Valiant Lady Warriors fall to No. 2 Blackhawk in double-overtime
Darnell Graham
Elizabeth Forward’s Brianna Spirnak (10) dribbles as Blackhawk’s Tailyn Silver (1) defends with the Lady Warriors’ Julia Jenkins (2) and the Lady Cougars’ Mackenzie Amalia (2) in the background during their WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinal playoff game at Canon-McMillian High School on Thursday night. Spirnak scored a game-high 24 points and Jenkins added 18, but EF lost in double-overtime, 60-57.
Elizabeth Forward's Brianna Spirnak (10) hits a short jump shot against Blackhawk during their WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinal plyaoff game at Canon-McMillion High School last season.
Darnell Graham
Elizabeth Forward’s Juria Flournoy (23) attempts to dribble around Blackhawk’s Tailyn Silver during their WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinal game at Canon-McMillan High School last season.
Elizabeth Forward's Alexis Korenoski (4) scores in front of Blackhawk's Taylor Lambright (00) during their WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinal playoff game at Canon-McMillian High School on Thursday night.
CANONSBURG — Elizabeth Forward was down by double-digits multiple times throughout the second half to second-seeded Blackhawk in their WPIAL girls basketball playoff game, but that did not deter the 10th-seeded Lady Warriors.
EF forced overtime with a 14-6 scoring edge in the fourth quarter and both teams were deadlocked again after both scored seven points apiece in the first overtime.
Trailing 57-55 in the second overtime, the Lady Cougars showed their playoff experience and tallied the final five points of the double-overtime thriller to pull out a 60-57 win in the Class AAAA quarterfinals Thursday night at Canon-McMillan High School.
“There is no giving up for this team,” EF coach Krystal Gibbs said. “We have been down before this season, and this group never quit. They always believe in each other. I am so insanely proud of my girls. We told them they had to play with heart and that they couldn’t play with any regrets. I think this is our best game of the season from start to finish.”
Brianna Spirnak poured in a game-high 24 points for the Lady Warriors and Julia Jenkins hit six 3-pointers to account for all of her 18 points. Both were key figures in EF’s comeback.
“Those two were unbelievable for us,” Gibbs said. “Julia has so much poise in her offense and she plays with so much heart. She wreaks havoc for the other team at both ends. Bri was so mentally tough for us on the inside banging the boards. She is a great leader.”
The last time these two squads met was in 2013 when EF stunned then top-seeded and unbeaten Blackhawk in the semifinals before losing to South Park in the final.
“It was a game of runs,” Gibbs said. “Blackhawk is a great team and there’s a reason why they led the WPIAL in scoring. They have a whole bunch of talented kids that can spread you out and shoot the ball. We told them about that 2013 team and how they were able to pull out the upset. We told them to believe in themselves and to believe they could play with this team.”
Blackhawk, which has won seven WPIAL titles since 1996, will play third-seeded Beaver in the semifinals on Monday with a time and site to be determined.
Even though they suffered heartbreak in the extra session and their upset bid fell short, the Lady Warriors (15-8) could continue their season in the PIAA playoffs. Class AAAA takes seven teams to states and it’s a “follow-the-winner” format.
With about five minutes left in the fourth and trailing 48-38, EF mounted a furious rally with the final 10 points of regulation.
An inside basket by Haylee Briggs knotted the score at 48-48 with 1:25 left. EF’s defense and missed free throws by the Lady Cougars (19-2) sent the game into overtime.
After Blackhawk registered the first six points of the first overtime, EF countered with a 7-1 run to extend the game into another five-minute period.
The Lady Warriors held a 57-55 advantage in the early stages of the second overtime after a mid-range jumper by Juria Flournoy.
Blackhawk responded with the final five points of the wild night, all coming from the foul line to secure the quarterfinal triumph.
“We had a really good inside-outside game on offense,” Gibbs said. “Everyone on the court for us had to have confidence in their shot. So many kids stepped up in so many key situations. We had a small bench and I think we started to get a little tired in the second overtime.”
After a back-and-forth opening quarter in which the Lady Cougars carried a 17-13 lead, the Lady Warriors got back into the game with a 9-6 rally to cut the deficit to 23-22, before Blackhawk scored the final five points of the second period and took a 28-22 lead into halftime.
EF regained the momentum in the early stages of the third quarter with a 9-2 run for a 31-30 lead. Spirnak had six critical points in the rally for the Lady Warriors.
Blackhawk countered and stretched its lead to 42-34 after ending the third frame with a 12-3 burst.
The Lady Cougars had three players in double-digits, led by Mady Aulbach (16), Mackenzie Amalia (15) and Ava Haddox (12).