Dec 13, 2023 By the Herald-Standard 8 min read

Ethan Koffler scored 11 of his game-high 18 points in the third quarter to help Laurel Highlands pull away for a 63-39 win over visiting Connellsville in a non-section boys basketball clash on Tuesday night.

Aiden Black followed Koffler with 13 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and Antwan Black added nine points for the Mustangs (2-3).

Laurel Highlands was up 16-10 after the first quarter and held a 25-21 halftime advantage before out-scoring the Falcons (0-5) 25-7 in the third quarter to take a commanding 50-28 lead.

The Mustangs closed the game with a 13-11 edge in the fourth quarter.

Anthony Piasecki led Connellsville with 13 points, including an 8-for-8 performance at the free throw line. Kace Shearer added seven points for the Falcons.

Monessen 68, Carmichaels 37 – The Greyhounds led 39-22 at halftime and kept rolling in the final 16 minutes for a non-section home victory against the Mikes.

Monessen outscored Carmichaels (2-3) in the second half, 30-15.

Aydan Adamson led Carmichaels with 14 points.

Timothy Kershaw paced Monessen (2-1) with a game-high 17 points. Lorenzo Gardner and Dennis Hawkins both finished with 12 points.

Belle Vernon 79, Bishop Canevin 57 – Tommy Davis scored a career-high 25 points and also had 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots as the Leopards closed strong in defeating the visiting Crusaders in a non-section game.

Trevor Kovatch totaled 16 points and nine assists and Zion Moore contributed 16 points and eight rebounds for Belle Vernon (2-1), which also got nine boards from Alonzo Wade.

The Leopards led 21-14 after the first quarter, 34-31 at halftime and 55-51 after three quarters before out-scoring Bishop Canevin 24-6 in the final frame to win going away.

Drew Allen led the Crusaders (1-3) with 19 points. Michael Vaughn and Jason Cross each had 11 points.

Jefferson-Morgan 65, Beth-Center 52 – The Rockets put five players in double figures and out-scored the host Bulldogs 43-27 in the second half to secure a non-section victory.

Jase Bedillion, with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Dayten Marion, with 12 points and 18 boards, both had double-doubles for Jefferson-Morgan (5-1), which also got 14 points from Collin Bisceglia, 13 points from Houston Guesman and 11 points from Max Ivanusic.

Jason Zellie paced B-C (1-4) with 12 points, Jonah Sussan followed with 11 and Ryan Minert and Brody Tharp each tallied 11.

Beth-Center held leads of 12-8 after the first quarter and 25-22 at halftime before the Rockets rode a 23-13 third quarter to a 45-36 advantage, then put the game away with a 20-14 edge in the fourth.

Frazier 66, Mapletown 28 – Brennen Stewart tossed in a game-high 19 points and Dailan McManus added 17 as the Commodores rolled past the visiting Maples in a non-section game.

Conlan Higbee also reached double figures for Frazier (2-3) with 10 points.

Roger Gradek topped Mapletown (0-3) in scoring with nine points.

The Commodores led 17-6, 35-12 and 54-22 at the breaks.

Southmoreland 68, Yough 62 – Ty Keffer scored 22 points to spark the host Scotties in a non-section win over the Cougars.

Noah Felentzer added 17 points and Ronnie Collins chipped in with 13 points for Southmoreland, which improved to 4-0.

Terek Crosby rang up a game-high 25 points in defeat for Yough (4-2), which also got 22 points from Austin Matthews and 15 from Zander Aird.

The Cougars held a 17-13 advantage after the first quarter before the Scotties pushed ahead with an 18-12 edge in the second quarter to take a 31-29 halftime lead. After both teams scored 17 points in the third quarter, Southmoreland used a 20-16 edge in the fourth to lock up the win.

Norwin 64, Mount Pleasant 51 – Mario Cxukas scored 15 points and the Class 6A Knights gradually pulled away for a non-section win over the host Vikings.

Norwin led 13-11, 32-23 and 46-36 at the quarter breaks.

Alexander Graney had 11 points and Chris McKnight and Luke Denny each scored 10 points for Norwin (3-2).

Chase McCloy led the Class 3A Vikings with a game-high 19 points. Connor Pavlocak and Dante Giallanardo followed with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Elizabeth Forward 64, Ringgold 60 – The Warriors rallied from an early nine-point deficit to defeat the host Rams in a non-section battle.

Ringgold led 19-10 after the first quarter but EF used its own 19-10 edge in the second to knot the score at 29-29 at halftime. The Warriors outscored the Rams 19-15 in the third quarter and hung on for the win.

Isaiah Turner scored a game-high 21 points for Elizabeth Forward (3-1). Charlie Meelieb and Cy Herchelroath tallied 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Szyair Dungee made four 3-pointers on his way to an 18-point showing to lead Ringgold (1-3).

South Side Beaver 75, Bentworth 46 – Brody Almashy scored 23 points and Andrew Corfield had 20 as the Rams triumphed over the visiting Bearcats in a non-section meeting.

Carter Wilson added 14 points for South Side Beaver (2-2).

Ben Hays topped Bentworth (1-3) in scoring with 10 points.

Girls basketball

Albert Gallatin 58, Southmoreland 14 – The Lady Colonials exploded out to a 20-2 lead in the first quarter and never looked back in defeating the visiting Lady Scotties in a non-section game.

Mikayla Shea and Mya Glisan tied for game-high honors with 16 points apiece for Albert Gallatin (1-3), which also got 13 points from Grayce Panos.

Lynzee Moore scored five points for Southmoreland (0-4).

Ringgold 42, Carlynton 33 – The Lady Rams built a 21-13 halftime advantage and hung on from there for a non-section victory over the host Lady Cougars.

Kamryn Webb had 14 points for Ringgold (2-1). Naomi McNary and Kailyn Webb followed with nine points each.

Lucy Vetter led Carlynton (3-2) with 18 points.

Frazier 51, Jefferson-Morgan 43 – Allie Yauch racked up a game-high 22 points as the Lady Commodores beat the host Lady Rockets in a non-section game.

Frazier (3-3) led 20-12, 30-17 and 43-26 at the breaks.

Kayla Larkin paced J-M (1-3) with 20 points and Ava Wood chipped in with 12.

Rifle

Hempfield 796-64x, Waynesburg Central 778-41x – The Raiders had a tough time on the road against the Spartans, although Faithlyn Vukmanic was right on target in the non-section loss.

Vukmanic was perfect with a score of 100-10x.

Emily Burnfield (99-4x), Abbi Kidd (99-4x), Logan Crouse (99-8x), Emma Lawson (97-4x), Wyatt Franklin (95-3x), Joe Withrow (96-5x), and Corbin Flanagan (93-3x) closed out the scoring for Waynesburg.

The Spartans’ Brooke Fanala and Leah Podlascewski were also perfect with scores of 100-10x.

Cyrus Orezeck (98-8x), Lucas Kaylor (100-8x), Haley Gallagher (98-5x), Aiden McKuicker (100-6x), Izabel Orezeck (100-9x), and Chloe Snyder (100-8x) also scored for Hempfield.

Hockey

Connellsville 7, Wilmington 1 – Ethan Frazee spotted the Falcons the lead just 2:22 into the PIHL D2 Division game at the Ice Mine and the home team never trailed for a win over the Greyhounds.

Connellsville (4-6-0-0-0) led 3-0 after the first period and 4-0 at the end of the second period.

Jesse Hodge netted a hat trick for the Falcons, scoring the lone power play goal for the home team. Connellsville went just 1-for-10 on the power play.

Ian Zerecheck netted two goals and Ryan Filcheck found the back of the net once.

The Falcons’ Nick Daniels-Nimick stopped 16 shots. Craig Patterson faced 42 shots for Wilmington (2-8-0-0-0) with 35 saves.

Boys swimming

Mount Pleasant 83, Connellsville 71 – The Vikings’ Joseph Gardner broke his school record in the 50 freestyle and Logan Snively won two events for a non-section victory over the visiting Falcons.

Gardner won the sprint race in 21.73 seconds. Snively finished first in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke.

Lucas Poole (200 freestyle), Gunnar Probst (100 butterfly), David Mutter (500 freestyle), 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay also had first-place finishes for Mount Pleasant.

The Falcons’ Kasey Stanton won the 100 freestyle with a WPIAL qualifying time. Aaron Michaels, Braden Cross, Dane Pavlovich and Cory Stanton finished first in the 40 freestyle relay. Dalton Shoemaker won the 100 breaststroke.

Girls swimming

Mount Pleasant 97, Connellsville 61 – Lily King and Kiersten O’Connor both won two races in the Lady Vikings’ non-section home win against the Lady Falcons.

King touched the wall first in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly. O’Connor won the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke. Laney Brown (100 freestyle), 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay also finished first for Mount Pleasant.

The Connellsville quartet of Ryann Lilley, Madelyn Johnson, Cheyenne Gonzalez and Bella Petrone won the 400 freestyle relay. Johnson won the 500 freestyle, Kourtney Callahan finished first in the 100 breaststroke, and Kassidy Callahan touched the wall first in the 100 freestyle.

Women’s basketball

California 72, Fairmont State 68 – Nina Shaw and Sierra Bermudez combined for 30 points in the second half as the 17th-ranked Vulcans rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to upend No. 15 Fairmont State in a non-conference home clash.

It was the first loss of the season for the Fighting Falcons (8-1).

Shaw scored 15 of her 20 points in the second half and shot four-of-six from 3-point range, while Bermudez tallied 15 of her 18 points after intermission and made six of nine 3-point attempts.

Cal also got 15 points from Alicia Young and 13 rebounds and two blocked shots from Allycia Harris.

Fairmont State used a 14-2 run to take a 30-15 lead with 3:09 left in the first half and pushed the gap up to 16 at intermission.

The Vulcans pulled within 48-43 after three quarters, then surged in front with a 13-0 run early in the fourth quarter and never trailed again.

Alyssa DeAngelo led the Fighting Falcons with 20 points.