that the other day, that you无毛视频檙e going to blink and this season无毛视频檚 going to be over and she无毛视频檚 going to be off to college.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 bittersweet, but we无毛视频檙e excited for this year, that无毛视频檚 for sure.无毛视频�