Feb 6, 2007 By Jim Downey 4 min read

The five Laurel Highlands seniors, as well as Belle Vernon’s three, were honored before Monday’s Section 3-AAA game at Laurel Highlands, but it was a sophomore that put the final touches the Fillies’ hectic 64-60 victory. Emily Scapes’ third 3-pointer of the game with 47 seconds remaining brought the Lady Leopards into a 60-60 tie.

Laurel Highlands held for the final shot, but the ball was knocked away to give the Fillies an out-of-bounds play under the basket.

With the Belle Vernon defense running between a zone and man-to-man, Meg Mahoney broke free amid the defensive confusion for an uncontested lay-up with three seconds left.

Belle Vernon immediately called timeout, but the Fillies defensed the anticipated long pass. Mahoney punctuated the win with a steal and a buzzer-beating lay-in for the final difference.

“Sometimes it pays to be lucky,” Laurel Highlands coach Gerry Slampak said of the winning out-of-bounds play. “We tried to use it in the game. Meg Mahoney saved us tonight, especially with the two plays at the end of the game.”

Trailing 43-42 after three quarters, the young Belle Vernon squad set out to push ahead for the first time since it led at 19-7 early in the second quarter.

Spurred by freshman point guard Jocelyn Connolly, the Lady Leopards finally regained the lead at 6:07 with Connolly’s two free throws. Laurel Highlands senior Ashley Haragos quickly tied the game off an assist from fellow senior Heather Burton, and the tone for a seesaw finish was set.

The Lady Leopards (2-13, 6-17) grabbed the lead again on Kayla Nuccetelli’s put-back, but a Haragos free throw and traditional 3-point play with 4:52 left gave the Fillies the lead once again. Haragos finished with a game-high 25 points.

Another Mahoney steal led to a lay-up but she missed the accompanying free throw, giving Laurel Highlands (4-11, 7-16) its biggest lead in the quarter, 58-53.

Belle Vernon didn’t quit, though, outscoring the Fillies, 7-2, in the next 90 seconds. Scapes’ 3-pointer capped the run, fueled also by a pair of free throws each by Kayla Watson and Connolly. Watson scored seven in the fourth quarter.

“We haven’t had a lot of wins, but we were scratching and clawing,” said first-year Belle Vernon coach Tim Keefer. “Last year, we’d be happy to be in a game like this. Now, we don’t want moral victories.”

The frantic finish reflected the closeness of the game throughout, save a stretch in the second quarter when a 12-0 run by the Fillies rallied the home team from a 19-15 deficit in the first minute of the quarter to a 27-19 lead with 2:34 remaining.

Belle Vernon led 17-14 after the end of the first quarter, but the mid-quarter run by Laurel Highlands in the second gave the Fillies a 29-24 lead at the halftime break.

Both teams left some points at the free throw line.

Laurel Highlands made 17-of-29 in the game and 9-of-14 in the fourth quarter with Haragos making 13-of-19 of the total and 7-of-9 in the final eight minutes before fouling out with 1:28 remaining.

Belle Vernon made 18-of-31 attempts and 9-of-14 in the fourth quarter, led by Connolly’s 8-of-10 effort.

Connolly led the Lady Leopards with 21. Scapes and Watson both scored 11 with Nuccetelli adding 10.

“We only have three seniors and have a lot of people back,” said Keefer, whose Lady Leopards finish the season at home against Ringgold on Senior Night.

“They’re winners and have gone to the playoffs (in other sports), but they’re not used to winning in basketball.

“I like coming (to Laurel Highlands). They honored our seniors tonight. They’re a class organization.”

Sabrina Jackson scored nine points in her final home game with fellow seniors Jackie Gaddis and Burton both scoring five points. Danielle Reed totaled four points in her final home game.

“Our seniors played well. I’m sure they were excited (about playing in their final game at home),” said Slampak, whose Fillies close the season Thursday at Yough.