Feb 10, 2018 By Adam Brewer for The 3 min read

ROGERSVILLE — In a match-up of WPIAL playoff teams, West Greene’s pressure forced 26 turnovers against California, en route to a hard-fought 55-45 victory Saturday afternoon in non-section girls basketball action.

The Lady Pioneers set a school record for wins in a season, improving to 20-1 overall. West Greene travels to Charleroi on Monday to cap off the regular season.

McKenna Lampe scored 15 points and twin sister Madison added 12. Elizabeth Brudnock finished with nine points, while Jersey Wise and Kaitlyn Rizor added eight apiece.

“This game against Cal will help us in the long run, especially in the postseason,” West Greene coach Jordan Watson said. “They are a really good defensive team with some nice shooters. This is a good win for us. We were a little sluggish in the first half and were settling for too many jump shots. We attacked the rim in the second half and played more up-tempo.”

Bailey Vig scored a team-high 16 points for the Lady Trojans (13-7), while Grace Roberts chipped in 11.

“We responded pretty well after the tough loss the other night (a 66-52 loss to Frazier on Thursday),” California coach Chris Minerd said. “At times, we were able to handle their pressure and run our offense. Their press just wore us down in the second half. We were trying to rush it too much and they got a lot of transition points.”

The Lady Trojans conclude their regular season on Monday at home against Albert Gallatin.

Both teams will await their playoff opponents on Tuesday at the WPIAL pairings meeting.

It was a series of runs for both squads in the opening eight minutes of play. Trailing 5-0, California went on a 6-0 spurt to take its first lead of the day.

West Greene responded with a 6-0 rally of its own with baskets from Savannah Pettit, Madison Lampe and Wise for an 11-6 lead.

The Lady Trojans deadlock things at 11-11 at the end of the first quarter after a 3-pointer from Vig and a lay-up by Love’ Porter.

Both offenses clicked in the second quarter and traded points throughout the frame. Cal held a 13-12 scoring edge in the quarter and led 24-23 at intermission.

The Lady Trojans scored four of the opening six points of the third quarter, but the Lady Pioneers countered with six straight points. After the teams exchanged 3-pointers, West Greene ended the quarter with a 6-0 run for a 40-35 lead going into the fourth.

“We had to locate their shooters,” Watson said. “We played better defense as the game went on. I really like our balanced scoring and we need that in the playoffs. Today felt like a playoff game, where every late possession mattered. It always come down to defense and rebounding, as well as who can handle the pressure.”

The Lady Pioneers started the final period with an 8-3 spurt, but the visitors trimmed the deficit to 52-44 with six of the next 10 points.

The rest of the points for the game came from the free throw line, as West Greene secured the win with three of the final four points.

“There’s no thing as a moral victory, but I was really happy that we were able to hang around with one of the better teams in Class A,” Minerd said. “We were a little short-handed today and I think this is a good confidence boost for us. I feel like we can play with anybody in the playoffs. We just have to take care of the ball, rebound and get a better shot selection on offense.”