SV’s lead in 4th quarter erased in loss to Tigers
JACKSON TWP — For the second time this season, Seneca Valley’s girls basketball team led North Allegheny after three periods. And for the second time this season, fourth-quarter struggles doomed the Raiders.
A month ago, it was a 23-4 run by the Tigers that did in the Raiders. NA’s dominance wasn’t as grand in Monday’s rematch, but outscoring host SV 10-2 over the final eight minutes led to a 39-35 victory.
“We’re right there. We keep knocking on the door,” said Raiders coach Dorothea Epps. “It’s like we need one more roll or bounce of the ball to go our way. I keep telling the girls, ‘We’re going to get it done.’”
The Raiders held a 33-29 edge entering the final quarter, but Caroline Henderson’s trey and a bucket from Lydia Betz in the first 70 seconds of the fourth handed the Tigers a lead they would not give up.
Gracie Cato accounted for SV’s lone points of the period when her basket cut NA’s lead to 37-35 with 4:09 left in the game.
Neither team scored over the next three and a half minutes, with turnovers hindering both squads. With 34 seconds left, Kellie McConnell drained a pair of free throws for the Tigers (18-2, 7-2). The Raiders managed just one more shot, a missed 3-point attempt with three seconds left.
McConnell scored 10 points, but her biggest contribution came on defense, where she was matched up 1-on-1 against the Raiders’ Natalie Hambly, who scored 19 points in that earlier game against NA and is certainly capable of more.
On Monday, she was held to eight shot attempts and 10 points as McConnell was her personal escort all over the court.
“Kellie realized what the demand was tonight,” said Tigers coach Spencer Stefko. “Hambly is about as good as a sophomore can get and is one of the best players in the section. Seneca does a lot of creative things to get her the ball, but Kellie emptied her tank on that end of the court. She sacrificed herself.”
Emerson Peffer stepped up with a team-high 14 points for the Raiders — seven in the first quarter, after which the game was knotted at 12, and seven more in the third as SV’s 15-6 run earned for it the lead.
Henderson led all scorers with 22 points, including six treys.
SV (12-8, 4-5) has already clinched a WPIAL Class 6A playoff berth, but the Raiders were 10-2 in early January. They’ve now lost six of eight games and travel to section-leading Norwin on Thursday.
“The girls’ confidence is not a concern,” said Epps. “NA is an excellent team and this game could have gone either way.”
NORTH ALLEGHENY 39
Kellie McConnell 4 2-3 10, Caroline Henderson 8 0-0 22, Lydia Betz 2 0-0 5, Grace Heliger 1 0-0 2, Cate Pingpank 0 0-0 0, Vange Balouris 0 0-0 0, Rae Shanahan 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15 2-3 39.
SENECA VALLEY 35
Kaydence Kilhof 1 0-0 3, Natalie Hambly 2 5-5 10, Gracie Cato 2 2-2 6, Emerson Peffer 5 4-4 14, Lilly Sperry 1 0-0 2, Brooke Dufford 0 0-2 0, Makayla Canty 0 0-0 0, Allison Sevin 0 0-0 0, Regan Gallagher 0 0-0 0. Totals: 11 11-13 35.
North Allegheny 12 11 6 10 — 39
Seneca Valley 12 6 15 2 — 35
3-point goals: North Allegheny 7 (Henderson 6, Betz); Seneca Valley 2 (Kilhof, Hambly).
Thursday: Seneca Valley at Norwin
