Waynesburg falls to South Fayette, 83-67
South Fayette seniors Matt Thomas and Camron Garland combined for 39 points, as the Lions remained unbeaten in Section 3-AAAA action with an 83-67 victory over host Waynesburg Central Tuesday night.
Thomas scored a game-high 21 points, 14 of which came during South Fayette’s 26-point second quarter.
Junior Noah Plack added 16 points for South Fayette, which now sits alone at 5-0 atop the section.
The Lions (6-3, 5-0) led 18-11 after one quarter, and 44-25 at halftime after closing the second period with a 14-5 run.
During a three-minute span late in the second quarter, Thomas scored five baskets, including a pair of three-pointers.
“It was fun to watch,” South Fayette coach Dave Mislan said. “Not only did he score, but (Matt) created a lot for our other players. He really sees the floor well.”
Waynesburg (1-10, 0-5) used a late third-quarter surge to close within nine points, 58-49.
Freshman Lucas Garber’s put back of his own miss pulled the Raiders to within 58-51 early in the final quarter, but Plack scored on three straight possessions to push the visitors’ lead back to double digits.
Waynesburg got within 10 points one more time, at 68-58, but an 11-2 South Fayette run put the game out of reach.
“Once we cut it to seven points, we had the momentum, but then we just had a mental lapse,” Raiders coach Kirk King said.
“That’s been the story of our season. It’s not from a lack of effort. But the little details make a difference.”
Garber led three Waynesburg players in double digits with 19 points.
The Raiders shot 28 free throws, with Garber hitting 9 of 10.
Junior Darton McIntire scored 18 points, and junior Aaron Yorio added 13. McIntire led the WPIAL in scoring as a sophomore, averaging 25.8 points during the regular season.
South Fayette returns to action Friday, hosting McGuffey, which is currently tied for second place with Belle Vernon in Section 3-AAAA.
Waynesburg will look for its first section victory when it travels to South Park.
“We talked about what our expectations are,” King said. “The kids responded well. They are not satisfied with just being competitive. If we can get them to play with the effort they gave in the third-quarter, then the results will be there.”