Clairton stymies Geibel Catholic无毛视频檚 offense to reach WPIAL Class A final
CHARLEROI 无毛视频� Geibel Catholic jumped out to a five-point lead in the first quarter, but unfortunately for the Lady Gator faithful, Clairton didn无毛视频檛 let the advantage last, as it took the lead in the second quarter, and pulled away in the second half for a 52-32 victory Monday night at Charleroi Area High School in the semifinals of the WPIAL Class A girls basketball playoffs.
The Lady Bears (19-4) will play Union (24-0) on Friday at the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh at 3 p.m. for the WPIAL Class A championship.
The Lady Scotties are seeking their third straight and overall district title, while Clairton is hoping for its third WPIAL championship after winning back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 elated,无毛视频� Clairton coach Carlton Wade said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 mad I didn无毛视频檛 take off work tomorrow. I无毛视频檓 happy for the school, the city, for my daughter (Iyanna Wade), who wanted to get down there (Petersen Events Center), and she无毛视频檚 down there now. The community support is always there. We are not the biggest but our supporters made a lot of noise tonight.无毛视频�
Although the Lady Gators (22-2) were denied the opportunity to play for an eighth WPIAL title, they are in the state playoffs and can enter the tournament as the third seed if they win on Wednesday against Aquinas Academy (15-8) in the consolation final.
The game will be played at Geibel Catholic Junior/Senior High School. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Despite falling short of reaching the final, Lady Gators coach Sara Larkin was pleased with her team for winning a playoff game this season and also qualifying for the state playoffs.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e made good progress this year, and I think we exceeded expectations,无毛视频� Larkin said. 无毛视频淵es, it would have been great to win tonight, but the better team won tonight, so hats off to them. They had a great game plan and executed, and we didn无毛视频檛, but this one无毛视频檚 done. We will lick our wounds tonight, refocus and get ready for Aquinas on Wednesday.无毛视频�
Ava Henderson buried a three-pointer and Emma Larkin scored on a layup in transition for a 5-0 Geibel Catholic advantage before Clairton无毛视频檚 Reyonee Williams made back-to-back baskets on mid-range jumpers to cut the deficit to 5-4.
Janiah Darnell scored inside and Larkin无毛视频檚 layup put the Lady Gators up five for the second time, but it would be the largest lead Geibel would maintain.
Karma Fuqua and Iyanna Wade connected on field goals to pull the Lady Bears within one at 9-8 as the first quarter closed.
Clairton tied the game at 10-10 on a jumper from Fuqua before Mallory Clemmer made a jumper of her own for a 12-10 advantage for the Lady Gators.
After Wade tied the game on a tremendous move for a layup, Clemmer buried a three-pointer, but the Lady Bears无毛视频� Jamiya Juju Childs nailed a shot from behind-the-arc to tie the game at 15-15 before Wade scored, drew the foul and made the free throw for an 18-15 lead with three minutes remaining in the second period for Clairton无毛视频檚 first lead.
Wade made two three-pointers to extend the Lady Bears无毛视频� advantage to 24-18 at halftime.
Sara Larkin felt her team didn无毛视频檛 run their offense and took too many outside shots, especially when the game was closer.
无毛视频淲e relied way too much on the three-point shot,无毛视频� Larkin said. 无毛视频淎nd no matter how many times I told them, 无毛视频楽top, run the offense, be patient,无毛视频� we continued to shoot them, and then at the end of the game when I无毛视频檓 telling them, 无毛视频楾his is when we need it, you gotta shoot the ball,无毛视频� everyone didn无毛视频檛 want to.
无毛视频淲e just got to understand situations better. We无毛视频檒l learn and grow from there. We weren无毛视频檛 crashing the boards today, and when you无毛视频檙e standing out on the perimeter and nobody无毛视频檚 crashing, we无毛视频檙e only getting one attempt and going the other direction.无毛视频�
Clairton pushed its lead to 28-18 with 5:12 left in the third quarter on a field goal from Juju Childs and two free throws from Wade.
Emma Larkin made a three-pointer, was 1 of 2 at the foul line and added another field goal on a drive, but she was the only Geibel player to score in the third quarter.
The Lady Bears had a 38-24 advantage after three quarters.
无毛视频淲e stressed defense all week,无毛视频� Carlton Wade said. 无毛视频淲e knew if we could stop Emma from getting downhill, we would win the game, and that无毛视频檚 exactly what we did.无毛视频�
Clairton slowed up its offense in the fourth period, and despite Larkin scoring a drive to cut the deficit to 12 with 5:30 left in the game, the Lady Bears had a 14-8 edge in the frame.
Larkin scored 12 of the Lady Gators无毛视频� 14 points in the second half. She finished with 17 on seven field goals (one 3-pointer) and was 2 of 4 at the foul line. Clemmer added eight and Henderson five.
Wade had an off day by her standards in scoring a game-high 22 points on six field goals (three 3-pointers) and was 7 of 9 at the line. Fuqua dropped 16 and Juju Childs 10.
无毛视频淚yanna (Wade), Karma (Fuqua) and Jamiya (Juju Childs) are my three big scorers,无毛视频� Carlton Wade said. 无毛视频淚f we can continue with those three playing well, it will go well for our team. Jamiya had the flu when we played them (Geibel) the second time. Iyanna didn无毛视频檛 shoot the ball well, and I felt we should have won that game, also.无毛视频�