ALTOONA — The Blackhawk girls’ basketball team was familiar with this road to Hershey.
It was a couple of the youngest Cougars, though, driving the bus for the final leg of the journey this time.
Sophomore Aubree Hupp scored 22 points while also guarding Division I prospect Amaya Stewart and classmate Mia Sheesley knocked down a couple of big 3-pointers to keep the Cougars ahead as Blackhawk earned a return trip to the PIAA Class 4A championship game by toppling previously-undefeated Wyomissing, 47-31, on Tuesday at the Altoona Area High School Field House.
Just like last year, the Cougars (26-3) accomplished the feat after losing in the WPIAL finals. They’re hoping for a little different outcome this season after settling for state runner-up in 2023 when they play Scranton Prep for the title on noon Saturday at the Giant Center.
“It’s literally a repeat of last year. We knew losing the WPIAL we weren’t done. We knew we wanted to get back to Hershey. And we get to miss a day of school on Friday,” said jubilant Blackhawk senior guard Alena Fusetti, who scored 7 of her 11 points and hit a pair of dagger 3s in the fourth quarter as the Cougars finally pulled away in what had been a close game throughout.
“We need to end with a win, though.”
Blackhawk led most of the way but never enough to get really comfortable until Fusetti’s back-to-back 3s started an 11-0 run midway through the fourth quarter. It was a 2-point difference before that.
It was the two 10th graders, however, that put the Cougars in a position for Fusetti to administer the coup de grace.
Hupp’s main task coming into the game was just to keep a body on Stewart, a physical powerhouse, giving her teammates an opportunity to collapse when the ball went inside. A starter in last season’s run after Quinn Borroni’s injury, though, Hupp had other ideas and took the ball right at the Spartan star at the other end.
Coming off a 23-point effort against Fairview, Hupp played with great composure, boxing out, grabbing rebounds, helping to break the press with the dribble and going 11-for-11 at the foul line.
“My confidence was a big factor,” Hupp said. “I knew I could make shots. My foul shots were great today. I just knew we had to get it done.”
Hupp even made a 3-pointer in the first quarter and, after Wyomissing fouled her with .7 seconds left in the third quarter, Fusetti tossed a lob from underneath the basket to the 5-foot-10 sophomore, who redirected it in softly for a 29-23 cushion.
“Usually, I’m not making that shot. Today, I had confidence,” Hupp said. “We all knew what we had to do (being through it last year). We did it last year. Same situation.”
Blackhawk took a 21-18 lead into the half when Hupp drove and shoveled a pass to Sheesley, whose shot cut through the net just as the horn sounded. Then Sheesley, mostly a scout-teamer in 2023, connected from the top of the circle in the third quarter after Wyomissing had cut margin to 24-22.
“My teammates needed me to step up and be confident and just have faith that I could put it in the hoop,” Sheesley said.
Ironically, coach Greg Huston was one of the few Cougars not on this ride last season.
“To lose the WPIAL championship and go to Hershey two years in a row is just bizarre,” Huston said. “The one thing we want to change is going down there and winning it. It’s an incredible feeling.”
A 6-1 junior, Stewart finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
“They came out aggressive. They read the scouting report. We got punched in the mouth,” Stewart said.
It was Wyomissing’s first loss in 32 starts. The Spartans were held to three field goals in the second half.
“The ball didn’t fall our way. They had a great game plan and they executed and they hit some shots,” Spartans coach Aaron Anders said.
The Cougars led by as many as 6 in the second quarter, going up 18-12 when Hupp scored her 13th and 14th points from the free throw line at the 3:22 mark after driving and drawing the second foul on Stewart.
The District 3 champ, though, reeled off the next 6 points to pull even.
Wyomissing led 10-9 after one quarter on the strength of Stewart’s foul shot with 8.6 seconds left in the period. Hupp actually outpointed the Spartan star over the first eight minutes, 7-5.
The Cougars are looking for their fifth PIAA championship.
“We need to finish this,” Fusetti said, “how we should.”
First Published: March 20, 2024, 1:38 a.m.
Updated: March 20, 2024, 2:27 a.m.
