Winchester Thurston loaded its non-section schedule to prepare itself for the WPIAL playoffs.
It’s cost the Bears a couple in the loss column but they might see the returns once the postseason tournament opens.
Winchester Thurston (3-2) took a hit against Class 4A Oakland Catholic (4-1) as Halena Hill scored 13 points and Alexa Washington added 11 to help the Eagles to a 45-40 win. The Class 2A No. 1-ranked Bears’ only other loss was to Class 5A No. 3 Woodland Hills and they have won their three section matchups by an average of 43.3 points.
More top girls games
• West Greene (4-2, 3-0) has rebounded nicely since losing its first two games and kept it going against Section 2 rival Monessen (3-1, 3-1) as Jersey Wise scored a game-high 27 points and Anna Durbin chipped in 15 as the Class 1A No. 2 Pioneers rolled to a 72-41 win over the No. 5 host Greyhounds.
• Chartiers Valley (7-0) was held 13 points under its average by Penn Hills (2-3), but that was nowhere near enough for the Indians to pull off an upset as Aislin Malcolm scored a game-high 19 points to lead three players in double figures as the Colts extended their state-record winning streak to 64 in a 52-33 non-section victory over the Indians.
• Montour (3-2, 2-1) was supposed to give Blackhawk (3-1, 2-1) a run for its money in their Section 2 showdown, but the No. 5 Spartans were down 23 at halftime as Quinn Borroni finished with 19 and Jillian Mannarino hit four 3-pointers to account for her 12 as the No. 2 Cougars rolled to a 72-42 decision.
• Thomas Jefferson (5-2, 3-0) was part of a three-way tie at the top of Section 3 with Connellsville (2-1, 2-1) and Trinity (6-1, 3-0), but now there are only two as Graci Fairman had 27 points as Class 5A No. 5 Jaguars breezed to a 59-28 win over the Falcons.
• West Mifflin (2-2, 2-1) may have upset Southmoreland its previous time out, but it could not get past Elizabeth Forward (1-2, 2-1) as the Warriors won their first Class 4A Section 3 game, 53-46, behind 18 points from Anna Resnik.
• Biz Watson scored 20 and Sophia Kelly 17 as Hampton (5-1, 3-1) took over sole possession of second place in Class 5A Section 2 with its 68-41 win over Plum (2-3, 2-2).
• Union (2-3) gave Class 1A No. 4 Aquinas Academy (6-1) all it could handle, but Elizabeth Russell scored a game-high 13 and Isabella Hite 11 as the Crusaders eked out a 35-34 victory for their sixth consecutive win.
Stars of the night
• Bethel Park senior and Duquesne recruit Olivia Westphal drilled six 3-pointers and was 9 of 10 from the free-throw line as part of her game-high and school-record 45 points as she led the Class 6A No. 4 Black Hawks to a 75-51 non-section victory over Mars (3-5)
• Junior Journey Thompson picked up 23 of her game-high 35 points in the first half as she helped Peters Township (1-4, 1-1) to its first win of the season as the Indians dealt Baldwin (1-3, 1-2) a 65-46 loss.
First Published: January 22, 2021, 4:30 a.m.
